The Baltimore Ravens are rolling right now, at least as far as wins go. The team has won five straight games, completely turning things around after it’s abysmal 1-5 start. While Baltimore still has things it needs to clean up, it is currently sitting atop the AFC North with a 6-5 record. The Pittsburgh Steelers are also 6-5, but the Ravens currently have the tiebreaker of a better division record.
However, there’s a lot of football left to be played. With six weeks left in the season, the division race is far from over. Baltimore does have a huge opportunity in the next three weeks, that could help the team create separation in the AFC North race. The Ravens will play the Cincinnati Bengals, the Steelers, then the Bengals again, in that order. If the team can continue its win streak through those three games, Baltimore will be in great shape to win the division again.
Ravens could set themselves up to win AFC North with pivotal three-game stretch
While the 3-8 Bengals are just about out the race, even with Joe Burrow set to return on Thursday night, the Ravens' games against them will be important in deciding an AFC North champion. For starters, the results will affect Baltimore’s overall record. The Ravens need to capitalize on a struggling Cincinnati team, and add those two wins to the record. Additionally, since the Bengals are in the AFC North, these games will count towards Baltimore’s division record — a potential tiebreaker.
Sandwiched between those Cincinnati games is the first of two meetings with Pittsburgh. The second game against the Steelers will be in Week 18, and has the potential to be a de facto division championship. These two games, especially the first, could be the most important games on the remaining schedule. The best way to create separation with a team is to personally hand them a loss.
If the Ravens win against the Steelers in Week 14, Baltimore will improve its record, Pittsburgh will get worse, and Baltimore will hold another tiebreaker advantage. Of course, the Ravens need to finish the year strong, but wins in the next three weeks could set them up to win the division.