Is the NFC North the Bears’ to lose with Packers sitting right behind?
The Bears are the talk of the division, but the Packers look ready to steal the NFC North.
The Baltimore Ravens looked like a long-shot playoff contender after starting the season with a 1-5 record amid injuries to quarterback Lamar Jackson and several of the team’s defensive stars.
But after getting healthy during the team’s Week 7 bye, the Ravens won five consecutive games to put themselves back in the thick of a tightly contested AFC North race.
The Ravens entered Week 14 tied atop the AFC North standings with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The two rivals squared off for the first time on Sunday in a game from which the winner would emerge as the temporary division leader.
Pittsburgh was able to earn the victory 27-22 despite a furious, late-game comeback effort by Baltimore. That will put the Ravens behind in the divisional race, but they are far from out of it.
Here’s a look at the Ravens’ playoff chances as they prepare for a four-week sprint to the finish in the AFC North and conference wild-card races.
Ravens playoff odds
The Ravens entered their Week 14 matchup against the Steelers sporting a 66% chance to make the playoffs, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. After their loss, their chances have dropped to 34%.
The reason for this is simple. At 6-7, Baltimore’s easiest path into the playoffs is to win the AFC North. The Ravens were tied atop the division with the Steelers coming into Week 14. Now, Baltimore is behind Pittsburgh by a game and would presently lose a head-to-head tiebreaker against its rival.
As such, the Steelers have the inside track to win the AFC North. Still, the Ravens aren’t out of the divisional race, especially not with a game remaining against Pittsburgh in Week 18.
Ravens remaining schedule
The Ravens do not have an easy finish to the 2025 NFL season. Baltimore has the seventh-hardest remaining schedule, per Tankathon, which includes two divisional matchups and a game against the NFL-leading New England Patriots (11-2).
Below is a full look at Baltimore’s remaining schedule for the 2025 NFL season:
AFC North standings
The Ravens entered their Week 14 matchup against the Steelers tied atop the AFC North standings. Now, they are alone in second place in the division.
Below is a look at the AFC North’s power structure:
Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6)Baltimore Ravens (6-7)Cincinnati Bengals (4-8)Cleveland Browns (3-9)
Baltimore possessed a tiebreaker advantage entering Week 14 by virtue of having a better winning percentage in common games than Pittsburgh. But now, the Steelers own a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Ravens.
That said, Baltimore will have a chance to change that when the two face off again in Week 18. So long as the Ravens stay, at most, one game back of the Steelers in the standings, they will have a chance to catch up to Pittsburgh and potentially pry the AFC North title away from it.
Denver Broncos (11-2; AFC West leaders)New England Patriots (11-2; AFC East leaders)Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4; AFC South leaders)Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6; AFC North leaders)Buffalo Bills (9-4, wild card No. 1)Los Angeles Chargers (8-4, wild card No. 2)Houston Texans (8-5, wild card No. 3)
In the hunt: Indianapolis Colts (8-5); Baltimore Ravens (6-7); Kansas City Chiefs (6-7); Miami Dolphins (6-7); Cincinnati Bengals (4-9);
Eliminated: New York Jets (3-10); Cleveland Browns (3-10); Las Vegas Raiders (2-11); Tennessee Titans (2-11)