With training camp underway and the preseason fast approaching, Last Word on Pro Football is analyzing the schedules of all 32 NFL teams. Each team’s 16-game slate will be split into its most difficult (1-8) and easiest games (9-16). For this article, the easiest games on the Baltimore Ravens 2019 schedule are under the microscope.
The toughest games on the Ravens 2019 schedule.
Baltimore Ravens Easiest Games of 2019
9. Week Five: at Pittsburgh Steelers
Funny how neither the Week Wive nor Week 17 matchups between the Ravens and Steelers are in prime time. There’s a good chance that changes for the last game of the year but the instance is still puzzling.
The first matchup between the Steelers and Ravens on the year, this one comes with lower stakes than their Week 17 matchup. However, it is still a huge rivalry game that will likely have implications on the playoff standings later in the year. Last season, the Ravens defense suffocated the Steelers at Heinz Stadium in Week Four but it was their first convincing win against their rivals in a few seasons. The pendulum has swung in the Steelers favor recently with Pittsburgh winning five of their last four against Baltimore. Before this streak, the Ravens had taken six of seven including the only playoff matchup between the two.
Games between the Ravens and Steelers are never blowouts. Six of the teams’ last eight contests have been decided by one score. Week Five will likely be another close game as part of the best rivalry in football. Both teams are very talented and hopefully, we get another classic in this matchup.
10. Week 13: vs San Francisco 49ers
A rematch of Super Bowl XLVII, the 49ers and Ravens haven’t played much outside of the iconic game.
Both teams are in similar positions going into 2019 and Week 13 should make for an interesting matchup of talent. The 49ers have gone through a large restructure over the past two seasons and assuming both are relatively healthy, could make for a matchup that has everything — electric offense, good defense, and creative play calling. With all the changes the 49ers have gone through, it’s hard to gauge how challenging this matchup will be for Baltimore. San Francisco is coming off of a 4-12 season and they could be anywhere from 9-3 to 3-9 at this point in the season. The only offensive mismatch the 49ers offense provides is the 6’4″ George Kittle likely being matched against a 5’11” Tony Jefferson.
If the Ravens run game has a good day against a good and remade 49ers front-seven, Baltimore has a great chance of winning this game.
11. Week Four: vs Cleveland Browns
Similar to the Ravens Week Five matchup with the Steelers, this game probably won’t feel like a big one until the end of the season. This is the first division matchup for both teams where they’re are coming off tough games the week prior. The Ravens matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead and the Browns fly to California to face the Los Angeles Rams. This will be Baltimore’s first game against Odell Beckham Jr. since he gashed their team during Week Six of 2016 with 222 receiving yards on eight grabs and two scores. There’s no doubt John Harbaugh will be looking at this matchup with a game plan for containing one of the league’s best receivers. His tools in the secondary are significantly better than the ones he had in their previous matchup.
Both teams will likely still be figuring things out at this point but the new and improved Browns will still be a good test for the Ravens early in the year. The Browns and Ravens will likely both be jockeying for the AFC North title and a division win at home early in the season would be important to have in either team’s pocket down the stretch.
12. Week 15: vs New York Jets
The Jets are a wild-card game on the Ravens schedule. They made a lot of improvements over the off-season by adding players on both sides of the ball, including two household names at M&T Bank — Kelechi Osemele and C.J. Mosley. These additions were made to aid a team that provided 2018 third overall pick Sam Darnold with very little during his rookie season. Darnold still has little help on the offensive side of the ball and the Ravens defense is going to be a tough matchup for the young quarterback. Baltimore has seen a lot of new Jets running back Le’Veon Bell so game planning against him should not be a big challenge. The Ravens have kept him under 50 yards rushing just three times in their 10 matchups but the former Steeler has only gone over 100 yards twice.
Mosley’s return to Baltimore will be one of the more touching moments of the year but the Jets are still an improving team at this point.
13. Week Two: vs Arizona Cardinals
Coming into 2019, the Cardinals aren’t expected to shoot straight to the top after finishing dead-last in the NFL a season ago. Week Two will likely be the second start of rookie Kyler Murray‘s career and the Ravens are going to be a lot to handle. What will be particularly difficult for Murray is the way Ravens’ defensive coordinator Don Martindale dials up pressure on defense. Martindale’s defensive play-calling will provide looks Murray has never seen and some that will probably give the young quarterback trouble. For reference, watch the Ravens week 17 game against Baker Mayfield and the Browns last season. For the Ravens, quarterback Lamar Jackson draws a matchup against a defense missing its best corner. Kliff Kingsbury‘s new offense will be a fun test for the stout Ravens secondary but likely won’t be enough for a largely inexperienced team to overcome a good Baltimore squad in just its second regular-season game.
Terrell Suggs‘ homecoming is a game the Ravens should win.
14. Week 6: vs Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals have had the Ravens number the past couple of years in their head-to-head matchups, but they are also a team on the verge of going into tank mode. It’s not that the Bengals are a horrible team across the board, it’s that they have done very little to upgrade since going 6-10 a season ago. The Bengals offensive line was Pro Football Focus’ 27th ranked unit in 2018 and their only upgrade – their 10th overall draft selection Jonah Williams – will miss the entirety of his rookie season. Andy Dalton‘s offensive weapons remain the same and there’s no guarantee A.J. Green will play the 2019 season without feeling the side effects of the ankle injury he sustained in training camp.
Jackson beat this Bengals team in his first start in the NFL and should be far more prepared this time with 13 games of NFL experience and a full off-season under his belt. Division games are always tight in the AFC North but this is by far the most winnable one for Baltimore.
15. Week 14: @ Buffalo Bills
The Bills may have made a couple of improvements over the off-season but it isn’t enough for anyone to forget the absolute beat-down that the Ravens handed them in last season’s season-opener. Baltimore pummeled the pulp out of the Bills 47-3 in maybe the worst loss I have ever personally watched. Even though Nathan Peterman was at the helm for Buffalo, no professional team is supposed to get beat like that. It’s impossible to say there will even be a result like that again within the next five to 10 years but how can anyone pick the Bills to beat the Ravens after watching a result like that just a season ago? Buffalo had one of the best secondaries in football last year and Joe Flacco carved them up for three touchdowns to three different receivers.
Ed Oliver and the Bills D-line would have to dominate the entire game for Buffalo to come away with a victory in this game. If the Ravens can’t win this week 14 game, they don’t deserve to be a playoff team.
16. Week One: @ Miami Dolphins
Within the past five years, the Ravens haven’t absolutely dominated many teams in the NFL. The Dolphins are the exception. The two teams have only played twice over that span but the Ravens have won both matchups with a combined score of 78-6.
There isn’t an area on Miami’s roster in which they have a distinct advantage over the Ravens. Their receivers are far outmatched by the Ravens secondary, their front-seven is short of game-changers baring Christian Wilkins becoming an instant stud, and whichever quarterback starts will be playing their first full (if they make it out) game in as a Dolphin. The only disadvantage the Ravens may have is Jackson’s passing accuracy against maybe a young budding secondary between Xavien Howard and Minkah Fitzpatrick. However, the Ravens might just run the ball at them the whole game as they did in their 2017 matchup. Baltimore finished with 174 total rushing yards in that game. Jackson might not even have to throw the ball.
Many pundits have the Dolphins pegged to finish at or near the bottom of the league and with good reason. The only way the Dolphins win this game is if Ryan Fitzpatrick has one of his signature early dominating games in his first start in Miami.
