Despite suffering a lopsided defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 16, the Baltimore Ravens can still advance to the postseason of the Playoffs.
In fact, it would be straightforward to argue that a team wearing Ravens gear lost by a final score of 41-21 rather than the Ravens themselves. But it doesn’t take away from how painful the loss is still.
The team is also dealing with numerous injuries. Losses include a full group of running backs, important secondary playmakers, and Lamar Jackson, who recently dealt with an ankle injury.
Baltimore has also lost a few games by one point as a result of late missed two-point attempts; if they had made even one of those attempts, their chances of making the postseason would have improved.
Baltimore is still in the running for a playoff spot, but they are clearly long shots. The Ravens must accomplish the following in order to qualify for the playoffs for a fourth straight season.
If the Ravens succeed, the Dolphins must lose one of their final three games (against the Saints, Titans, or Patriots), and the Las Vegas Raiders must drop one of their final two contests for the Dolphins to lose (against the Colts and Chargers).
The Ravens will still be in the playoffs if all three of those things take place. It may sound challenging, but the Ravens will probably succeed if they can defeat the Los Angeles Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers to end their campaign.