Ravens win, but brutal schedule means tough road ahead

Ravens win, but brutal schedule means tough road ahead

Despite currently holding first place in the AFC North, the Ravens are not guaranteed anything with their remaining schedule. 

Despite losing Lamar Jackson just hours before kickoff to an illness, the Baltimore Ravens managed to squeak past the Chicago Bears for a 16-13 victory in Soldier Field. The Ravens elevate to 7-3 on the season and further lock down their spot on top of the AFC North.

However, looking at the rest of the Ravens’ schedule, their reign on top of the AFC North may be short and unproductive. With the Steelers a half-game behind them and the Bengals a full game behind them, the Ravens are going to feel the pressure.

The Ravens’ only remaining opponents all have playoff aspirations

The weakest opponent the Ravens have left on their schedule are the Cleveland Browns, a team that came into the season with Super Bowl aspirations. Injuries and roster drama have slowed their offense to a halt, but their offense is one that will flourish and become better as the weather gets colder. They have two games against the Ravens, and with the season on the line will throw everything at their divisional rival.

They also have two games against the Pittsburgh Steelers on the horizon. The Steelers have overachieved quite a bit this season, but that does not make them less of a threat. Their defense is elite when healthy, their offense has added a serious threat in Najee Harris, and despite his best efforts, Ben Roethlisberger has not cost them every game this season.

In case their divisional encounters are not rough enough, they also play the Rams and Packers in that mix, the two teams leading the NFC side of the Super Bowl conversation. Both offensive juggernauts are more than capable of hanging a ton of points on the Ravens, but also have defenses that will make the Ravens think twice about running the ball as much as usual.

Are the Ravens going to go 0-7 through the rest of the season? No. However, it is going to take a much-improved team for the Ravens to stay above .500 during their remaining stretch.

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