Let's Take A Look-playoff Possibilites

[Ravnet]

Baltimore Ravens:

Week 13: Baltimore @ Cincinnati
Week 14: Baltimore vs. Washington
Week 15: Baltimore @ Dallas
Week 16: Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh
Week 17: Baltimore vs. Jacksonville

-Although I really want to look at the Cincy game as a trap, I just cannot see us losing. Fortunately, Cincinnati has already won a game, so they'll be content losing out as they now know they ultimately won't end up 0-16. The Bengals are just not a good team on so many levels, and the environment won't be particularly hostile, so I'll be satisfied whether we blow them out or barely squeeze by.

-The Washington game will be tough, but it's definitely winnable. As usual, the Redskins started out hot and were clearly Super Bowl bound, but in typical D.C. fashion, they have fizzled out after consecutive losses to Pittsburgh and Dallas, followed by a narrow win in Seattle. Jason Campbell does not look good right now, and Moss will be the only real threat. I'll take joy in pounding Clinton Portis, but if they do somehow set up some kind of running game, things could get messy. You can't really view this as a "real" home game as there will be an inevitable showing of Redskins fans, but it's still our venue. Although I could see a potential upset against the Giants, the Skins will probably lose in New York and the slide will continue. Although they should be due for a big game, we are the better team and it should show. To be certain, this is an evenly matched game, and it could go either way.

-Pittsburgh. This is it, folks. With the Steelers sitting at 7-1 in conference and having beat us head to head earlier this year, this game will more than likely determine who runs away with the division. We'll be at home and have [i][b]most[/b][/i] of the crowd on our side; our guys will be fired up and looking for revenge. We've change in many ways since they got the better of us in their house; Flacco will not make as many mistakes this time around. Almost since our inception, we have been the class of the AFC North along with the Steelers; both teams play very well head to head. The Squealers have been decimated by injuries as well, yet they continue to hang on and have posted a very impressive 8-3 record thus far. Pittsburgh has won two of the last three against us, leads the all-time series 15-10, and still have a veteran unit that closes well down the stretch. I think that if the Ravens create some kind of separation, we'll have an easier time holding onto the lead and could barely eek this one out. I can't predict a clear winner in this one as both teams will know what's on the line; I'd say it's a toss up, but whoever has some kind of edge is going to win this one.

-I'm admittedly not very confident going into Dallas. With many of their players coming back, they've proven that they're a legitimate team with Romo starting at at the helm. We'll be the last team to play the Cowboys in Texas Stadium, so this will be highly sentimental and you have to expect the 'boys to be pretty amped up. This Sunday night match up scares me as the let down may carry over into the Jacksonville game in Baltimore. Hopefully we'll at least be competitive and hang in there for a while.

-Jacksonville has consistently underperformed this year; they were a sexy sleeper before the season began and have not impressed against quality opposition. The Jaguars have nothing to play for at this point in the season, let alone in week 17, and have nothing but pride on the line. Hopefully our guys get up on December 28 and close out the season on a high note. Should we lose this game it will be devastating, but Jacksonville has a ton of talent and has at least stayed close in many games this season. I have a bad feeling, but I think we can escape with a win at home.

I'm going to say we end up 10-6 with losses at Dallas and versus Washington. Depending on how Pittsburgh does, I see us getting the fifth seed and having to play either the Steelers or the Jets.

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Pittsburgh Steelers:

Week 13: Pittsburgh @ New England
Week 14: Pittsburgh vs. Dallas
Week 15: Pittsburgh @ Baltimore
Week 16: Pittsburgh @ Tennessee
Week 17 Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland

-New England looks good. Although I'm not buying into this Cassel hype, he has proved that he can be a good quarterback with Moss and Welker working for him. I think that a game in Foxborough will be tough at this juncture in the season, and the Steelers are going to get a real test. The Steelers were given a nice vacation after their Thursday night win in Cincinnati, and Dick LeBeau will have his defense ready. This is a game that should be close with the Patriots pulling it out at the last minute.

