The Baltimore Ravens are in dire need of a bounce-back season. They wasted a year of Lamar Jackson\u2019s prime in 2025, as an onslaught of injuries, poor coaching, and inconsistent execution led to them missing the playoffs.<\/p>\n
Luckily, things will look extremely different in 2026. They already made some huge moves necessary to right their ship. They fired John Harbaugh<\/a>, hired an up-and-coming coach<\/a> in Jesse Minter, and added a major threat off the edge<\/a> in Trey Hendrickson. There\u2019s still a lot to do if they want to become that feared squad again, but the organization is trending in an encouraging direction.<\/p>\n In fact, many are expecting Baltimore to get back into the playoffs and reclaim the AFC North crown. It may be Minter’s first year as a head coach, but they\u2019re capable. <\/p>\n In some recent NFL playoff predictions, NFL Spin Zone\u2019s Lou Scataglia sees a major rebound coming in Charm City. Scataglia wrote<\/a>:<\/p>\n \u201cWith a new head coach installed in Jesse Minter, coupled with (ideally) better roster health, the Ravens will return to the top of the division in 2026.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis team does have the best quarterback in the NFL in Lamar Jackson, and Minter’s highly successful tenure as the Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator does instill a ton of confidence that he can find some success with Baltimore in year one.\u201d<\/p>\n Baltimore Ravens given extremely positive outlook ahead of 2026 season<\/p>\n It felt like Baltimore had the worst possible outcome last year. The defense gave up countless leads, the offense didn\u2019t really help by committing uncharacteristic and untimely turnovers, and there was simply no clutch gene. Still, they somehow barely fell short of a playoff berth. It\u2019s certainly fair to say that following a strong offseason, they should be the favorites to win the division in 2026.<\/p>\n Still, the biggest question mark is Minter\u2019s inexperience. Make no mistake about it, Ravens fans are thankful that it\u2019ll be Minter leading them into battle this year instead of Harbaugh. It’ll also be a breath of fresh air to see Minter call plays<\/a> rather than former defensive coordinator Zach Orr. However, it can take a first-year head coach some time to iron out the kinks. <\/p>\n Baltimore\u2019s biggest competition, the Pittsburgh Steelers, also have a new head coach in Mike McCarthy, but he has 18 years of experience under his belt. It may be rocky experience\u2014he\u2019s been fired twice, but he also carries 174 career wins, 12 playoff trips, and one Super Bowl win. Even though the Steelers have been disappointing in their own right, they\u2019ll remain a tough opponent to slay for Minter in his debut campaign as a head coach.<\/p>\n