Ravens Week 16 Fan Guide: Can Baltimore Take Commanding Lead For Top Seed?

What needs to happen before the Baltimore Ravens play on Monday night to take a commanding lead for the top seed in the AFC playoffs?

Even before the Baltimore Ravens take the field on Monday night, they could get even closer to their goals of not just winning the AFC North, but also the top seed in the AFC Playoffs. 

As things currently stand, Baltimore has a two-game lead in the division and a single-game lead for the top seed. 

Matt Rourke/AP

What will need to happen for the Ravens to achieve the goals of their first division title, and top-seed finish since 2019? We go through each scenario that Baltimore fans should be rooting for here:

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Both Saturday games could help the Ravens reach their goal for the top overall seed. While Baltimore does have the tiebreaker over Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh cannot win the AFC North this year with seven losses, the Ravens should be hoping for a Bengals win today. 

The reason? Joe Burrow isn't the QB for Cincy right now. 

Cincinnati has done an excellent job of staying afloat in recent weeks for the AFC Playoffs. As of right now, they would play the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round - a team that they have been successful against. 

Baltimore should feel confident if they were to meet the Bengals at any point in the playoffs. It also would make things harder for the next team on this list to reach their playoff goals too.

Buffalo Bills vs. Los Angeles Chargers

People may not like it, but the Buffalo Bills look like the most dangerous team in the AFC right now. The good news for a team like Baltimore is that the Bills may not even make the playoffs.

As reported by CBS Sports, the Bills now have a 54% chance of making the postseason - odds that could drastically change with a loss to the Chargers on Saturday. 

A playoff run without Josh Allen or Joe Burrow is good news for the Ravens.

Cleveland Browns vs. Houston Texans

To win the division in Week 16, the Ravens will need to beat the San Francisco 49ers and a Cleveland Browns loss. 

Simple enough. 

The Texans may not have C.J. Stroud, but they are still a dangerous team and can beat a Joe Flacco-led Browns squad. 

Indianapolis Colts vs. Atlanta Falcons

Very similar to why Baltimore fans should be rooting for the Bengals, they should be rooting for a Colts win on Sunday. 

No one in the AFC should be hoping for a Bills playoff berth yet. Baltimore should feel confident in a playoff game against Gardner Minshew. 

Dallas Cowboys vs. Miami Dolphins

Miami hasn't beaten a team over .500 this year, and that is excellent news for the Ravens. Dallas is coming off a 21-point blowout loss to the Bills and still has outside hope of winning the NFC East. 

That will leave them quite desperate against a Miami squad that hasn't proven a lot despite their dynamic offensive firepower. Another Dolphins loss against a contender should be enough to give the Ravens plenty of breathing room for the top seed. 

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Las Vegas Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs

The Ravens must get some help with some of the final games against the defending champs. While Baltimore and Kansas City haven't played against each other, the Chiefs have just one conference loss to the Ravens three. 

That means if the two teams are tied for the top record, the AFC Playoffs will go through Arrowhead. 

Not ideal for Baltimore when you consider they face three teams that are .500 or better to end the year while Kansas City's lone tough game is against the Joe Burrow-less Bengals. 

A loss for the Chiefs against their arch-rivals in Vegas would certainly help Baltimore big time.