The Baltimore Ravens' 2026 schedule is here, and they should be happy with most of it. They have to be overjoyed about their soft opening stretch, which should grant head coach Jesse Minter time to adjust. However, they also draw a tough finish that is frighteningly familiar.
The Ravens end the upcoming regular season with four straight AFC North battles. They play the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15, the Cleveland Browns in Week 16, the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17, and the Steelers again in Week 18.
Baltimore saw a similar story unfold last year, as they had four AFC North showdowns in the final six games. There’s one part of the 2026 schedule that’s giving them a nightmarish dose of deja vu, though: Week 18 against the Steelers. They had the same matchup to end the season in 2025, and well, we all know how that went.
Baltimore Ravens have to confront nightmare after seeing what 2026 has in store
The Ravens’ 2025 campaign was a complete disaster. Somehow, they still had a shot to make the playoffs until the very end of the season. We’re talking the literal final seconds. Unfortunately, just as the entire year was painful, their Week 18 must-win game against the Steelers ended in the most painful way imaginable. That missed game-winner by Tyler Loop is still a painful memory that lives rent-free in fans' minds.
In 2026, it’ll be time for Baltimore to confront that nightmare. They’re looking to bounce back and reintroduce themselves as playoff contenders under new head coach Jesse Minter. And while Week 18 against the Steelers currently serves as a painful memory of what occurred in 2025, it’s also a clear opportunity to get the most satisfying form of revenge.
If everything goes right, the Ravens could find themselves in a similar position as they were last year. Hopefully not in terms of record, but in terms of playoff stakes. And if that’s the case, the time of that game, which is currently to be decided, could end up on primetime. There’d be nothing sweeter than rewriting history in the exact type of situation that you were in last year. Baltimore simply has to make sure things go differently this time around.
Of course, there’s a long road ahead. No one in the organization is paying attention to that Week 18 clash right now. They’re going to take things one game at a time. Still, it’s hard to look at the schedule and not get an itch for revenge in Week 18. Last year’s wound is still healing, but all that can change by ending things in a better fashion in 2026.
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