Before the meaningless (for them) Week 18 matchup against the Steelers, Baltimore won six straight regular-season games to clinch the AFC’s top playoff spot, then notching comfortable wins over the Bengals, the Rams, Jaguars, 49ers and Dolphins won.
The last two of those games – 19-point wins at San Francisco and 37-point wins over Miami in Baltimore – have generated the most questions on the subject. Of course, the playoffs are a whole different matter.
There may be just a handful of players left on the Ravens roster from the 2019 team that went 14-2 in the regular season, only to pull off an upset at home in their first game playoffs against the Titans.
But those who remain, including John Harbaugh and Lamar Jackson, remember the pain all too well and are determined to prevent history from repeating itself.
1) This is a legacy game for Lamar Jackson.
Jackson already has an MVP in his trophy case, and his performance in the 2023 regular season appears to have made him the favorite for a second.
2) CJ Stroud has a chance to make up for his mediocre NFL debut. Stroud wasn’t bad by any means in his first regular season game, although it ended up being one of the rookie’s least impressive outings (28 of 44 passes, 242 yards, five sacks, lost fumble; 20 rush yards).
3) Mark Andrews probably won’t play, but there are other options. Mark Andrews is expected to remain on injured reserve with an ankle injury after being listed as questionable, but if he can’t return for this game, it won’t mean doom for Baltimore. Since his injury in Week 11, the Ravens have distributed the ball pretty effectively in his absence, and Andrews’ replacement has actually played a pretty big role. Isaiah Likely has completed 75 percent of his targets since Week 12 and has led the Ravens with 322 receiving yards and five touchdowns since then.