-Again, I really like Dallas at this point. Although Pittsburgh is going to be at home, Romo and co. need to show up down the stretch to get in the playoffs at all and will be putting their all into this game. The Steelers run game is nonexistent at this point and their offensive line still isn't anything to brag about. The Dallas secondary is still potent and they'll be able to hold the Steelers as well. I can't choose a clear winner, and I see the Steelers splitting the New England/Dallas match ups; this is a very tough one two punch for the Steelers.

-See the Baltimore/Pittsburgh summary above.

-This will be a big game as Tennessee will be battling Pittsburgh for the top seed should the Steelers at least win one of the Dallas/New England games. Tennessee is a legitimate team and have less pressure on them now that they've suffered their first loss. Man, just looking at their schedule, Pittsburgh is in a lot of trouble. The Titans have a stout defense, and it's hard to imagine the Steelers moving the ball; Collins should do just enough to put the Steelers away in his house. You cannot discount the fact that Pittsburgh has an uncanny ability to keep games close and finish them off when the outcome is on the line. Tennessee has enough going their way that they should be able to take care of business.

-Cleveland is battling Oakland and Detroit for the most embarrassing team in the NFL. Against the formerly 3-7 Texans, Cleveland pulled Brady Quinn after three week in favor of Dereck Anderson, and then proceeded to lose. It may have been because Quinn had a hurt finger, but they're a mess nonetheless. There isn't much to say about this game other than that Pittsburgh should take care of things easily. Unfortunately, Cleveland is going to get another top ten draft pick and continue to stock pile talent; I'm not too concerned, however, because they are still the Cleveland Browns, after all.

The Steelers have one hell of a stretch coming up against New England, Dallas, Baltimore and Tennessee. If the Steelers are able to split those games and then take the gimme against Cleveland, they will truly be a team to fear at 11-5. Depending on how the Baltimore game goes, I see the Steelers winning 2 of 5 and finishing 10-6 overall.

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The following is 100% speculation.

So, if both teams end up 10-6 overall, and 5-1 in the division, we'll not only have an identical records overall, but also be tied head to head and in the division as well. To break this tie, we'd need to look at common opponents. I don't want to get too caught up in this hypothetical analysis, but here's the breakdown.

Pittsburgh has beaten Cincy twice, as should we. We have beaten Cleveland twice, as should the Steelers. We both lost to Indy. We both lost to New York. We both beat Houston. We beat Philadelphia, Pittsburgh lost.

-Pittsburgh beat Jacksonville, we've yet to play them. (Ravens favored)
-We lost to Tennessee, Pittsburgh has to play IN Tennessee. (Tennessee favored)
-Pittsburgh beat Washington, we play them at home. (Toss up)
[i][u]-We both have to play Dallas.[/u][/i][b][/b]

Take what you will from that. We're one up on them right now. Should the favored teams win, we'll have a better record against common opponents. If, however, we lose to Jacksonville or Washington, it will be tied and will come down to the Dallas game. If things end up even, the tiebreaker goes to conference records, which I have tied at 9-3. From there it's strength of victory, and I don't even want to look at that.

I'm not going to analyze the wild card situation, that was just a look at the division situation going into week 13. Please don't bash me for looking too far ahead, I'm just wondering how you guys see the rest of the season playing out all things considered. It's going to be tight, that's for sure.

[cm06mrs]

by week 16 the titans will probably have wrapped up the division and home field so they may not bring their 'A' game to pittsburgh

[Ravnet]

[quote name='cm06mrs' post='94451' date='Nov 24 2008, 04:08 AM']by week 16 the titans will probably have wrapped up the division and home field so they may not bring their 'A' game to pittsburgh[/quote]

Actually, you may be right, they have Detroit, Houston and Cleveland coming up. Wow. Hopefully Fisher doesn't want to rest his guys and go into the playoffs rusty.

[TheRavenouseD2008]

guys if the steelers win we are still looking at atleast a WC

[flynismo]

[quote name='Ravnet' post='94450' date='Nov 24 2008, 03:54 AM']Baltimore Ravens:

Week 13: Baltimore @ Cincinnati
Week 14: Baltimore vs. Washington
Week 15: Baltimore @ Dallas
Week 16: Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh
Week 17: Baltimore vs. Jacksonville

-Although I really want to look at the Cincy game as a trap, I just cannot see us losing. Fortunately, Cincinnati has already won a game, so they'll be content losing out as they now know they ultimately won't end up 0-16. The Bengals are just not a good team on so many levels, and the environment won't be particularly hostile so I'll be satisfied whether we blow them out or barely squeeze by.

