Baltimore Ravens: Everything we learned in loss to Steelers

BALTIMORE, MD - NOVEMBER 04: Running Back James Conner #30 of the Pittsburgh Steelers is tackled by inside linebacker Patrick Onwuasor #48 of the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium on November 4, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - NOVEMBER 04: Running Back James Conner #30 of the Pittsburgh Steelers is tackled by inside linebacker Patrick Onwuasor #48 of the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium on November 4, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – AUGUST 20: Head coach John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens looks on against the Indianapolis Colts in the second quarter of a preseason game at Lucas Oil Stadium on August 20, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – AUGUST 20: Head coach John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens looks on against the Indianapolis Colts in the second quarter of a preseason game at Lucas Oil Stadium on August 20, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

3. The Ravens are likely not a playoff team:

If the purple and black make the playoffs, it will honestly be remarkable. They still have to play the Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City  Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers. The Atlanta Falcons aren’t great but they just laid a hurting on a 5-2 Washington team. At best the Ravens are on the same plane as Atlanta. Baltimore is 4-5 with a 1-3 division record. There is a very good chance that this team doesn’t make the postseason and to be honest, that may be a good thing.

This team doesn’t deserve a playoff spot. If the loss to the Cleveland Browns was a fluke it would be a forgivable loss. However it is one of four games where the Ravens played horrible football. The Saints game was an understandable game to drop. The fact that Baltimore was so close to seeing a win against the Saints was flustering to the Ravens Flock. Good teams find a way to win those kinds of games. Good teams don’t spiral out of control and drop the next two games.

If we’ve learned anything this season it’s that the Ravens are not a great team. They have the ability to do great things. 47-3 was clearly a great start to the season against the Bills. The win in Heinz Field was fun, and the Broncos got stomped by the Ravens. The problem is that these feats mean nothing when you have a 12-9 loss to the Browns, get embarrassed on Thursday Night Football against the Bengals and drop two consecutive games looking like an NFL bottom feeder. The Ravens take one step forward and then they take three steps back, and they play like that on a loop. If this is a playoff team, they either find consistency or the AFC has issues.

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