ExtremeRavens Posted December 27, 2024 Posted December 27, 2024 The Ravens can enjoy the weekend just like the rest of us: Kicking their feet up and watching football. After a convincing 31-2 win over the Houston Texans on Wednesday in front of an audience of 24.3 million on Netflix, Baltimore is on the cusp of a second straight AFC North title. With the Pittsburgh Steelers’ loss to the Kansas City Chiefs earlier on Christmas Day, the Ravens have a one-game lead in the division heading into the regular-season finale against the visiting Cleveland Browns, who have lost four straight and six of their past seven games. Assuming Lamar Jackson and company take care of business in Week 18 as 4 1/2-point favorites, the Ravens will secure a home playoff game in the wild-card round. But while Kansas City has already locked up the AFC’s top seed and a first-round bye, there is still much to be decided regarding playoff positioning. Therefore, it remains unclear who exactly Baltimore — currently the No. 3 seed — will host when wild-card weekend kicks off at the start of the new year. With that in mind, here’s a look at the Ravens’ possible wild-card opponents, ranked from most to least likely: Los Angeles Chargers Record: 9-6, 2nd in AFC West, No. 6 seed Previous meeting vs. Baltimore: Ravens won, 30-23, on Nov. 25 The Chargers have not clinched a playoff berth yet, but they can do so with a win Saturday over the New England Patriots or losses by both the Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins. Los Angeles has improved dramatically under first-year coach Jim Harbaugh, who has exceeded expectations by turning a 5-12 team under Brandon Staley into a possible playoff contender. But as impressive as the Chargers have been at times, showing more grit and toughness on both sides of the ball to uplift promising quarterback Justin Herbert, they have often come up short against other AFC contenders. L.A. is a combined 0-4 against the Steelers, Chiefs and Ravens this season, though all those losses have been by an average of less than seven points. A playoff run would require the best football of Herbert’s young career and a masterclass from young defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, a former Ravens assistant who has seamlessly transitioned from Michigan to the NFL alongside Harbaugh. Running back J.K. Dobbins’ injury has robbed offensive coordinator Greg Roman of his most effective playmaker, but the Chargers have enough talent and a coach with a long track record of success to believe in an upset or two. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix has the Broncos on the verge of a playoff berth. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Denver Broncos Record: 9-6, 3rd in AFC West, No. 7 seed Previous meeting vs. Baltimore: Ravens won, 41-10, on Nov. 3 Like the division rival Chargers, the Broncos can sew up a playoff berth Saturday with a win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Denver is on the cusp of its first playoff game since winning the Super Bowl in February 2016 because of a standout defense and a productive partnership between quarterback Bo Nix and coach Sean Payton. The rookie has overcome some early growing pains to post respectable numbers while leading an offense that’s 10th in the league in scoring, averaging 24.2 points per game. But while Nix and Payton get most of the attention, it’s been the work of coordinator Vance Joseph’s defense that has Denver in position to compete in the postseason. The Broncos allow just 18.7 points per game, fourth in the NFL, and just recently fell one sack behind the Ravens for the league lead (51). Pat Surtain II and Riley Moss have formed one of the league’s top cornerback duos, while breakout star Nik Bonitto and unheralded veteran John Franklin-Myers lead a deep defensive line. The Broncos are unlikely to make a deep playoff run with a rookie quarterback at the helm, but for the first time in a while, there’s excitement about the future in Denver. Houston Texans Record: 9-7, 1st in AFC South, No. 4 seed Previous meeting vs. Baltimore: Ravens won, 31-2, on Dec. 25 We just saw what this matchup looks like, and it wasn’t pretty. Jackson and Derrick Henry steam-rollered their way over one of the league’s top defenses on Christmas, while Baltimore completely overwhelmed C.J. Stroud, Nico Collins and Joe Mixon in holding the Texans’ offense to 10 first downs and 3.9 yards per play. A wild-card matchup would be the teams’ fourth in two years, including Baltimore’s 34-10 demolition in the divisional round last season. The Ravens have won the past three meetings by an average of 23 points, and there’s not much to suggest the score would be any different in a rematch. However, because of the NFL’s playoff rules rewarding division champions, the Ravens would have to face Houston on the road if they miss out on the AFC North title and drop to the No. 5 seed. Pittsburgh Steelers