-The Washington game will be tough, but it's definitely winnable. As usual, the Redskins started out hot and were clearly Super Bowl bound, but in typical D.C. fashion, they have fizzled out after consecutive losses to Pittsburgh and Dallas, followed by a narrow win in Seattle. Jason Campbell does not look good right now and Moss will be the only real threat. I'll take joy in pounding Clinton Portis, but if they do somehow set up some kind of running game, things could get messy. You can't really view this as a "real" home game as there will be an inevitable showing of Redskins fans, but it's still our venue. Although I could see a potential upset against the Giants, the Skins will probably lose in New York and the slide will continue. Although they should be due for a big game, we are the better team and it should show. To be certain, this is an evenly matched game, and it could go either way.

-Pittsburgh. This is it, folks. With the Steelers sitting at 7-1 in conference and having beat us head to head earlier this year, this game will more than likely determine who runs away with the division. We'll be at home have [i][b]most[/b][/i] of the crowd on our side; our guys will be fired up and looking for revenge. We've change in many ways since they got the better of us in their house; Flacco will not make as many mistakes this time around. Almost since our inception, we have been the class of the AFC North along with the Steelers; both teams play very well head to head. The Squealers have been decimated by injuries as well, yet they continue to hang on and have posted a very impressive 8-3 record thus far. Pittsburgh has won three in a row against us and still have a veteran unit that closes well down the stretch. I think that if the Ravens create some kind of separation, we'll have an easier time holding onto the lead and could barely eek this one out. I can't predict a clear winner in this one as both teams will know what's on the line; I'd say it's a toss up, but whoever has some kind of edge is going to win this one.

-I'm admittedly not very confident going into Dallas. With many of their players coming back, they've proven that they're a legitimate team with Romo starting at at the helm. We'll be the last team to play the Cowboys in Texas Stadium, so this will be highly sentimental and you have to expect the 'boys to be pretty amped up. This Sunday night match up scares me as the let down may carry over into the Jacksonville game in Baltimore. Hopefully we'll at least be competitive and hang in there for a while.

-Jacksonville has consistently underperformed this year; they were a sexy sleeper before the season began and have not impressed against quality opposition. The Jaguars have nothing to play for at this point in the season, let alone in week 17, and have nothing but pride on the line. Hopefully our guys get up on December 28 and close out the season on a high note. Should we lose this game it will be devastating, but Jacksonville has a ton of talent and has at least stayed close in many games this season. I have a bad feeling, but I think we can escape with a win at home.

I'm going to say we end up 10-6 with losses at Dallas and versus Washington. Depending on how Pittsburgh does, I see us getting the fifth seed and having to play either the Steelers or the Jets.

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Pittsburgh Steelers:

Week 13: Pittsburgh @ New England
Week 14: Pittsburgh vs. Dallas
Week 15: Pittsburgh @ Baltimore
Week 16: Pittsburgh @ Tennessee
Week 17 Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland

-New England looks good. Although I'm not buying into this Cassel hype, he has proved that he can be a good quarterback with Moss and Welker working for him. I think that a game in Foxborough will be tough at this juncture in the season, and the Steelers are going to get a real test. The Steelers were given a nice vacation after their Thursday night win in Cincinnati, and Dick LeBeau will have his defense ready. This is a game that should be close with the Patriots pulling it out at the last minute.

-Again, I really like Dallas at this point. Although Pittsburgh is going to be at home, Romo and co. need to show up down the stretch to get in the playoffs at all and will be putting their all into this game. The Steelers run game is nonexistent at this point and their offensive line still isn't anything to brag about. The Dallas secondary is still potent and they'll be able to hold the Steelers as well. I can't choose a clear winner, and I see the Steelers splitting the New England/Dallas match ups; this is a very tough one two punch for the Steelers.

-See the Baltimore/Pittsburgh summary above.

