Getty Steve Kornacki of NBC interviews Amy Klobuchar.
The Baltimore Ravens currently sit well outside the playoff picture in the AFC, and yet, the team could be alive and kicking as it relates to their playoff odds.
Baltimore’s margin of error remains slim thanks to some recent losses that have sent them tumbling down in the standings. Never fear, though. The Ravens are still a team to watch according to NBC and veteran pollster Steve Kornacki.
Kornacki joined Sunday Night Football from the NBC News political side to break down the playoff picture in the AFC, and when it came time to discuss the Ravens, he explained that while the team has a 47% chance to make the postseason, it wasn’t that much different than the 51% chance the 8-4 Miami Dolphins have who are currently in the playoff race. The reasoning? Scheduling.
For a look at the NFL Playoff Picture, let’s go to the touchscreen with @SteveKornacki from @NBCNews!
Kornacki said:
“Baltimore, almost the same chance as Miami of making the playoffs. Why? It has everything to do with schedule strength. The Ravens with the easiest schedule in the league down the stretch. Miami meanwhile, a much tougher slate starting next week with Kansas City. That’s why the Ravens, very much alive despite being in ninth place.”
The Ravens have lost three games in a row, but thanks to the way the schedule looks, they could still make a run. Games aren’t played on paper of course, so there is plenty left to be settled on the field when things get going and the Ravens just have to find a way to get some wins.
If they do, they could find themselves back in the hunt quickly.
What Ravens Must Do to Make Playoffs
It’s safe to say the Baltimore defense has played decently well this season given their status as a top 10 unit in the league at this point in the season. Where Baltimore needs to get back to work is on offense. This season, the Ravens aren’t scoring nearly enough and could use their passing game to get back on track with Lamar Jackson. Baltimore’s offense has been in the bottom half of the league in multiple categories this year, but theoretically, the chance for them to get healthy starts right now with the schedule.
Ravens Could Make Run to AFC Playoffs
With the loss to the Steelers and the Ravens sitting at 6-5, the team has a smaller margin of error moving forward heading into Week 13 and Week 14. The schedule lightens up with the Cowboys, Jaguars, Giants and Bengals down the stretch, but nothing is guaranteed and they also have to compete with the likes of the Raiders, Dolphins and Colts for positioning in the postseason race. Baltimore does have wins against Indianapolis and Cleveland in its back pocket, but will need to go on a run to get back in the conversation at all in he next few weeks.
It’s likely the Ravens will have to go 4-0 to have a good feeling about their standing, but that’s more than possible given what lies in front of the team moving forward. As a result, they could have a better postseason chance than most think.