The Baltimore Ravens suffered a heartbreaking loss against the New England Patriots in Week 16. They have unfortunately been all too familiar with these losses in 2025, and Sunday was yet another instance of them handing the opponent the game in the late stages.
Baltimore entered Sunday Night Football with a shot at controlling their own destiny and making the playoffs this season. They needed a win to stay one game back of the Pittsburgh Steelers for first place in the AFC North. Instead, they end the night two games back and are watching their playoff hopes teeter on the edge.
According to NFL.com, the Ravens entered the day with a 39% chance to make the playoffs. After Pittsburgh’s win over the Detroit Lions and Baltimore’s loss, those sit at just 11%.
Ravens’ playoff hopes on life support
Everything that could have gone wrong in Week 16 went wrong for the Ravens. It is a complete shot in the gut for a team that had everything in front of them. Now, they will need some help before they take on the Steelers in Week 18.
Obviously, Baltimore must win next week. They will return to primetime on Saturday night, and unfortunately, they will face off against the Green Bay Packers. The Packers are dealing with their own issues, but remain a playoff team with a capable offense and strong defense.
While the Ravens proved capable of competing with one of the best teams in football in Week 16, and could win in Green Bay next Saturday, they also need Pittsburgh to lose. Which team do the Steelers play next week? The Cleveland Browns.
Matchups between division rivals can get tough, and it will undoubtedly be chippy, but a team’s season relying on the Browns is not an encouraging sign. Cleveland sits at 3-12 with quarterback Shedeur Sanders leading the way, who has shown promise, but is also making a ton of rookie mistakes in his first handful of starts. Drawing a matchup against a pesky Steelers’ defense will likely not go over well.
Heading into the rest of the 2025 campaign, the Ravens will look to go down swinging. You can only control what you can control. If they do their job next week, perhaps they will receive some help. For now, though, it looks like their playoff hopes are all but finished.