-This will be a big game as Tennessee will be battling Pittsburgh for the top seed should the Steelers at least win one of the Dallas/New England games. Tennessee is a legitimate team and have less pressure on them now that they've suffered their first loss. Man, just looking at their schedule, Pittsburgh is in a lot of trouble. The Titans have a stout defense, and it's hard to imagine the Steelers moving the ball; Collins should do just enough to put the Steelers away in his house. You cannot discount the fact that Pittsburgh has an uncanny ability to keep games close and finish them off when the outcome is on the line. Tennessee has enough going their way that they should be able to take care of business.

-Cleveland is battling Oakland and Detroit for the most embarrassing team in the NFL. Against the formerly 3-7 Texans, Cleveland pulled Brady Quinn after three week in favor of Dereck Anderson, and then proceeded to lose. It may have been because Quinn had a hurt finger, but they're a mess nonetheless. There isn't much to say about this game other than that Pittsburgh should take care of things easily. Unfortunately, Cleveland is going to get another top ten draft pick and continue to stock pile talent; I'm not too concerned, however, because they are still the Cleveland Browns, after all.

The Steelers have one hell of a stretch coming up against New England, Dallas, Baltimore and Tennessee. If the Steelers are able to split those games and then take the gimme against Cleveland, they will truly be a team to fear at 11-5. Depending on how the Baltimore game goes, I see the Steelers winning 2 of 5 and finishing 10-6 overall.

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The following is 100% speculation.

So, if both teams end up 10-6 overall, and 5-1 in the division, we'll not only have an identical records overall, but also be tied head to head and in the division as well. To break this tie, we'd need to look at common opponents. I don't want to get too caught up in this hypothetical analysis, but here's the breakdown.

Pittsburgh has beaten Cincy twice, as should we. We have beaten Cleveland twice, as should the Steelers. We both lost to Indy. We both lost to New York. We both beat Houston. We beat Philadelphia, Pittsburgh lost.

-Pittsburgh beat Jacksonville, we've yet to play them. (Ravens favored)
-We lost to Tennessee, Pittsburgh has to play IN Tennessee. (Tennessee favored)
-Pittsburgh beat Washington, we play them at home. (Toss up)
[i][u]-We both have to play Dallas.[/u][/i][b][/b]

Take what you will from that. We're one up on them right now. Should the favored teams win, we'll have a better record against common opponents. If, however, we lose to Jacksonville or Washington, it will be tied and will come down to the Dallas game. If things end up even, the tiebreaker goes to conference records, which I have tied at 9-3. From there it's strength of victory, and I don't even want to look at that.

I'm not going to analyze the wild card situation, that was just a look at the division situation going into week 13. Please don't bash me for looking too far ahead, I'm just wondering how you guys see the rest of the season playing out all things considered. It's going to be tight, that's for sure.[/quote]


Very good analysis of where things stand.

Although it's not very smart to do, I've already made up my mind that we will win against Pittsburgh in a few weeks; possibly by a good margin. The team that worries me most is the same one you mentioned- Dallas. But I expect us to win that one, because if we can get the early lead and force them to be one dimensional, that bodes well for us because Romo is prone to throwing INT's (could also backfire of course, I hear he has a couple decent receivers and some Witten guy at TE). But I really think we'll win the Pitts and Dallas games. We should win the Washington game too. That leaves us with Cincy and Jacksonville. Ok, that leaves us with Jacksonville, since Cincy should be a walk in the park. Jax has a great chance of beating us, because their team is nearly identical to ours (good QB and running game, excellent defenses, and both team's only real weaknesses are at WR).
If I'm right (big if), then that leaves us with an 11-5 record. Pittsburgh will most likely also be 11-5, so we should sneak ahead via tiebreakers.

[FerrariFan87]

[quote name='Ravnet' post='94450' date='Nov 24 2008, 03:54 AM'][b]-Pittsburgh has won three in a row against us and still have a veteran unit that closes well down the stretch.[/b][/quote]

We beat them Week 17 last season...

[H8R]

[quote name='FerrariFan87' post='94487' date='Nov 24 2008, 08:48 AM']We beat them Week 17 last season...[/quote]

I was just about to say that....The have won 2of3 though.

[Ravnet]

Thanks, I didn't see that, I'll fix it now.

[GermanRavensFan]

The Jets, Pats and Colts schedule is also interesting!

