The Baltimore Ravens will need some help in Week 7 during their bye week to get back into playoff contention. There are still plenty of games left, and the Ravens can still control their own destiny, but if they want a realistic chance at getting back on track, they need some outside help.
Baltimore got just that in the Week 7 Thursday Night Football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals upset the Steelers, 33-31, which keeps the AFC North crown within reach for now. That division title is likely the easiest path to the playoffs for the Ravens, but with three Wild Card spots up for grabs, a lot can change in the coming weeks.
Here are three potential Week 7 outcomes that could boost Baltimore’s playoff hopes this year.
3 key Week 7 outcomes that could boost Ravens' playoff outlook
Kansas City Chiefs beat Las Vegas Raiders
The Kansas City Chiefs have already won the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Ravens after a Week 4 blowout win. They also appear back to form, so any scenario that sees Baltimore make the playoffs will likely see them fall in behind the Chiefs. A Kansas City win over the Las Vegas Raiders would help the Ravens inch closer to passing the several teams ranking ahead of them in the current playoff landscape.
The Raiders are not a threat by any means. Quarterback Geno Smith has struggled to get adjusted to his new team. Still, they are 11th in the AFC playoff standings, one spot above Baltimore in 12th. A Raiders loss on Sunday would put the Ravens within easy striking distance to begin passing by AFC foes.
Los Angeles Rams beat Jacksonville Jaguars
The Indianapolis Colts are one of the best teams in football right now, but they are rivaled by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC South, who are just one game behind. Baltimore will need the Jaguars to lose to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 7 to keep that division race from getting more intense.
Fewer teams with stronger records would obviously give the Ravens a better chance. Jacksonville is one team Baltimore will need to see slip in the coming weeks in a crowded playoff picture. They also have the ninth-easiest schedule remaining, per Tankathon, so they need to drop the difficult matchups before the easy wins start coming.
Seattle Seahawks beat the Houston Texans
The Ravens could use some help from their former defensive coordinator and current head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, Mike Macdonald, on Monday Night Football this week. It is another game where the Ravens will hope to see an NFC opponent take down an AFC contender, this time in the form of the Houston Texans.
The Texans got the better of Baltimore in Week 5, but after a slow start, they have fallen deep in a division hole and are fighting for a Wild Card spot. At 2-3, another loss would put the Ravens just a game behind Houston. Yes, they have the head-to-head tie breaker, but Baltimore’s sixth-easiest schedule compared to the Texans’ fourth-hardest remaining schedule should benefit the Ravens in the long run.
Baltimore still has a long way to go, but some much-needed rest and a cluster of beneficial Week 7 outcomes could put the team in good shape the rest of the way.