Few 'experts' expect Ravens in playoffs; no one thinks they'll win the AFC North

If Ravens fans want to feel bad about how far the team's star has fallen in the past 12 months, look at last year's batch of preseason predictions. Sports Illustrated picked the Ravens to win the Super Bowl. That actually happened.If Ravens fans want to feel good about this year's batch of preseason predictions, look again at last year's. Because if you think the Ravens will make the playoffs, you will not have much company, but it doesn't really matter, because, again: The Ravens were supposed to be good last year. Didn't happen.Now the Ravens are widely expected to be somewhere between below average and above average. That might happen. Or they could be actually good. Or really bad. You might think you know. You probably don't.On the eve of Week 1, I went looking for opinions on the Ravens and the AFC North, and collected close to 60 predictions from reporters, writers, experts and whatever supercomputer Nate Silver has. The few Ravens-to-the-playoffs picks are in bold, because you might otherwise miss them.Even those exceptions have their limits. No one dared to pick the Ravens to — GASP — win the division.ESPN.com (Insider)Matt Bowen: Steelers (division winner)John Clayton: SteelersMike Sando: BengalsAaron Schatz: SteelersField Yates: SteelersWild-card picks: One for the Ravens. Schatz: &quot;It blows my mind how many fans seem to write off the Ravens as if they are some sort of expansion team that will again be saddled with December's injury-riddled roster. Baltimore is back to the team that went 10-6 in 2014. Their secret advantage: quality and consistency on special teams that only New England can match.&quot;NFL.comJudy Battista: SteelersJeffri Chadiha: BengalsGil Brandt: SteelersMaurice Jones-Drew: SteelersBrian Billick: SteelersGregg Rosenthal: SteelersWillie McGinest: BengalsAdam Schein: SteelersBucky Brooks: SteelersElliot Harison: SteelersDavid Carr: SteelersCarley Casserly: SteelersIke Taylor: SteelersDave Dameshek: SteelersChris Wesseling: BengalsColleen Wolfe: SteelersHeath Evans: SteelersMarcas Grant: SteelersAdam Rank: SteelersAlex Gelhar: BengalsWild-card picks: One for the Ravens. Battista: &quot;Assuming that the Ravens' offense doesn't look like a MASH unit again, Joe Flacco and Steve Smith Sr. will lead a rebound.&quot;Yahoo SportsFrank Schwab: SteelersEric Edholm: BengalsKevin Kaduk: BengalsJay Busbee: SteelersCharles Robinson: SteelersShalise Manza Young: BengalsWild-card picks: None for the RavensCBS SportsJason La Canfora: SteelersPete Prisco: BengalsWill Brinson: SteelersJared Dubin: SteelersRyan Wilson: SteelersJohn Breech: BengalsSean Wagner-McGough: SteelersWild-card picks: One for the Ravens (Wilson)Fox SportsAFC North pick: BengalsWild-card pick: SteelersNESN.comTop two: Steelers and Bengals&quot;The Ravens finished 5-11 last season in large because of some key injuries. But don't buy into them having a bounce-back season. Baltimore has an aging roster, and the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals still represent the class of the AFC North.&quot;The Washington PostAFC North pick: BengalsWild-card pick: Steelers&quot;It has been so far, so good in QB Joe Flacco's return from last season's knee injury. The Ravens can succeed only if all is well with him.&quot;USA TodayJarrett Bell: SteelersNate Davis: SteelersMike Middlehurst-Schwartz: SteelersTom Pelissero: SteelersLorenzo Reyes: SteelersWild-card picks: One for the Ravens (Bell)Ravens picked to go 9-7: &quot;John Harbaugh always fields a competitive squad, and no reason to think that will change in 2016. But it's worth wondering how well this team jells with so many key players — QB Joe Flacco, WR Steve Smith and OLB Terrell Suggs among them — returning from major injuries.&quot;Sports IllustratedBen Baskin: Bengals (division winner), Steelers (wild card)Greg Bedard: Steelers, BengalsGreg Bishop: SteelersChris Burke: SteelersJacob Feldman: Bengals, SteelersMitch Goldich: Steelers, BengalsMelissa Jacobs: Steelers, BengalsBette Marston: Bengals, SteelersAustin Murphy: Steelers, BengalsAmy Parlapiano: Steelers, BengalsAndrew Perloff: Steelers, BengalsEric Single: Bengals, SteelersSports on EarthAFC North pick: SteelersWild-card pick: BengalsFiveThirtyEight The data-driven site projected the Ravens' chances of ...Making the playoffs: 28 percent chanceWinning the division: 15 percentEarning a first-round bye: 7 percentWinning the Super Bowl: 1 percent

Few 'experts' expect Ravens in playoffs; no one thinks they'll win the AFC North

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