Ravens Claw Back Into AFC North Race

Week 12 was a great one for the Baltimore Ravens' AFC North chances.

Nov 25, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs the ball against Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack (52) during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

One week really can make a world of difference.

Just a week ago, the Baltimore Ravens' hopes of winning their second consecutive AFC North title looked bleak after dropping a crucial matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. That loss put the Ravens 1.5 games behind the Steelers for the division lead, so even in the unlikely scenario they win out, they'd still need some help to take the crown.

Now, though, the outlook is much brighter. Following a Baltimore win and a Pittsburgh loss in Week 12, the Ravens are now just half a game for the division lead once again. Some models even have them as the favorite to win the division now, though there's obviously still a lot of football left to play.

So, how exactly did we get here? Let's go back a few days to find out.

First, to Thursday Night Football, when the Steelers fell to the Cleveland Browns 24-19 in a snowstorm. The Steelers were able to erase a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit to take the lead with six minutes to go, but it proved to not be enough as Nick Chubb scored the go-ahead touchdown for Cleveland with 57 seconds left. Pittsburgh had one last gasp, but Russell Wilson's Hail Mary fell incomplete as George Pickens got into a scuffle with a Browns defender.

The Steelers are undoubtedly a solid team, and playing on a short week after the high of beating their arch rivals was always going to be a challenge. However, this was a winnable game that they let get away, and it could cost them down the stretch.

The Ravens were the main beneficiary of the Steelers' blunder, but it wouldn't mean anything if they didn't take care of their own business. Luckily, they did just that with a 30-23 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football. John Harbaugh improved to 3-0 against his younger brother Jim Harbaugh, while Lamar jackson scored three total touchdowns and the defense continued to show signs of improvement.

Pittsburgh still holds the division lead at 8-3, but Baltimore is right behind at 8-4. The Cincinnati Bengals (who were on their bye week) and Browns are essentially out of the race at 4-7 and 3-8 respectively, but can still shake up the race with several divisional games left.

As always, the Ravens are focused on themselves more than anything.

"We're trying to win, regardless. Every game is a playoff game for us. It's been that way, but when we took that loss, I felt like everyone just died then. It can go either way for us, and we started off winning games in consecutive weeks, back to back. We lost to Cleveland, came back and won, won a couple, then we lose to the Steelers. We just have to keep our foot on the gas. We can't come up for air. We have to stay down and just stay locked in."

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