Ravens Still Alive Despite 0-2 Start

The Baltimore Ravens may be down, but they're not out just yet.

Sep 15, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) calls a play during the first half against the Las Vegas Raiders at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

The alarms are blaring for the Baltimore Ravens right now.

After Sunday's 26-23 collapse against the Las Vegas Raiders, in which they blew yet another late lead, the Ravens are now 0-2 for the first time since 2015. The loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the season opener was understandable, but this loss to the Raiders - a team the Ravens should easily beat on paper - is absolutely cause for concern.

That said, it is only Week 3. That's not to say the panic isn't warranted, just that there is time to right the ship. In fact, ESPN's FPI still gives Baltimore a 40.2 percent chance to make the playoffs, the second-highest of any winless team behind the Cincinnati Bengals at 43.2 percent.

"Baltimore actually lost three straight in the middle of the 2020 season and made it to the postseason, but it needed to win out over its five subsequent games to get there," ESPN's Bill Barnwell wrote. "We're not quite in win-out world if they lose to Dallas next week, but that wouldn't be far off."

While 40.2 percent is a pretty good chance for an 0-2 team, it's still worse than a coin flip. When looking at history, the odds get even worse.

Baltimore has started 0-2 just four times before in franchise history, and failed to make the playoffs on each of those occasions. They finished 8-8 in 1999, 7-9 in 2002, 6-10 in 2005 and 5-11 in 2015. Additionally, just two of the 32 teams who've started 0-2 since the playoffs expanded to 14 teams in 2020 have made the postseason, those being the 2022 Bengals and the 2023 Houston Texans.

The Ravens' upcoming schedule doesn't make their job any easier. A road trip to face the Dallas Cowboys followed by a home game against the Buffalo Bills and a road game against the Bengals is a legitimate gauntlet, and if Baltimore plays like it did on Sunday, the situation will only get worse.

It won't be easy to get back up, but it's important to remember that the Ravens are down, not out. Now, though, they'll need to be at the top of their game to avoid the knockout punch.

"We're not going to be defined by everyone that's saying we're not any good, that we're good [or] that the season is over after two games," head coach John Harbaugh told reporters after Sunday's game. "That's what's going to be said, and we understand that, but they're not here; they're not inside. No one inside is going to say that.

"We have to take care of our stuff, take care of our business [and] take care of our work. We know that we're a good football team, and we're going to go keep getting better and better and better and define the season by the way we play."

Make sure you bookmark Baltimore Ravens on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

• Ravens HC John Harbaugh Defends Poor Challenge Record
• Even Ravens All-Pro is Part of Early Struggles
• History Not on Ravens Side After 0-2 Start
• Disturbing Trend Continues For Ravens
• Ravens DB Blasts Officials After Loss