Dolphins implode at Patriots, How it impacts Ravens playoff aspirations. Your thoughts.

[lobachevsky]

Let us presume that CIN, IND and NE stay atop their respective divisions & KC or DEN takes the AFCW with the other grabbing one WC. The bad news: That leaves one WC slot up for grabs.

Good news: The next team in line is SD at 4-3, but Bolts have both games with KC and both with DEN remaining, along with a game hosting CIN & two cross country trips (@WAS, @MIA).

Better news: There are 5 teams with 4 losses--BAL, TEN (!), OAK (!!), NYJ and MIA. TEN has IND, @OAK, @IND, @DEN starting in Week 11; OAK has TEn plus @NYJ (cross-country trip), KC, @SD, DEN in the last 4 weeks of the season; NYJ have NO next week and @BAL, MIA, OAK. @CAR, CLE, @MIA to finish out the season; MIA has SD, @NYJ, @PGH, NE and NYJ left.

Bottom line: There's going to be a lot of fratricide amongst those teams competing for a WC slot. 10-6 ought to be good enough for a ticket to the dance. The Ravens would need to go 7-2. If they can win the next two games they're at 5-4 and need to go 5-2. Toughest games remaining would seem to be @CHI, @DET, NE, @CIN. If they are playing well enough to beat the Browns away and the Bengals at home, 10-6 looks very doable. If not...

[lovefootball]

This year has been interesting. I'm not torn up by the Ravens losing close games. This year was suppose to be a tough year with the turnover in players. Ravens are mostly in there till the end. What really is interesting is the steelers, falcons and skins were suppose to be winning this year. So far,that's not happening. Pats winning with a new receiving core is amazing and their defense kicking ass on the dolphins in the 2nd half helped. Ravens may make the postseason if the other teams continue to lose.

[CincyCat]

I see the Ravens in playoffs and not one & done. That's when Flacco goes into overdrive.

[alienstar]

Let us presume that CIN, IND and NE stay atop their respective divisions & KC or DEN takes the AFCW with the other grabbing one WC. The bad news: That leaves one WC slot up for grabs.

Good news: The next team in line is SD at 4-3, but Bolts have both games with KC and both with DEN remaining, along with a game hosting CIN & two cross country trips (@WAS, @MIA).

Better news: There are 5 teams with 4 losses--BAL, TEN (!), OAK (!!), NYJ and MIA. TEN has IND, @OAK, @IND, @DEN starting in Week 11; OAK has TEn plus @NYJ (cross-country trip), KC, @SD, DEN in the last 4 weeks of the season; NYJ have NO next week and @BAL, MIA, OAK. @CAR, CLE, @MIA to finish out the season; MIA has SD, @NYJ, @PGH, NE and NYJ left.

Bottom line: There's going to be a lot of fratricide amongst those teams competing for a WC slot. 10-6 ought to be good enough for a ticket to the dance. The Ravens would need to go 7-2. If they can win the next two games they're at 5-4 and need to go 5-2. Toughest games remaining would seem to be @CHI, @DET, NE, @CIN. If they are playing well enough to beat the Browns away and the Bengals at home, 10-6 looks very doable. If not...

If I had the time I'd like to put up some opposing schedules to look at on one sheet. The poster above did something close to that. And while making the point a good one at how wild this could be, I think the bottom line is missed (in a way). I don't think that 10 wins is a must for the second WC just as I am not sure certain divisions will require 10 wins. A 9 win, or even 8 may get somebody in. If the chargers can get 10 wins they will get that other WC. Having 4 games left with KC and Denver do not make the 10 wins look very promising. It would not surprise me if Cincy falls very hard back to earth. Only a couple weeks ago, their boards had them missing the playoffs. Gonna be a wild one. My bottom line suggests that schedule favors the Ravens in a number of scenarios. I wish I could switch the Vikings game in Balt with the Lions game. I am pretty sure we can beat the Vikings anywhere. They are barely a rung or two above Jax. Glad to see pats are in Balt. And we may also have caught a break taking on what looks to be a Cutler-less Bears. I'm sure injury situations will evolve and hopefully with the ravens sustaining less problems. Jets (rookie qb roller coaster, poor skill player), Browns (qb issues, good d but overall still lower rung), Vikings (terrible) should equal wins, although we all know none save for maybe Vikings is a gimme. Our defense will continue to gel esp if Gnata gets healthy, our secondary is fine only to get better. Webb stays healthy and he will be back to near superstar CB play. I think he is on the verge (again). If a small measure of improvement can be squeezed in the run game (cant get any worse) then we are good with the comparative schedules as I see it. The Flacco/Clark connection is just getting started. Torrey has had a few slow games of late, but that usually bounces back. If Pitta can get reps by week 13, maybe we notch a playoff berth and a win or two thereafter. The receiving crew still has budding potential that can still be realized prior to 2014. I myself thought that was not going to happen preseason... and would take part of season to find out. Doss...so far so good. Deonte and Marlon ... upside seems more likely than them busting. Lots of maybes, I know. But its my analysis.

