With the Texans clinching the AFC South on the Saturday of Week 16, the schedule for the Ravens has been set. Here is an early look at the 16 opponents that the Ravens will be matched up with.
Times and dates will be determined when the proper schedule is released in April.
Home Games:
Jacksonville Jaguars
The last time the Ravens and Jaguars played, the Jaguars routed the Ravens in front of London. Jacksonville cruised to a 44-7 win, eventually sweeping the AFC North and advancing to the AFC Championship Game before falling to the Patriots. The Jaguars were disappointing in 2019, and they do not have much direction moving into 2020 as they have yet to figure out a quarterback, and they will likely employ a new head coach.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans currently control their destiny in terms of the AFC playoff race, but they are in a good position moving forward. If they decide to retain Ryan Tannehill, they will have no visible holes on the roster, and they have youth that permeates through the roster. The Titans have future studs on both sides of the ball including A.J. Brown, Jeffery Simmons, and Harold Landry, but the Titans have a well-established identity through Derrick Henry and the aforementioned Tannehill. It would be tough to imagine the Ravens rolling like they did when they beat the Titans, 21-0, in Nashville in 2018.
Dallas Cowboys
The Ezekiel Elliott- and Dak Prescott-infused Cowboys defeated the Ravens, 27-17, in the last matchup in 2016. The Cowboys will likely be much of the same team, still led by Prescott and Elliott, but they will be without coach Jason Garrett. The replacement is unknown at the moment, but the Cowboys will go into 2020 with a star-studded lineup offensively and defensively. Regardless of the venue, the Cowboys are one of the toughest teams to beat on any given Sunday.
New York Giants
Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley offer immense upside moving forward for the Giants. While the Giants lack many pieces on defense, the offense has been able to move the ball most weeks. The Giants were effectively able to move the ball through Odell Beckham, Jr. in the 2016 matchup with the Ravens, a game the Giants won 27-23 after Beckham scored a long touchdown to ice the game. The Giants will likely be employing a new coach come January, so the sense of direction within the organization could be fuzzy.
Kansas City Chiefs
A game that would likely be a playoff rematch (barring New England beating the Chiefs), the Chiefs have had Baltimore’s number in 2018 and 2019, delivering two of Lamar Jackson’s three losses. Both of those losses came in the confines of Arrowhead Stadium, so a change of venue could change the fortunes for the Ravens. The Chiefs have one of the best teams in the NFL, and they will have the MVP front-runner in Patrick Mahomes as well as elite players such as Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill to supplement the offense. Defensively, the Chiefs have improved dramatically as a unit, but they have yet to be tested by the elite offenses of the NFL.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns last came to Baltimore in Week 4 and won 40-25, sparking hope of a new era of AFC North football. After that game, the Ravens won their next 11 and clinched the best record in the AFC while the Browns sputtered to just four wins from 11 games. Moving into 2020, the Browns will likely move on from Freddie Kitchens and could split from Odell Beckham. If Cleveland gets an apt coach, they would likely be a threat to take a game from Baltimore, but Cleveland’s track record with head coaches is horrendous.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals only lost 23-17 when they last came to Baltimore, but the score is slightly misleading because the Bengals only scored 10 points in the last 59 minutes. The 2019 and 2020 Bengals will be dramatically different units as they have successfully become the worst team in football. Joe Burrow will likely be lobbed into the fire in Week 1, and the Ravens generally feast on young quarterbacks, so 2020 will not be the best measuring stick for Burrow moving forward.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers will travel to Baltimore in Week 17 for a critical matchup in the AFC playoff picture. The Ravens will be resting a handful of veterans and Lamar Jackson, so the Steelers could sneak away with a victory and get a leg up in the playoff picture. The future of the Steelers is unclear as the quarterback situation has no true answer concerning Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers will likely be a competitive team in 2020 regardless of the quarterback.
Away Games:
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts lost in their previous matchup against the Ravens, 23-16, in 2017. Jacoby Brissett led that unit, and he will likely lead the line again in 2020. The Colts have a strong offensive line, and they have numerous playmakers on offense and defense. Frank Reich seems to be one of the better coaches in the NFL, and the Colts would likely be competitive with the Ravens in 2020. If the Colts can get one more piece, they could make the playoffs in 2020.
Houston Texans
The Texans were flattened by the Ravens in their last matchup, losing 41-7. Many of the players on both sides will be back, and J.J. Watt will likely give a boost to the Texans defensively. The Texans have been sturdy for most of 2019, and losing by 34 to the Ravens in Baltimore is the black eye of the season. The Texans are good offensively and defensively, but they lack the consistency of top teams such as the Chiefs and Saints. The Texans will still have the services of Deshaun Watson, so they will almost always be competitive, but the talent around Watson fluctuates heavily.
Washington Redskins
The Redskins marched into M&T Bank Stadium and delivered a 16-10 blow to the Ravens in 2016. The 2016 Redskins have virtually no similarities to the 2020 unit as the 2020 unit will likely feature Dwayne Haskins and an assortment of recently-drafted players offensively and defensively. The Redskins will be sporting a new head coach after Bill Callahan finishes his interim position as head of the Redskins. The Ravens should win, but the Redskins have played the Ravens tough in each matchup.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles lost their most recent matchup against the Ravens, falling 27-26 on a failed two-point conversion in the dying seconds. Likely a playoff team in 2019, the Eagles have lots of talent at their disposal if injuries heal over the off-season. The Eagles have high-end talent across the offensive and defensive lines, and they have unsheathed a diabolical weapon in Miles Sanders. If the Eagles can sort out their issues at wide receiver and defensive back, they could beat the Ravens and have an incredibly productive 2020 season.
New England Patriots
The Patriots lost 37-20 to the Ravens in their last matchup. The Patriots could be in store for significant change in the off-season if Tom Brady were to retire, but Brady has made no such indication. The Patriots will likely be competitive no matter whom they surround Brady with next season. Defensively, the Patriots have many quality players led by Stephon Gilmore and Jamie Collins.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns were soundly beaten in their last matchup against the Ravens in Cleveland, 31-15. The playoff hopes of the Browns were dashed, and the Ravens locked up the best record in the AFC. There are too many variables to figure out for Cleveland moving into 2020, but divisional games are often closer than the public might expect.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Ravens embarrassed the Bengals, 49-13, when they last played in Cincinnati. The Bengals will likely not be that bad again, but there is a sizeable talent gap between the Ravens and Bengals. Joe Burrow would trim the gap slightly, but the Bengals need a lot of help entering 2020.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Ravens prevailed over the Steelers in the last matchup in Pittsburgh, winning 26-23 in overtime. The Steelers had the lead going into the final minutes, but Justin Tucker nailed a game-tying field goal at the end of regulation before hitting the game-winner in overtime. The matchup marked the beginning of the quarterback chaos in Pittsburgh as Mason Rudolph was knocked out of the game, leaving Devlin Hodges to fuel the Steelers until Rudolph’s return weeks later.
