ExtremeRavens Posted May 15 Posted May 15 The NFL released its 272-game schedule Wednesday night in its highly anticipated annual event, but it has very little to do with how the 2025 season will unfold. In this town, the Ravens will either finally make it back to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2012 season, or they will find another way to lose in the playoffs. Go ahead, use the C-word: choke. For two years now, the Ravens have had one of the best teams in the NFL. They had the best roster before losing to Kansas City in Baltimore in the 2023 AFC championship game. They were loaded again last year but couldn’t get past quarterback Josh Allen and the Bills. In February, Philadelphia had the most complete team in the league and proved it by crushing the Chiefs, 40-22, in the Super Bowl. With the Ravens, it’s not about talent. They have plenty. It’s about turnovers. Against the Chiefs two years ago, the Ravens had three in their 17-10 loss. In a 27-25 season-ending road playoff loss to Buffalo in January, the Ravens did it again, turning it over three times, but still had a chance to tie the game late. That is, until tight end Mark Andrews dropped a would-be game-tying 2-point conversion. But that’s in the past. The good news for Ravens fans is that the team is loaded once again in 2025 and poised to make another run. They have the best offensive playmaker in the league in quarterback Lamar Jackson, flanked by superstar running back Derrick Henry, who just agreed to a two-year, $30 million contract extension on Wednesday. They have receivers Zay Flowers, newly acquired veteran DeAndre Hopkins and Rashod Bateman, and a plethora of tight ends in Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar. Baltimore has a solid defense and filled some holes last month by drafting Georgia safety Malaki Starks in the first round and Marshall edge rusher Mike Green in the second. So, the announcement of the schedule was nothing more than a formality. Unless Jackson goes down with a significant injury and misses substantial playing time, this franchise is poised to have another shot at a deep postseason run. They just need to get rid of their own hiccups. The first third of the 2025 schedule is attractive. Five of the Ravens’ first six opponents made the playoffs last season — Buffalo (Week 1), Detroit (Week 3), Kansas City (Week 4), Houston (Week 5) and the Los Angeles Rams (Week 6). The Ravens open the year on the road in prime time against the Bills on Sept. 7, a rematch of the playoff loss that features Jackson against Allen, who rightfully edged out Jackson for his first NFL Most Valuable Player Award last season. Ravens 2025 schedule: Way-too-early predictions and analysis for every game The Ravens played the second-toughest schedule (based on opponent 2023 win percentage) last year, and this year it’s ranked ninth. That’s a great thing because they earned this schedule. No organization wants to be the Tennessee Titans or New England Patriots or Las Vegas Raiders of a year ago. It’s like selecting late in every round of the draft; it’s a badge of honor and says you had a successful season. Plus, don’t get too hyped about schedules. Because of injuries, some teams fade during the season and others become success stories — just look at the Los Angeles Chargers (11-6 record last season), Denver Broncos (10-7) and Washington Commanders (12-5). The Ravens have a nice blend of contenders on the schedule. Besides the first half of the season, they also face Cincinnati and quarterback Joe Burrow twice in the second half, the Minnesota Vikings, and they close out on the road against Green Bay and Pittsburgh. Some fans might want to go to Green Bay to feel the nostalgia of Lambeau Field, but more entertaining is the thought of Packers quarterback Jordan Love versus Jackson, or running back Josh Jacobs against Henry. Jacobs had 1,329 yards on 301 carries last season while Henry had 1,921 yards and averaged 5.9 per carry. The potential for frigid conditions promotes this type of game. As for the Steelers, Pittsburgh is Pittsburgh. It’s a rivalry, even though the Steelers don’t have a legitimate starting quarterback. Yet, they always make the playoffs. Is Mason Rudolph a starting quarterback? Yikes. There has been no sighting of Aaron Rodgers in black and gold anywhere. Not yet, anyway. There are questions for every team. With Baltimore, will coach John Harbaugh change his approach after extremely disappointing postseason failures two straight years? Why does Jackson struggle in big games in the postseason, where he’s 3-5 with 10 touchdown passes, seven interceptions and six lost fumbles? How does second-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr gear up for next season? How does the addition of senior secondary coach Chuck Pagano change things? Overall, the schedule isn’t strange. The Ravens are hosting the Bengals on Thanksgiving night after playing on Christmas the past two years. They aren’t playing three games in 12 days, as they did last year. They aren’t crossing an ocean, as they did in 2023 to play in London. For the Ravens, it’s an inward focus, not outward. It’s all about themselves. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article Quote
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