The complete NFL Schedule will be released on Thursday, May 14. Without a doubt, the order of this schedule truly determines the difficulty of each team's schedule. Still, in terms of raw strength of schedule, the Baltimore Ravens have the ninth-easiest schedule, with last year's winning percentage of their opponents averaging out to be 47.9 percent. This manageable schedule could set the stage for the Ravens to have a stellar season, and ultimately, it could allow them to make a Super Bowl run.
Below is a chart of the Ravens' home and away opponents with last season's record.
Home | Away |
|---|---|
Cincinnati Bengals (6-11) | Cincinnati Bengals (6-11) |
Cleveland Browns (5-12) | Cleveland Browns (5-12) |
Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) | Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) |
Jacksonville Jaguars (13-4) | Atlanta Falcons (8-9) |
Tennessee Titans (3-14) | Indianapolis Colts (8-9) |
New Orleans Saints (6-11) | Houston Texans (12-5) |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9) | Carolina Panthers (8-9) |
Los Angeles Chargers (11-6) | Buffalo Bills (12-5) |
Dallas Cowboys (7-9-1) |
Games against rebuilding teams like the Titans, and of course, the Browns twice, should work in the Ravens' favor.Â
Even some of the teams that had strong records last year aren't poised to repeat their success. The Jaguars losing both Travis Etienne and Devin Lloyd is significant; the Chargers lost Odafe Oweh and Jesse Minter, which could cause their defense to take a massive step back.Â
Considering the Ravens' workable schedule and their stellar offseason, it's fair to be optimistic about Baltimore having a monster 2026 season.Â
The stars are aligning for the Baltimore Ravens to have a stellar year
While you don't want to put too much stock into initial strength of schedule rankings, an easy schedule could certainly make a difference. Basing things on actual opposing win percentage last year, we see that eight out of the 10 teams with the easiest schedules made the playoffs. This includes the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos, who had the two easiest schedules in the league.Â
As such, it's fair to say that the Ravens will benefit significantly from their schedule.Â
There's no understating just how much the Ravens have improved, too. Firstly, revamping the coaching staff with Jesse Minter, Declan Doyle, and Anthony Weaver was much needed after how disconnected the team was last year. Trey Hendrickson gives the Ravens an elite pass rusher, while Calais Campbell and second-round pick Zion Young further bolster the Ravens' front seven. Between these additions and Minter, Baltimore feels poised for a defensive surge.
Vega Ioane and John Simpson provide some long-desired reinforcements to the Ravens' interior line. Ja'Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt give Lamar Jackson some physical weapons outside of Zay Flowers. On a similar note, a fully healthy Jackson should be the biggest difference of all from last year. Heck, if he were fully healthy last year, the Ravens likely would have made the playoffs.Â
After a disastrous 8-9 season, everything seems to be falling into place for the Ravens to win double digit games again, and if everything goes right this year, they might finally get over the Super Bowl hump. Â
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