Jets: Denver (6-5), San Francisco (3-8), Bufallo (6-5), Seattle (2-9) , Miami (6-5)
Pats: Pittsburgh (8-3) , Seattle (2-9) , Oakland (3-8) , Arizona (7-4) , Bufallo (6-5)
Colts: Cleveland (4-7), Cincinnati (1-9-1), Detroit (0-11), Jacksonville (4-7), Tennessee (10-1)

I think we have to assume that NE will AT LEAST win 3 (against SEA, OAK and BUF) and IND will win 4 (against CLE, CIN, DET and JAC) and perhaps also against TEN (because they are not THAT strong). Jets will at least have the same record as NE.

So NE will be 10-6 for sure, if not better, and IND I think 11-5.

[Ravnet]

[quote name='GermanRavensFan' post='94712' date='Nov 24 2008, 04:02 PM']The Jets, Pats and Colts schedule is also interesting!

Jets: Denver (6-5), San Francisco (3-8), Bufallo (6-5), Seattle (2-9) , Miami (6-5)
Pats: Pittsburgh (8-3) , Seattle (2-9) , Oakland (3-8) , Arizona (7-4) , Bufallo (6-5)
Colts: Cleveland (4-7), Cincinnati (1-9-1), Detroit (0-11), Jacksonville (4-7), Tennessee (10-1)

I think we have to assume that NE will AT LEAST win 3 (against SEA, OAK and BUF) and IND will win 4 (against CLE, CIN, DET and JAC) and perhaps also against TEN (because they are not THAT strong). Jets will at least have the same record as NE.

So NE will be 10-6 for sure, if not better, and IND I think 11-5.[/quote]

It looks like New England is going to finish at least 10-6, and possibly 11-5. Arizona will already have locked up the division, Seattle is not good, Oakland is pathetic, and they'll get one of the Buffalo/Pittsburgh games.

As you mentioned, it looks like Indy will beat Cincinnati, Detroit, Cleveland, and one of Tennessee/Jacksonville. Indianapolis may just win out unless the division is out of reach and the wild card is already secured by the time they get to Tennessee.

Alright, so, New England is sitting at 5-3 right now in conference with Baltimore at 6-3. New England plays Pittsburgh, Seattle, Oakland and Buffalo in conference. Assume that the Pats win three of four, they finish 8-4 in conference. The Ravens have yet to play Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Jacksonville. If the Ravens win two of three, they're also tied with the Patriots at 8-4 in conference. If, however, we end up beating all three remaining AFC games and lose the two NFC games, we'll have a better conference record than the Pats. As much as I want the Ravens to beat the Redskins, I'd rather they take care of Pittsburgh for obvious reasons.

[Ravnet]

I think that the AFC Seeding will turn out something like this:

1.) Tennessee
2.) New York
3.) Pittsburgh
4.) Denver
5.) Indianapolis
6.) New England/Baltimore

Getting the fifth seed is crucial because Denver is not a good team.

[ravensgirlx88]

[quote name='Ravnet' post='94755' date='Nov 24 2008, 06:35 PM']I think that the AFC Seeding will turn out something like this:

1.) Tennessee
2.) New York
3.) Pittsburgh
4.) Denver
5.) Indianapolis
6.) New England/Baltimore
Getting the fifth seed is crucial because Denver is not a good team.[/quote]

Couldnt agree with you more there. Losing to Oakland? Pathetic. I'd say almost as bad as losing to the Lions.. Is there anyway we could change that Thanksgiving day game?!

[Ravnet]

[quote name='ravensgirlx88' post='94756' date='Nov 24 2008, 05:38 PM']Couldnt agree with you more there. Losing to Oakland? Pathetic. I'd say almost as bad as losing to the Lions.. Is there anyway we could change that Thanksgiving day game?![/quote]

It makes the last night's win by Indy all the more painful.

Honestly though, I'm not sure if I'd rather have the fifth seed and play Denver on the road, or the or the third seed and play Pittsburgh/New England at home.

[beetus]

I'm cautiously optimistic about our playoff chances. I thought your analysis was spot on. The Jets are looking more and more like they'll lock up their division, Titans win obviously, Denver looks like they'll take it. With both ours and Steelers' remaining schedules, the North is up for grabs. Either way, playoffs or not, I'm having a blast watching the Ravens play.

