The Baltimore Ravens will receive a much-needed rest in Week 10, after which they have one of the easiest remaining schedules in the league.
Following their bye, the Ravens’ next seven games are all against teams with losing records; the only team above .500 that the Ravens are set to play against is their division rivals the Cincinnati Bengals. Yet that game will take place in Week 18, by which time Baltimore could feasibly have already won the AFC North.
Currently sitting in first place in their division with a 6-3 record, the Ravens hold the head-to-head advantage against the Bengals and boast a pristine record against AFC North opponents.
Given Baltimore’s smooth-sailing remaining schedule, the team should have its sights set on clinching a high playoff seed to gain home-field advantage at the start of the postseason.
The easiest strength of schedule remaining in the #NFL
— Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrCBS) November 8, 2022
1. #Ravens -- 24-44 (.353)
2. #Falcons -- 27-44 (.380)
3. #Chiefs -- 31-43-1 (.420)
4. #Buccaneers -- 30-40 (.429)
5. #Panthers -- 30-39 (.435)#RavensFlock #DirtyBirds#ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/rbdzPzQlei
Ravens hold steady at No. 4 in Football Outsiders' overall DVOA after last night's win: No. 3 offense, No. 15 defense, No. 1 special teams.
— Jonas Shaffer (@jonas_shaffer) November 8, 2022
Their remaining schedule has just two opponents ranked in the top 13 overall: Cincinnati (No. 7) and Cleveland (No. 11).
Ravens will face seven straight losing teams after Week 10 bye
For the Bengals to overtake the Ravens, they would have to put together a better record in the second half of the season, and Cincy will face several tough teams including the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills.
The Bengals’ sluggish start to 2022 has seriously hurt their chances of winning the AFC North; the Ravens, for their part, appear to have solved their early-season fiasco of blowing leads.
Baltimore manhandled the New Orleans Saints in Week 9 and should be able to string together wins against their sub-.500 opponents after Week 10.
Nothing is guaranteed, yet the Ravens are undeniably trending upward given the anticipated returns of several injured players including Gus Edwards, Mark Andrews, Jason Pierre-Paul, and David Ojabo.
It’s Super Bowl or bust for this high-flying Ravens squad in 2022.