Ravens officials spent the bye week preparing for not only next Monday night's game against the New Orleans Saints, but for the final six-game stretch that will determine whether the team makes the NFL postseason.
With a 6-4 record, the Ravens are right in the middle of the AFC's muddled playoff picture. Eleven of the conference's 16 teams are at .500 or better. The Ravens' other three AFC North opponents are also at least two games over .500.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh said last week it will be a "dogfight to the end" as his team tries to return to the postseason after a one-year absence. History, though, is on the Ravens' side.
Eight times in team history, the Ravens were 6-4 or better after 10 games, and in seven of those seasons, they made the playoffs. The only exception was in 2004, when Brian Billick's team lost four of its final six games after starting 7-3 and finished with a 9-7 record.
With three games at home and three on the road, the Ravens will likely need at least four victories to be in solid playoff position at the end of the regular season. A 10-6 record doesn't guarantee a playoff berth, as the Arizona Cardinals found out last year. However, since the NFL went to a 12-team playoff format in 1990, just 10 teams with 10 or more victories were shut out of the postseason.
"Every win is important," Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith said. "It's just like they always say, 'Any given Sunday.' In our division, there's a bunch of talented teams. I don't feel like there's any one superior team that's better than anyone else. It's going to be interesting down the stretch. Hopefully, we come out on top, and they keep on losing."
Here is the road that the Ravens will have to navigate:
Nov. 24 at Saints
Record: 4-5, first in the NFC South
Last meeting: Ravens beat the Saints, 30-24, on Dec. 19, 2010, at M&T Bank Stadium.
Why the Ravens could win: The Ravens will have had 14 full days since their last game to get healthy and prepare for one of the NFL's most explosive offenses. Meanwhile, the Saints will have played back-to-back games against physical teams — the San Francisco 49ers and the Cincinnati Bengals. The Saints have turned the ball over 18 times and their defense allowed 37 points to the Atlanta Falcons and 31 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Perhaps the return to the site of their Super Bowl XLVII triumph will conjure some magic for the Ravens.
Why they might not: How will the makeshift secondary slow Drew Brees, who throws for 313 yards per game? Who is going to deal with elite tight end Jimmy Graham? There's not a clear answer to either question. The Saints also have been dominant at home, winning 11 of their past 12 games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. New Orleans has also won 12 consecutive prime-time games on its home field, the first team since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 to accomplish that.
Nov. 30 vs. San Diego Chargers
Record: 5-4, third in the AFC West
Last meeting: Ravens beat the Chargers, 16-13, in overtime on Nov. 25, 2012, at Qualcomm Stadium.
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