[ravensfan160]

I don't know who to root for in this weeks game between Pittsburgh/New England. Here me out. I hate Pittsburg and probably will end up rooting for New England to break Hines Wards face, but New England is our only real threat at not making the playoffs. If we don't catch Pittsburgh for the division than Indy has all but locked up the 5th seed with that ricidulously easy schedule coming up plus their head to head with us. That leaves one spot that we currently hold over New England due to tie breaker. I'm not going to attempt to delve into all that. Besides I'd feel better if we just had the better record. So my question is if Pittsburgh loses but we fail to catch them in the division and miss the playoffs because Indy and New England grab the wildcards do we look back and wish we rooted for the Steelers?

[Ravnet]

[quote name='ravensfan160' post='95232' date='Nov 26 2008, 01:36 PM']I don't know who to root for in this weeks game between Pittsburgh/New England. Here me out. I hate Pittsburg and probably will end up rooting for New England to break Hines Wards face, but New England is our only real threat at not making the playoffs. If we don't catch Pittsburgh for the division than Indy has all but locked up the 5th seed with that ricidulously easy schedule coming up plus their head to head with us. That leaves one spot that we currently hold over New England due to tie breaker. I'm not going to attempt to delve into all that. Besides I'd feel better if we just had the better record. So my question is if Pittsburgh loses but we fail to catch them in the division and miss the playoffs because Indy and New England grab the wildcards do we look back and wish we rooted for the Steelers?[/quote]

Basically, we need Pittsburgh to go 2-3 from here on out while we go 3-2; and even if Pittsburgh does only win 2 of 5, we'll still need little help. If they match us game for game, then we miss out as they finish a game ahead of us. Additionally, we need to root for Tennessee and Cleveland when they play Pittsburgh as they are common opponents that we lost to and beat, respectively. Pittsburgh can afford to lose to us head to head as long as they beat Cleveland and Tennessee and one of Dallas/New England. On the other hand, the Ravens need to beat Pittsburgh. I'm pretty sure the Steelers will beat Tennessee and Cleveland, so one win against Baltimore/Tennessee/Dallas will get them in barring a phenomenal stretch by the Ravens.

[RavensIQ]

[quote name='ravensfan160' post='95232' date='Nov 26 2008, 01:36 PM']I don't know who to root for in this weeks game between Pittsburgh/New England. Here me out. I hate Pittsburg and probably will end up rooting for New England to break Hines Wards face, but New England is our only real threat at not making the playoffs. If we don't catch Pittsburgh for the division than Indy has all but locked up the 5th seed with that ricidulously easy schedule coming up plus their head to head with us. That leaves one spot that we currently hold over New England due to tie breaker. I'm not going to attempt to delve into all that. Besides I'd feel better if we just had the better record. So my question is if Pittsburgh loses but we fail to catch them in the division and miss the playoffs because Indy and New England grab the wildcards do we look back and wish we rooted for the Steelers?[/quote]


This will help>>[url="http://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2008/11/24/669407/ravens-rooting-guide-week"] Ravens Rooting Guide for week 13[/url]

[mpplaya07]

yeah im def going to pats to beat pitts... just because i want to take the division crown home to MD...

[Raven Bob]

All, this from my other post on a Steelers-Patriots thread... I think it also fits here.

Steelers' loss equals bigger gain for the Ravens, since they are in our division. You *always* want a division opponent to lose - period. [Plus, it *is* the Steelers. ]

The way I see it, we need to get the AFC North division to ensure we are in the playoffs, rather than take a chance on a wildcard spot. The only way we do that is to win all the AFC games we have left - especially beating the Steelers - and if we also win one of the two NFC games (like versus the Redskins) the we are pretty much a lock for the playoffs.

Whereas if we don't beat the Steelers, but win enough games to be tied in/around the Wildcard standings, then we'll lose one spot to the Colts as they beat us. And worse, the Colts have *the* easiest number of games remaining to win.

It's as simple as that. Bottom line is beat the Steelers. Then again, we always want to do that!

So Ravens fans, if we lose to the Cowboys (as most expect), but win all the other remaining games, then playoffs here we come as the AFC North division winners. Otherwise I do not see us *in* for 2008, given other teams' schedules and standings right now.

