3 Reasons Why The Baltimore Ravens Still Have Hope

Oct 2, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens safety Eric Weddle (32) reaches for a pass intended for Oakland Raiders tight end Clive Walford (88) in the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

When the Ravens lost their third straight game, it became easy to vent our frustrations with the team. That venting is warranted. However bleak it may seem, the purple and black still have hope.

The Baltimore Ravens have been terrible in their three game losing streak. You really can’t sugarcoat anything about the Ravens struggles. However, the purple and black still have reason to hope. The season is not lost yet. In a muddled AFC, 3-3 is not a catastrophic record.

Baltimore has high expectations. In 20 years of football, Ravens fans have witnessed two Super Bowl victories and ten playoff appearances. Expectations should be high. The 2016 Ravens can still accomplish great things. Yes, the road has been made more treacherous, but it’s still navigable.

Today, we’re going to try to talk you off the ledge. Today, we’re going to give you three reasons why the Ravens season isn’t over yet. Here are three reasons why we need to have a little perspective, that allows us to hope.

Dec 27, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith (22) intercepts Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) (not pictured) pass intended for wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) during the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Baltimore Ravens defeated Pittsburgh Steelers 20-17. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The AFC Is Packed Together

The road to the playoffs will be a competitive one. This is because the AFC Standings show very few teams breaking away from the pack. The New England Patriots are 5-1. Five AFC teams are 4-2, while three teams are either 3-3 or 3-2. The seven remaining AFC teams have a record of 2-4 or worse. Two of those teams are in the Ravens division, the Bengals (2-4), the Browns (0-6). There aren’t a lot of great teams rolling away from the pack.

The AFC North is still in the Ravens reach. The Steelers are 4-2. The Ravens are 3-3. Baltimore has two meetings against Pittsburgh remaining on their schedule. Ben Roethlisberger will miss at least one week with his injury from last week. If he misses more than one week, the Steelers could lose games that they would have otherwise won.

It may be hard to take the idea of a Ravens playoff bid seriously. However, they did suffer a three game losing skid in the second Super Bowl season. The Ravens have plenty of time to rebound. They have the talent, John Harbaugh’s team just has to piece it together. Each week gets more and more important from here. The AFC Playoffs aren’t out of the Ravens reach. They are positioned right in the thick of things.

Oct 9, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) on the sideline during the game against the Washington Redskins at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

2. The Ravens Tend To Elevate Their Play In Big Games

For whatever reason the Ravens have always played to the level of competition. They play down to their lesser opponents and get hyped for their biggest games. It is a trend that has stayed true throughout most of the Harbaugh era. The fact that the Ravens schedule gets tougher may weirdly be a good thing for this team.

The Ravens get up for their games against the Steelers. The motivation to beat the Pittsburgh’s and the New England’s of the world seems to give the Ravens an edge. They’ll get off to slow starts against the Browns and the Bills. They’ll come out on a mission against the Steelers. That’s just how the psyche of this team works.

At the end of the day, Joe Flacco will be known as the guy who steps up in the big moments. His playoff stats beat his regular season stats. The better his opponent is the sharper Flacco seems to play. The Ravens have tough games left as the majority of their schedule. These games however, may just be what the Ravens needed. Don’t ask for an explanation. It doesn’t make sense, yet it seems to be the case.

Sep 25, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Baltimore Ravens cornerback Kyle Arrington (24) and inside linebacker Zach Orr (54) run after intercepting the ball during the second half of a football game against the Jacksonville Jaguarsat EverBank Field. The Baltimore Ravens won 19-17. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

3. A Chance To Get Healthy

The Ravens have one more week until they get a bye week. The Ravens play the Jets on Sunday. They then get a week without a game. When the Ravens play the Steelers, they will probably be a lot healthier. Some of the Ravens injuries are short term things. The Ravens just have to get through one more week and they will be able to get some big time injury relief.

Injuries don’t fully excuse the Ravens for their loss against the New York Giants, because they meltdown like that when they’re fully healthy. However injuries did play a factor in that game. A team that makes it as hard as possible, needs to be at full strength.

The Ravens have a chance to turn everything around. They have not fallen so far that they cannot get back up. With that in mind, there is still hope. It doesn’t feel like it after a devastating loss, but there is absolutely a reason for hope.