4 Ravens Dream and Nightmare NFL postseason scenarios

3. Not good scenario: No. 3-5 Baltimore Ravens (12-5)

In this scenario, the Ravens only win one of their three remaining games. It doesn't matter which one it is, as they drop to a 12-5 overall record and the no. 5 seed in most cases unless something very weird happens, and perhaps not even then.

This means that Baltimore would be a road underdog throughout the postseason, not enjoying home field advantage even once. Depending on other teams' results, they could face many teams in the wild card game from Houston to Indianapolis and Denver.

The problem with this scenario is what would come after the WC round once more. The Ravens would be forced to beat either Kansas City or Miami in their second game, then most probably the other team they avoid in that matchup, and even in the case of an upset they would still (most probably) face someone like the Buffalo Bills. No bueno.

4. Nightmare scenario: No. 6 Baltimore Ravens (11-6)

The Ravens have clinched the postseason so they will at least enter the playoffs next January in possession of the seventh-best seed in the AFC. Of course, "seventh-best" means "worst" too, which could happen depending on how the rest of the leagues shape up during the next three weeks.

In this case, no matter what happens elsewhere, the Ravens would need to go through a postseason gauntlet that would most definitely include matchups against the Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, and Cleveland Browns/Buffalo Bills/Jacksonville Jaguars all of them on the road except the one in Buffalo (as they would enter the playoffs with the lowest seed).

Not only will the Ravens enter the playoffs coming off a three-game winning skid in this scenario, but they will also have to play non-stop from this moment on until the Pro Bowl week break just seven days before the Super Bowl assuming they make it all the way there.

Not saying the Ravens must earn that bye week, and not even finish inside the top two seeds of the AFC, but that's definily looking much better and a quite simpler route to navigate than the other two possibilities. Fingers crossed, Flock.

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