Ravens So Close, So Far to Championship

Playcalling, turnovers, injuries and just plain bad luck have derailed the Ravens postseason goals.

BALTIMORE — The Ravens have been on the cusp of making a run to a championship in the past several years. 

Playcalling, turnovers, injuries, and just plain bad luck have derailed their postseason goals.

2019

The Ravens rolled through their regular-season schedule, finishing 14-2. Quarterback Lamar Jackson was named NFL MVP after throwing for a league-high 36 touchdowns and running for 1,206 yards.

The Ravens had their worst performance in the AFC Divisional game against the Tennessee Titans at M&T Bank Stadium. Baltimore was held to its fewest points in the 28-12 loss. That Ravens team was certainly capable of winning a Super Bowl with that talented roster and a record-setting running attack but crashed out in a big way. 

2020

The Ravens finished 11-5 but finished the season on a five-game winning streak, which added momentum for the playoffs. Baltimore beat Tennessee 20-13 in the AFC Wild Card game, giving Jackson his first playoff win. However, the season unraveled in the AFC Divisional game against Buffalo. Jackson threw an interception on a third and goal to Taron Johnson, who ran 101 yards for the score that provided the 17-3 victory. It was a devastating blow because Jackson also was knocked out of the game with a concussion, ending any chance of a comeback.

2022

The Ravens finished the season 10-7 despite missing Jackson for the final five matchups because of a knee injury. The Ravens played effectively the AFC Wild Card playoff game against the Bengals and were on the cusp of taking the lead. However, Ravens backup quarterback Tyler Huntley fumbled trying to extend the ball into the end zone at the Cincinnati 2-yard line in the fourth quarter. Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard recovered the fumble and ran 98 yards for the score and a 24-17 win. Jackson likely would have been the difference in that game and the Chiefs showed they were beatable the following week against Jacksonville. 

Hence, it was another year of contemplating what could have been if not for a couple of different scenarios. 

The Future

The Ravens face an uncertain future with Jackson, who has yet to agree to a contract extension. The relationship with Jackson will have a long-term impact on the franchise whether he stays or whether he goes. 

Coach John Harbaugh is certainly optimistic.

"We think we’re very, very close to building a championship team and everything that goes with that," he said. "So, we’ll do that; we’ll do that this offseason, and that’ll be through the Draft, through free agency, potential trades, and things like that, but we will build the best team we can to compete every single week.” 

The @Ravens reportedly interviewed Todd Monken for the vacant OC job.
Monken has put together some impressive seasons at Georgia and could potentially have a dynamic influence in Baltimore. #RavensFlock https://t.co/q1uRWlSgOc

— Todd Karpovich (@toddkarpovich) January 28, 2023