Kyle Hamilton echoes John Harbaugh about Ravens' playoff pursuit despite 1-5 record

Shortly after the Baltimore Ravens fell to 1-5 on the season via a 17-3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams this past Sunday, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh indicated he remained confident his club could go on a run coming off its Week 7 bye. 

During a conversation with Scott Thompson of Fox News Digital, Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton echoed Harbaugh regarding Baltimore's attempt to become the fifth team in NFL history to make the playoffs after starting a campaign with a 1-5 record. 

Kyle Hamilton insists Ravens' season is "not over" despite 1-5 start

"There's still 11 games left that we’re guaranteed," Hamilton said. "So, it’s up to us to right the ship and steer it in the right direction because the season’s not over. We know that, and that’s why I go back to the bye week. It’s good for us just to reset, refocus and hit the ground running when we get back."

Baltimore's in-season break should give star Lamar Jackson a chance to get right after he missed back-to-back games due to a hamstring injury. A healthy Jackson is, statistically speaking, one of the top regular-season quarterbacks in the NFL today who has a history of guiding the Ravens to the type of winning streak they'll need to be part of postseason conversations come Christmastime. 

"Every year I’ve been in the league, it seems the bye week comes at the perfect time," Hamilton continued. "I think that goes to show you can use a bye week whenever it is upon us, which it is now. It’s even more needed now than in the past. I think it would be good for the team just to keep it more simple than it needs to be. Sit back and not have to overthink stuff for a week."

Jackson's return won't fix a Baltimore defense that is ranked last in the league in points allowed per game (32.3), per ESPN stats. As ESPN's Jamison Hensley pointed out, the Ravens are expected to explore acquiring at least an outside linebacker before the Nov. 4 trade deadline arrives. 

Kyle Hamilton shares Ravens' mindset for second half of season

The Ravens will need to be one of the hottest teams in the league through early January to become the first club to make the playoffs after a 1-5 start since the Washington Football Team accomplished the feat during the 2020 season. Hamilton understands that he and others in the Baltimore locker room can't afford to look ahead beyond the home game versus the Chicago Bears on Oct. 26. 

"I think it’s good to focus on one day at a time, one week at a time, and I think the wins start stacking up when you do that," Hamilton added. "But we can’t get too far ahead of ourselves and say, 'We have to win eight games in a row to get in,' or whatever it may be. We just have to win one game."

3-2 Chicago hosts the New Orleans Saints (1-5) this coming Sunday.