Record: 10-6, 2nd in AFC North, No. 5 seed Previous meeting vs. Baltimore: Ravens won, 34-17, on Dec. 21 Coach Mike Tomlin’s Steelers have already clinched a playoff spot for the second consecutive year and fourth time in the past five seasons, but a recent swoon has raised concerns about their postseason viability. After going 10-3 to take control of the AFC North, a three-game losing streak has opened the door for the Ravens to swoop in and steal the division title. Now Pittsburgh needs a win over the Bengals and an unlikely Ravens loss to the Browns in Week 18 to claim the crown on the best division record tiebreaker. While quarterback Russell Wilson has seemingly revived his career in black and gold, the offense has sorely missed wide receiver George Pickens, averaging just 13.3 points per game during its current losing streak. The defense has been outstanding for most of the season, but injuries and poor play in the secondary have come back to haunt them in matchups against the league’s top offenses. T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and a formidable front can only do so much. Pittsburgh has long had Baltimore’s number, winning eight of the past 10 matchups, but the Ravens’ most recent win and ongoing surge to end the regular season has flipped the momentum. The Steelers no longer look like a team to be feared. Quarterback Anthony Richardson and the Colts need some help to reach the postseason. (Tony Gutierrez/AP) Indianapolis Colts Record: 7-8, 2nd in AFC South Previous meeting vs. Baltimore: Colts won, 22-19 (OT), on Sept. 24, 2023 It’s been a strange season for the Colts that might get even wackier if they somehow find a way to sneak into the playoffs. In November, Indianapolis benched second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson for former Ravens star Joe Flacco, only to reverse that decision after two games and elevate Richardson back into the starting role. The Colts have won three of their five games since, clinging to hope that a late-season surge can propel them into the AFC’s final wild-card spot. That path starts with wins over the Giants and Jaguars over the final two weeks of the regular season. Then, they need some help, either with the Chargers losing out or a more convoluted scenario involving the Broncos, Dolphins and Bengals. Either way, the Colts enter Week 17 with just a 14% chance to make the playoffs, according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats. Richardson has been among the most frustrating quarterbacks in the league this season because of his lapses in accuracy, but his combination of size, speed and arm strength remains a scary proposition for opposing defenses. Miami Dolphins Record: 7-8, 2nd in AFC East Previous meeting vs. Baltimore: Ravens won, 56-19, on Dec. 31, 2023 The Dolphins are improbably still in the hunt for a playoff spot, but they need plenty of help to get there. Winning out won’t be enough, which is why Next Gen Stats only gives Miami a 9% chance of making the field. While the Dolphins have recovered well from their 2-6 start — which included four games without quarterback Tua Tagovailoa after he suffered yet another concussion — it probably won’t be enough. And even if they did find a way to extend their season, recent playoff performances suggest that Miami would likely be one-and-done anyway. Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, De’Von Achane and Jonnu Smith might look intimidating on paper, but in practice, coach Mike McDaniel’s offense has suffered a steady decline since the beginning of last season. No AFC playoff team would want to see quarterback Joe Burrow and the Bengals in the postseason. (Kareem Elgazzar/AP) Cincinnati Bengals Record: 7-8, 3rd in AFC North Previous meeting vs. Baltimore: Ravens won, 35-34, on Nov. 7 This is the classic “nobody wants to see them in the playoffs” team. The Ravens certainly don’t. Baltimore had to fight tooth and nail to beat the Bengals in both matchups this season, winning the first in overtime after staging a late comeback and prevailing in the second after stopping a 2-point conversion attempt in the final seconds. Jackson and the Ravens might be salivating at another opportunity to play Cincinnati’s beleaguered defense, which has ranked among the league’s worst this season, but the offense has been incredible when Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are all healthy. Burrow is putting up MVP-type numbers and has already thrown for 820 yards and nine touchdowns in two matchups against the Ravens. Baltimore has since overhauled its defense to great effect, notably starting safety Ar’Darius Washington over Marcus Williams, but it would be tested in a potential wild-card matchup against its division rival. Fortunately, the Bengals have just a 7% chance to make the playoffs. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article Quote
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