Ignore what the media has been saying about "winning 3 games"; we must win the AFC games (including beating the Steelers).

I'll be rooting for New England and Dallas to beat the Steelers, as well as the Titans, that's for sure.

Oh, wouldn't it be nice if the above happens, and the Ravens win the AFC North division and the Steelers lose enough to be kicked beyond the wildcard spots due to tie-breakers with the Colts and such? That would probably really crush some of their fans that expect them to be in the playoffs this year, it really would. Good! :-)

Go Ravens! Go Falco...er, Flacco!

[mpplaya07]

I def dont think steelers will beat the titans.. they have a good front 7 that puts pressure on the o-line and pitts o-line is not that great.. Our destiny is in our hands.. All we need to do is close out the season with wins and were in the playoffs...

[PuRock]

[quote name='mpplaya07' post='95415' date='Nov 26 2008, 11:20 PM']I def dont think steelers will beat the titans.. they have a good front 7 that puts pressure on the o-line and pitts o-line is not that great.. Our destiny is in our hands.. All we need to do is close out the season with wins and were in the playoffs...[/quote]

True , but the Titans D has taken a barrage of injuries the last three weeks. Albert Haynesworth is questionable for next week. This is not the same Titans D that we faced. And if we were that close to beating the Titans. The Steelers can beat them too.

[ravens world]

[quote name='Ravnet' post='95240' date='Nov 26 2008, 01:46 PM']Basically, we need Pittsburgh to go 2-3 from here on out while we go 3-2; and even if Pittsburgh does only win 2 of 5, we'll still need little help. If they match us game for game, then we miss out as they finish a game ahead of us. Additionally, we need to root for Tennessee and Cleveland when they play Pittsburgh as they are common opponents that we lost to and beat, respectively. Pittsburgh can afford to lose to us head to head as long as they beat Cleveland and Tennessee and one of Dallas/New England. On the other hand, the Ravens need to beat Pittsburgh. I'm pretty sure the Steelers will beat Tennessee and Cleveland, so one win against Baltimore/Tennessee/Dallas will get them in barring a phenomenal stretch by the Ravens.[/quote]

dont really matter at all if the ravens go 5 and 0 or 4and 0 either one we locked up the division cause the steelers are not going to go 4 and 1 or 5 and 0 just a thought

[theFRANCHISE]

[quote name='ravens world' post='95433' date='Nov 27 2008, 01:25 AM']dont really matter at all if the ravens go 5 and 0 or 4and 0 either one we locked up the division cause the steelers are not going to go 4 and 1 or 5 and 0 just a thought[/quote]

That's just making assumptions. Just like you never know if the Ravens will go 5-0 or 4-1, you never know if the Steelers will go and do it instead.

If every game was won on paper, there would be no need to play the game.

Just wait and see, folks. Don't go rushing to conclusions, either positive or negative, about the rest of the way. But, nothing wrong with looking at playoff possibilities, as long as they remain just that: [u]possibilities[/u]. NOT attempts at guarantees.

(After all, if every Joe Namath wannabe went and made a guarantee, there'd be more sad faces than Super Bowl rings to go around)

[PuRock]

[quote name='ravens world' post='95433' date='Nov 27 2008, 01:25 AM']dont really matter at all if the ravens go 5 and 0 or 4and 0 either one we locked up the division cause the steelers are not going to go 4 and 1 or 5 and 0 just a thought[/quote]

You always have to be fair and give the other team the benefit of the doubt, especially when you have such high expectations for us. If the Ravens can go 5-0 , than I don't see why the Steelers can't go 5-0 with the same sort of optimism you have for the Ravens.

[mjccia]

I layed $100 on the Ravens winning the superbowl at 73 to 1 the first week in Feb. at Ceasers in Vegas. I would be more then happy if they made the playoffs considering what our team looked like in Feb. The AFC is so wide open the playoff scenarios shouldn't even be considered until the steelers game that game dictates the division champs. I for one am rooting for a 5th seed to face the broncos/chargers.

[theFRANCHISE]

[quote name='mjccia' post='95439' date='Nov 27 2008, 01:44 AM']The AFC is so wide open the playoff scenarios shouldn't even be considered until the steelers game that game dictates the division champs.[/quote]

That's the point a lot of people are missing.

