The Ravens have four kinds of games next season. Let’s break the path to a second consecutive top seed in the AFC:
This is looking at the Ravens schedule a different way. We’re looking at the amount of wins against every level of competition on the 2020 slate Baltimore needs to be the number one seed this year.
Divisional Games:
The Baltimore Ravens will play their customary six games against their AFC North foes. Last season Baltimore split with the Cleveland Browns while sweeping the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals. The AFC North isn’t an easy division. Every team in the AFC North got better however that includes the Ravens. Baltimore walks into the season as the clear favorite to win the division. There is a good chance that John Harbaugh’s team will get their third straight division title. The Ravens need to strive to dominate their division rivals.
Think of division games as one of the building blocks for the overall record of the season. There are six wins on the table just from playing the Browns, Steelers and Bengals. Sweeping the division gets the Ravens about half the wins they need to make the postseason. With a schedule that is considered easy based on last year’s results, getting five or six wins from divisional contests basically promises a high seed in the AFC playoff picture. Games against these rivals means more than other games.
The Steelers are the top rival of the Ravens, in fact this rivalry is probably the biggest one the NFL currently has. Baltimore has the upper hand in this rivalry. Robert Griffin III and a good bit of the backups beat the Steelers in the 2019 regular season finale. The upper hand in this battle means confidence in the face of waving “Terrible Towels.” This could make a big difference in the Thanksgiving fight the Ravens have set up in Pittsburgh. Ben Roethlisberger is coming back from an elbow injury and the Ravens have a chance to show that his magic is gone.
When the Browns crushed the Ravens in the third game of the 2019 season it was their Super Bowl. It’s now a real rivalry, and it’s reaching the intensity of Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh. The Ravens have won every game against the Bengals since Lamar Jackson became the starting quarterback. It’s important that the Ravens never let the Bengals return to being the annoying thorn in their side.
Needed Division wins: Five