Getty Coach John Harbaugh During Week 9 2nd Half
Coaching in the NFL is not for the faint of heart, as most games are a stress packed 60 minutes. For the Baltimore Ravens coach, John Harbaugh, it’s no different.
Luckily for Harbaugh he did not need to worry about that this week. The Ravens trounced the Seattle Seahawks 37-3 in their Week 9 matchup. Harbaugh was asked about this type of win and responded, “Man, I like these a lot better.”
The Ravens controlled the game from start to finish giving the Seahawks almost no room to breathe.
The Ravens dominated all three phases of the game: offense, defense, and special teams. Geno Stone had his sixth interception, Odell Beckham Jr. and Keaton Mitchell had touchdowns, and Devin Duvernay continues to be one of the better returners in the game.
This is our house‼️
Harbaugh went further saying, “As a coach its fulfilling because all the things you work on, all the things’ guys work on you see it transferred to the field.”
This is not the first blowout win the Ravens have orchestrated this season. They have combined to outscore opponents by 110 points in five of their seven wins.
Two of their last three wins have been blowouts against division leading opponents (32 points against the Detroit Lions and 34 points against the Seahawks).
Ravens Have Difficult Remaining Schedule
We have reached the halfway point of the season, and it is setup to be a roller coaster ride. The Ravens will be focused on winning their division, but also chasing down the Kansas City Chiefs for the 1-seed.
The Ravens are 3-1 at M&T Bank Stadium so far this season. Having the support of the Ravens flock is an advantage that could change the tide of a playoff game – just ask the Chiefs. That kind of home field advantage could be monumental for success.
As of now, the Chiefs and Ravens both sit at 7-2. The difference being, the Ravens are one game worse in AFC conference games (the tiebreaker for the two teams).
The Ravens have a difficult road if they want to surpass the Chiefs. Those blowout wins that Harbaugh enjoys might be a little more difficult to come by.
According to “Tankathon”, the Ravens have the second hardest remaining schedule based on strength of schedule with a .585-win percentage.
Remaining strength of schedule:
1. Bengals (hardest)
2. Ravens
11. Browns
21. #Steelers
On the other hand, the Chiefs have the 19th hardest schedule remaining at a .500-win percentage.
The Ravens have what “Tankathon” considers six “tougher” matchups left, while they only have two “easier” matchups.
Four of those six also happen to be division opponents, which always seems to add a little extra juice. That shouldn’t scare fans though as opposing teams are looking at the schedule and sweating having to play this Ravens team.
The Ravens have beaten quality opponents all season with five of their seven wins coming against above .500 teams.
They will need to continue beating these tougher opponents to take the reins from the Chiefs but also hold the division.
All Four AFC North Teams Currently Playoff Bound
The NFL switching to a seven-team playoff format in recent years have allowed for the development of an interesting situation.
According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, “After Cincinnati’s Sunday night win over Buffalo [Bills], all four AFC North teams currently would qualify for the playoffs.”
With the switch to seven teams there was always the slight chance of this happening. However, the odds of it are so low due to the fact that division opponents play each other twice a year.
If the NFL season ended today the entire AFC North would make the playoffs.
1. Chiefs (7-2)
2. Ravens (7-2)
3. Jaguars (6-2)
4. Dolphins (6-3)
5. Steelers (5-3)
6. Browns (5-3)
7. Bengals (5-3)
The Ravens currently hold the 2-seed in the AFC with an impressive 7-2 record. The Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cleveland Browns, and the Cincinnati Bengals (all who won this week) sit at the 5, 6, and 7-seed respectively.
AFC North playoff odds, per ESPN FPI:
Ravens: 96.1% (74.8% to win division)
Browns: 54.6% (8.7)
Bengals: 53.9% (8.5)
Steelers: 47.6% (8.0)
The NFL loves 2nd half end of year division games. The hope being that these games are critical for the division. The NFL appears to be getting their wish this year.
During the second half of the season there are seven remaining AFC North matchups. This includes two Week 18 matchups between the Browns at Bengals and Steelers at Ravens.
It is shaping up to be an interesting end of season.
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