Ravens Predicted to Lose AFC North Title

The Baltimore Ravens will try to win football's toughest division for the second straight season.

Nov 16, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) throws during the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The AFC North is probably the NFL's toughest division today as all four teams finished with a winning record last season, marking the first time an entire division finished above .500 since 1935. As such, the Baltimore Ravens deserve a ton of credit for not only winning the division last season, but also earning the AFC's top seed.

This season, the Ravens will look to become back-to-back division champions, but it won't be easy. The other three teams in the division look ready to pounce, and Baltimore suffered significant losses during the offseason.

In fact, it seems that some analysts aren't very high on the Ravens' chances to repeat. Jeff Diamond, a former NFL general manager and current analyst for The 33rd Team, ranked Baltimore as the third least-likely division winner to repeat in 2024. The only teams ranked lower were the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFC South) and Dallas Cowboys (NFC East).

"The Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers should be fine defensive teams and could challenge for the division title if they get strong play from their quarterbacks — Deshaun Watson in Cleveland and either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields in Pittsburgh," Diamond writes.

"This is a four-team race with the Ravens and Bengals ultimately battling for the division title. I think Cincinnati can return to the top spot with its fourth-place schedule aiding its cause, but only if Burrow stays in the lineup."

While the Ravens finished with the league's best record at 13-4, they only won the division by two games over the Browns. They also split the season series with both Cleveland and Pittsburgh, although the loss against the latter came while they were resting their starters. They also won both games against the Bengals, but didn't face a healthy Joe Burrow either time.

Rest assured, the Ravens' division rivals will have those games circled on their calendars, and they'll need to be prepared for anything.

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