Yes, it's fun to talk about the playoffs. Yes, it's great to have a team that is actually doing much better than people expected. Yes, it's wonderful to finally have a GOOD team. Yes, it's the best feeling in the world to have a team that's a playoff CONTENDER.

But, as you said, the AFC is extremely wide open. Any team can sneak into the playoffs at any given moment, and the Ravens cannot afford to make any mistakes from here on out.

With five games left to play and a number of teams only a game or two behind Baltimore for a wildcard spot, there's almost no room for error. Meaning, the playoffs can come and go in an instant; all it takes is one bad, disastrous weekend where every possible scenario goes wrong, and the playoffs are gone.

Remember 2004, going into Week 17 with a 8-7 record and needing a win with two other teams losing to make the playoffs? Well, the Ravens took care of their end of the deal, beating the Dolphins to go 9-7. And another team helped by doing their part to beat a team we needed to lose. But another team didn't come through and beat that last team we needed to lose. And there you go; just one game out of the playoffs.

[raven43]

This New England and Pitt game is a dream!!!! It's like taking two of our biggest threats and making them fight each other, causing one of them to fall and us to take thier spot! NE wins, we're tied for the division (barring a loss this weekend) Pitt wins and the wildcard belongs soley to us and Indy. A win win!!!!

[RavensIQ]

[quote name='raven43' post='95716' date='Nov 29 2008, 09:43 AM']This New England and Pitt game is a dream!!!! It's like taking two of our biggest threats and making them fight each other, causing one of them to fall and us to take thier spot! NE wins, we're tied for the division (barring a loss this weekend) Pitt wins and the wildcard belongs soley to us and Indy. A win win!!!![/quote]

Let's just hope the Browns decide to man up and take down the Colts so they can be 2-0 against the Gump brothers and if that happens then we're in really good shape!! (as long as we beat the Bungals) Plus the more wins they get the farther down the Draft they slide.

If the Jets beat the Broncos that takes care of any wildcard contenders in the west and it also keeps the Titans from slouching off at the end of the season bcuz home field advantage will still up for grabs (which will make them play hard against the Colts and the Squeelers instead of resting players)

And lets hope the Giants beat Washington in a close game bcuz the more physical it gets the softer the Skins will be playing against us and a close or even a blow out loss could be a very demoralizing defeat. Which would benefit us even more.

And lets hope DeMarcus Ware and Marion Barber heal up quickly bcuz the more weapons Dallas has next week against the Steelers the better it is for us. The Steelers will already be beaten up from playing the Pats this week and if Dallas plays them Hard it could be a real bonus both ways. Hopefully Pittsburgh and Dallas goes blow for blow in a smash mouth game that way in the following weeks they'll be nice and banged up when it's out turn to face them.

And...lets hope Chad Johnson stays deactivated for one more week

[ROH522155]

i wish Tom Brady"s knee would magically heal just for this one game against the steelers

[RavensIQ]

If the Ravens can win at least 4 out of the next 5 games and both the Jets and Steelers win only 3 of the next 5, The Ravens would be the #2 seed in the playoffs with a bye week (assuming the Titans don't lose 4 of there next 5). If that happens and the Titans lose their 1st playoff game, the Ravens will host the AFC Championship at M&T.

[u]Ravens next 5[/u]
-Cinci (winnable)
-Skins (winnable)
-Steelers (winnable)
-Cowboys (difficult)
-Jags (winnable)

[u]Jets next 5[/u]
-Broncos (upset potential)
-49ers (easy)
-Buffalo (maybe loss)
-Seattle (upset potential)
-Miami (maybe loss)

[u]Steelers next 5[/u]
-Patriots (difficult)
-Cowboys (difficult)
-Ravens (loss)
-Tennessee (Difficult)
-Cleveland (winnable)

As long as the Ravens win at least 1 more game than both the Jets and the Steelers we'll be the #2 seed, even if Indianapolis wins out and finishes 12-4. Which would put the Steelers against the Jets and the Colts against the Broncos for the wild card games. The Titans would either Face the Colts or the Steelers and the Ravens would either Face the Broncos or the Jets for the Divisional games.