Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Ravens' AFC North Prediction Would Be Disastrous

Originally posted on Baltimore Ravens on SI
By Anthony Miller | Last updated Dec 4, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The AFC North is one of the tightest races in the NFL this season, with the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers tied for first place at 6-6.

Even with Baltimore having the slight edge, the real question is whether the Ravens and Steelers can hold off the Cincinnati Bengals. Bleacher Report writer Brad Gagnon shared that he believes the Bengals will win the AFC North at 8-9, with the Ravens in second at 8-9 and the Steelers in third at 7-10.

"Something is extremely off with the Ravens, who had major flaws even before Lamar Jackson's injury derailed their season," Gagnon wrote. "If they can't beat the shorthanded and short-rested Bengals at home in prime time, I'm not giving them road wins in Cincinnati, Green Bay or even Pittsburgh between now and Week 18.

"Throw in that they also still have to play the first-place Patriots, and I just can't get behind Baltimore.

"This feels like a toss-up between the Bengals and Ravens, but Cincinnati has the edge in terms of momentum, strength of schedule and the tiebreaker right now."

Ravens might be in trouble closing out the season in the AFC North

Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

Of course, the slow start to the season absolutely crushed the Ravens and any chance of running away with the division. If they had been healthier, this team might be in a much different position, but not much can be done about that now.

The biggest problem for the Ravens right now is their offensive struggles. Lamar Jackson had just one touchdown in the last four games and has completed under 60% of his passes in four straight contests.

It sure doesn't help that the Ravens have a rough final five-game stretch to the season with games against the Steelers twice, the Bengals, the New England Patriots, and the Green Bay Packers. Pretty much every game will be a massive challenge for Baltimore to handle.

There's still time for the Ravens to bounce back and get things back on track, but not as much as they would like. The good news is that they are facing a banged-up Steelers team in Week 14, with Aaron Rodgers' status up in the air. Even if he plays, he will not be 100% for the rest of the season.

It would be a good time for Jackson to get back to the quarterback Baltimore has known over the years and start taking over the NFL again.

This article first appeared on Baltimore Ravens on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: