After Early Lull, Ravens Schedule Gets intriguing

Baltimore releases 2022 schedule.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens ease into their 2022 schedule with games against the Jets and Dolphins.

From there, the schedule gets intriguing. 

The Ravens are scheduled to play three primetime games, including one at M&T Bank Stadium and two on the road during the NFL’s 2022 regular season. 

It marks the fewest primetime games scheduled for the Ravens since 2019.

The Ravens will also play four divisional opponents (at Pittsburgh in Week 14, at Cleveland in Week 15, vs. Pittsburgh in Week 17 and at Cincinnati in Week 18), including three on the road, in their final five games of the season.

Baltimore hosts a Week 5 showdown with the defending AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday Night Football. The Ravens will play their first-ever Amazon Prime Thursday Night Football game in Week 8 at Tampa Bay, and then travel to New Orleans the following week (Week 9) for Monday Night Football. (Including 2022, the Ravens have been scheduled for 15 road Monday night games during John Harbaugh’s 15-year tenure.)

Baltimore will play seven games (five different opponents) against teams that made the postseason in 2021 (Buffalo, Cincinnati – twice, New England, Pittsburgh – twice and Tampa Bay). The Ravens will play three consecutive contests against 2021 playoff teams from Weeks 3-5 (at New England, vs. Buffalo and vs. Cincinnati).

For the first time in franchise history, Baltimore will open the season playing its first four games against an entire division – the AFC East. The Ravens open Week 1 at the New York Jets before hosting Miami (Week 2), traveling to New England (Week 3) and returning home for a tilt with Buffalo (Week 4).

The Ravens do not face their first NFC opponent until Week 6, when four of their next five games – including three on the road – are against NFC foes (Week 6 at Giants, Week 8 at Tampa Bay, Week 9 at New Orleans and Week 11 vs. Carolina). During that stretch, Baltimore will face three consecutive NFC South opponents (with a Week 10 Bye) from Weeks 8-11.

With the NFL schedule expanding to 17 games last year, for the first time ever, AFC teams will play on the road nine times during the 2022 regular season. Prior to the regular season, the Ravens will host the Tennessee Titans in preseason Week 1, travel to Arizona for a nationally-televised contest (preseason Week 2) and return home to face Washington (preseason Week 3) in the Battle of the Beltway.

Other Schedule Notes:

• Baltimore closes its season in Cincinnati in Week 18. Under John Harbaugh (since 2008), it marks the ninth time the Ravens will play the Bengals in a regular-season finale, including the seventh time in the Queen City.

• Baltimore will have back-to-back road contests on only two occasions: Weeks 8-9 (at Tampa Bay and at New Orleans; both primetime games) and Weeks 14-15 (at Pittsburgh and at Cleveland). Conversely, the Ravens will only host back-to-back contests at M&T Bank Stadium on two occasions: Weeks 4-5 (vs. Buffalo and vs. Cincinnati) and Weeks 16-17 (vs. Atlanta and vs. Pittsburgh).

• In primetime home games during the John Harbaugh Era (since 2008), Baltimore has posted an 18-2 regular season record, winning 16 of its last 17 contests. Under Harbaugh, the Ravens are 7-0 at home on Thursday Night Football, 7-1 at home on Sunday Night Football, 3-1 at home on Monday Night Football and 1-0 on Tuesday night (2020).

• This marks just the third time – and second-consecutive year – in the past 16 seasons that neither Ravens-Steelers regular season game is scheduled to be played in primetime. Since 2007, the 2019 and 2021 campaigns were the only other years in which the Ravens-Steelers did not square off in primetime. (The 2006 season was the last time both games kicked off at 1 p.m.)

• For the second-consecutive year, Baltimore will host three games at M&T Bank Stadium during the month of October. The Ravens face Buffalo in Week 4 (Oct. 2), Cincinnati in Week 5 (Oct. 9) and Cleveland in Week 7 (Oct. 23) to close out three homes games during a four-game stretch. Conversely, Baltimore hosts just one home game (Week 11 vs. Carolina) and has a Bye Week in November.

• · Baltimore’s Bye Week (Week 10) falls at Week 8 or later for the 10th time in the last 11 seasons. (The Ravens had a Week 7 bye in 2020). During that span, Baltimore is 7-3 in games following its bye.

• Two of the Ravens’ first three road games will be played at MetLife Stadium, where they’ll open the season at the New York Jets and travel back to East Rutherford for a matchup with the New York Giants in Week 6.

• Baltimore has the NFL’s third-shortest travel distance during the 2022 regular season (9,500 miles). Only Pittsburgh (6,442 miles) and Detroit (8,348 miles) will have shorter distances to travel.

• Baltimore’s preseason game in Arizona marks its furthest road preseason contest in franchise history. It also serves as the Ravens’ first nationally-televised preseason game since 2018. 

Ravens’ 2022 regular-season schedule

Week 1 (Sunday, Sept. 11): at New York Jets, 1 p.m.

Week 2 (Sunday, Sept. 18): vs. Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m.

Week 3 (Sunday, Sept. 25): at New England Patriots, 1 p.m.

Week 4 (Sunday, Oct. 2): vs. Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m.

Week 5 (Sunday, Oct. 9): vs. Cincinnati Bengals, 8:20 p.m.

Week 6 (Sunday, Oct. 16): at New York Giants, 1 p.m.

Week 7 (Sunday, Oct. 23): vs. Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m.

Week 8 (Thursday, Oct. 27): at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 8:15 p.m.

Week 9 (Monday, Nov. 7): at New Orleans Saints, 8:15 p.m.

Week 10: BYE

Week 11 (Sunday, Nov. 20): vs. Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m.

Week 12 (Sunday, Nov. 27): at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m.

Week 13 (Sunday, Dec. 4): vs. Denver Broncos, 1 p.m.

Week 14 (Sunday, Dec. 11): at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m.

Week 15 (Sunday, Dec. 17/18*): at Cleveland Browns, TBD

Week 16 (Sunday, Dec. 24): vs. Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m.

Week 17 (Sunday, Jan. 1): vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m.

Week 18 (Sunday, Jan. 7/8*): at Cincinnati Bengals, TBD