Ravens' Playoff Chances Are Slim; Here's…

The Ravens’ chances of making the playoffs are very slim after a fifth straight loss Sunday, this time 20-19 against the Los Angeles Rams.

Baltimore has a 3% chance of reaching the postseason in the final week of the season. The Ravens’ loss, coupled with wins by the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers, dramatically damaged Baltimore’s odds.

Every scenario starts with the Ravens beating the Pittsburgh Steelers in the regular-season finale to get to 9-8.

The Ravens would also need:

1. Cleveland Browns to lose either on “Monday Night Football” vs. Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17 or vs. Cincinnati Bengals in Week 18
2. Jacksonville Jaguars to beat Indianapolis Colts
3. New England Patriots to beat (or tie) Miami Dolphins
4. Las Vegas Raiders to beat Los Angeles Chargers

The toughest leg of that would be counting on the Jaguars, who have the NFL’s worst record at 2-14, to beat the Colts. The Jaguars did keep it close with the Colts in Week 10, losing 23-17.

However, Jacksonville is coming off a 50-10 loss to the New England Patriots and has lost eight straight games, while the Colts have been one of the league’s hottest teams down the stretch. A win by the Jaguars would also risk losing the top-overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

For the Ravens, the final week of the regular season against the rival Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium will be all about ending a five-game losing streak. It’s also expected to be Ben Roethlisberger’s final game.

“Win. Find a way to win the game – that’s our message,” Head Coach John Harbaugh said.