Just over a month ago, expectations were sky-high for the Baltimore Ravens. They were preseason Super Bowl favorites, bringing back an immensely talented squad and adding even more star power over the offseason.
The narrative surrounding the team was all about whether they could get it done in the playoffs. The regular season was almost an afterthought, with an underlying assumption that this group would cruise through its schedule.
But five weeks into the season, the unthinkable has become reality. Brutal injuries and underwhelming performances have the Ravens sitting at 1-4, near the bottom of an AFC North division that they were projected to dominate. They have no more room for error if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive. With a Week 6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore would have a nearly impossible task ahead.
Ravens are one game away from playoff odds becoming nonexistent
The odds are already against Baltimore, but they could get even worse. In NFL history, only four teams have started the season 1-5 and made the playoffs. It hasn't happened since Washington did it in 2020, finishing the year at 7-9.
Sure, if just a couple of plays had gone a different way, the Ravens would be in a much better position. A couple of untimely fumbles and lapses of judgment have turned this season from slow start to disaster. Baltimore is too skilled to be 1-4, but that doesn't change the numbers in the win and loss columns.
As talented as this team still is when healthy, another early loss may make the deficit too large to overcome. The Ravens need a win against the Rams on Sunday to keep any hope of a postseason appearance alive.
Unfortunately, they may have to do it without Lamar Jackson. The former MVP is still dealing with the hamstring injury that kept him out last week. There has been some speculation that he could be back against the Rams, but an early return might hurt his long-term health.
If the Ravens are going to pull off an upset with Cooper Rush under center, their underperforming stars will need to step up in a big way. Whether it's Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers, or the defense as a whole, this team needs a strong display to keep its season going. One more loss, and the insane talent that the Ravens possess could be pointless in 2025.