The Baltimore Ravens need a miraculous turnaround to make the playoffs in 2025. Their 1-5 start is one of the worst in franchise history, and over the past few weeks, they have looked like a bottom-three team in football.
Despite all the talent, the offense and defense have struggled to remain consistent. Yes, injuries have taken a toll on the roster, but there is still plenty of talent on the field, and it has yet to translate. They should be getting several key contributors back from injury, including quarterback Lamar Jackson and linebacker Roquan Smith, and franchise cornerstones in left tackle Ronnie Stanley and cornerback Marlon Humphrey should be back closer to 100 percent.
Still, they will need more than just a healthy roster to join the playoff race in 2025. They need a whole morale change to turn the tide. The play on the field has failed to reflect the amount of talent on Baltimore’s roster, and it has been clear that a mix of low morale and poor coaching has led to the rough start.
Humphrey is clearly doing his best to change the mood of the team moving forward. When meeting with the media on Tuesday, he issued a wake-up call, as he looks to get back on track.
“It would be nothing greater if we could beat the Chicago Bears this Sunday,” Humphrey said. “I just wanna win one game. If that's not everybody's mindset, there needs to be a sit-down to figure out how we can get that on your mindset because that's gonna be the only way going forward to win one game.”
There is still a long road ahead, 11 games to be exact, but it will be a tough task to get back into the thick of the playoff race. Humphrey’s message is clear: take it one game at a time.
Marlon Humphrey's wake-up call could shift the tone
The Ravens faced a gauntlet through their first six games. They squared off against various Super Bowl contenders and several elite offenses and defenses. They failed to look competitive in some of those matchups, but in others, they were on the doorstep of victory. With the team healthy, if they can attack the rest of the year with the right mindset, a turnaround is possible.
In terms of their strength of schedule for the final 11 weeks, Baltimore has the 10th-easiest schedule remaining, according to Tankathon. Things will become challenging late in the year with a slew of intense divisional games, but matchups with the Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns, and New York Jets should give the Ravens a chance to find a rhythm. That perceived easy four-game stretch comes from Week 9 to Week 12.
It all starts in Week 8 against the Bears, though. They have rattled off four straight wins heading into the contest, and they should give the Ravens a run for their money.