The Baltimore Ravens took care of business on Thursday Night Football. Baltimore crushed Miami 28-6 in a game that felt decided by halftime. Now the Ravens are 3-5 and have two wins in the past five days. Suddenly, it doesn't seem like the sky is falling in Baltimore anymore.
Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers was on top of the world after finally playing a game in Hard Rock Stadium.
Flowers made a bold statement when asked about what Thursday's win means for the Ravens despite their slow start.
“We just getting started,” Flower told NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe after the game. “We should go on a run right now. Everybody feelin good. We got everybody back. So it should start a little run.”
Flowers had a solid game himself on Thursday, hauling in five receptions for 64 receiving yards.
The third-year wide receiver sounded incredibly confident that Baltimore will turn their season around after their 1-5 brutal start. That idea seemed daunting a few weeks ago, especially considering how competitive the AFC is.
But everything looks different after getting a few wins.
Can Baltimore really rescue their season and make it to the postseason?
Will the Ravens make the playoffs despite their 1-5 start?
NFL teams often struggle to make the playoffs after starting 1-5. But can the Ravens buck the trend and make an epic comeback?
It is easy to see the argument for the Ravens here. After all, their 1-5 start was somewhat fluky compared to the average one-win team. Baltimore lost a few close games and briefly lost Lamar Jackson to a hamstring injury. That does not put them in the same category as a rebuilding team.
But if the optics don't convince you, just take a look at Baltimore's upcoming schedule.
The Ravens have some easy opponents coming up over the next few weeks. Here are their next five games:
- Week 10 – at Vikings (3-4)
- Week 11 – at Browns (2-6)
- Week 12 – vs. Jets (1-7)
- Week 13 (Thanksgiving) – vs. Bengals (3-5)
- Week 14 – vs. Steelers (4-3)
Personally, I would be shocked if Baltimore lost any one of those five games.
Baltimore has three incredibly easy games in a row against the Vikings, Browns, and Jets.
Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy does not look NFL ready yet, and Derrick Henry should help neutralize Minnesota's fearsome defense. Plus the Jets and Browns are two of the league's worst teams.
The two games after that could help decide the AFC North division, especially Baltimore's Week 14 game against Pittsburgh.
If the Ravens win all five of those games, they would be 8-5 heading into the final four weeks of the season. That may not be enough to get a good wild card seed, but it could win the division.
Baltimore has some extra time to rest before their next game against Minnesota in Week 10.
