Ravens Must Be Better For Postseason

The Baltimore Ravens won their division in Week 18, but did not play anywhere near their best.

Jan 4, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (89) makes a catch for a touchdown during the second quarter as Cleveland Browns safety Grant Delpit (9) defends at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

On the surface, the Baltimore Ravens' 35-10 win over the Cleveland Browns on Saturday looked like about as sound of a win as one could ask for in the NFL. They outgained their opponent by over 200 yards, covered one of the largest NFL spreads in years, and most importantly, won the AFC North for the second-consecutive year.

Further down, though, it was far from the cleanest performance.

Offensively, the Ravens appeared lethargic throughout much of the game. They turned the ball over on downs three times in the first half (though one of them was at the very end of the half) and went without scoring for a couple of extended periods.

Baltimore played well defensively, but Cleveland's lone touchdown drive raised some concerns. The Browns marched 72 yards on 12 plays and over six and a half minutes, and continually picked on Ravens cornerback Brandon Stephens on their way to the end zone.

Finally, the Ravens took 10 penalties for a total of 83 yards in this game. It seemed like Baltimore cleaned up its penalty issue after taking just five in its past two games, but it reared its ugly head again in the regular season finale.

The Ravens feel good about entering the playoffs on a four-game winning streak, but know they have to be better when the competition ramps up/

"It's a good thing, but if you talk to our guys, I think they will tell you we can be so much better – we can play so much better," head coach John Harbaugh told reporters post-game. "We weren't very clean in this game. We had too many penalties. Operationally, we weren't probably as great as we wanted to be. I mentioned the two-minute drive that Lamar [Jackson] wants to be perfect on. We can be so much better, but we're playing good football. You're either getting better, or you're getting worse – we need to keep getting better."

They better get on it quickly, as they host the rival Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Round on Saturday night. The bitter foes split the regular-season series, with the home team winning both games.

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