[Hammerhead]

I see the Ravens in playoffs and not one & done. That's when Flacco goes into overdrive.

You are a nice dude and too kind. I think you guys have it all over us this year.

If we get to the tournament, we might be able to turn it on but I fear the hole is too deep and you guys are too good this year. Funny, if this were 1984-95, I might even be pulling for you guys. I like Marvin and certain key players you have got (AJ, Gio, Peko, etc). If we get knocked out, I hope you guys make a run. It would beat watching Denver or NE raise the Lamar Hunt Trophy.

[Beau Petard]

My apologies, I didn't read through this thread, and I allow that the comment on timing of disaster may be "slightly" off in its timing;), but the knowledgeable Excellector said in another thread, "I mean, who really wants to watch the Dolphins cough it up to the Patriots at the last minute?"

I started watching that game with this comment in mind. All I could think of was Art Linkletter - "Out of the mouths of babes..." (Excell, my apologies!;))

[Ravens2006]

If the offensive line struggles like it has all season, no they won't be playing past week 17. But it remains to be seen whether it will. They have 9 games left, with 5 out of 7 at home looming after next week's game at CLE. They're one game out of a WC spot "today" in the loss column at the moment.

You think it's over already, go back to last year's Broncos game in December (and the O-line looked atrocious) and read some game threads. Everybody sucked, everybody should have been let go / fired, nobody deserved a new contract, etc. 5 games later a few guys are healthier and they shuffle some things around, and they're winning a Superbowl trophy.

[GOTA]

If the offensive line struggles like it has all season, no they won't be playing past week 17. But it remains to be seen whether it will. They have 9 games left, with 5 out of 7 at home looming after next week's game at CLE. They're one game out of a WC spot "today" in the loss column at the moment.

You think it's over already, go back to last year's Broncos game in December (and the O-line looked atrocious) and read some game threads. Everybody sucked, everybody should have been let go / fired, nobody deserved a new contract, etc. 5 games later a few guys are healthier and they shuffle some things around, and they're winning a Superbowl trophy.

The difference is that there has only been 1 game where the Ravens looked good this year and that was the Texans game. In that game you still only had 1 offensive TD. The rest were field goals, int return and a punt return for a TD. Through 7 games the Ravens have just 13 offensive touchdowns. That's not just bad, it's Kyle Boller-like.

Should the Ravens come out of the bye and play a good game for a win on the road the perception could change. Right now though outside of faith it's had to say that that this team is going to make the playoffs with so many other teams around the same spot at mid-season

[Raven Werewolf]

The difference is that there has only been 1 game where the Ravens looked good this year and that was the Texans game. In that game you still only had 1 offensive TD. The rest were field goals, int return and a punt return for a TD. Through 7 games the Ravens have just 13 offensive touchdowns. That's not just bad, it's Kyle Boller-like.

Should the Ravens come out of the bye and play a good game for a win on the road the perception could change. Right now though outside of faith it's had to say that that this team is going to make the playoffs with so many other teams around the same spot at mid-season

Holy Shite...... I didnt realize it was THAT bad. That really puts in in perspective. I mean the Broncos scored almost that many in the first 2 WEEKS of the year.

Now Miami losing is fine for us but I still think the big picture is the division. Theres going to be a LOT of comp for that last WC spot what with the Jets and Miami and even SD and the Titans making a claim for it. And in spite of myself I STILL wont count the Steelers out JUST yet. Better IMO to focus on the AFC North which Cincy has a firm grip on for now..... but IF we can get past Cleveland we'll have a chance to really have a say in our own destiny if not fully control it that following week. (esp if Cincy gets tripped up at Miami).

[Ravens2006]

Not saying it's been good or we should EXPECT it to turn around, but consider this too... last year they had a 9 game stretch where they scored 17 offensive TDs total (from the first CLE game to the second PIT game). And 5 of those 17 came in the blowout vs. OAK. So the offense scored 12 TDs in the other 8 games during that time.

I didn't expect the O-line to turn it around last year, but they did. So they've shown (players and coaches) that they CAN make adjustments, even when there was no reason to expect it. Last year's DEN debacle gave NOBODY outside of Owings Mills much reason to be optimistic. Just saying... don't write the post-season off yet.

[Raveninwoodlawn]

Not saying it's been good or we should EXPECT it to turn around, but consider this too... last year they had a 9 game stretch where they scored 17 offensive TDs total (from the first CLE game to the second PIT game). And 5 of those 17 came in the blowout vs. OAK. So the offense scored 12 TDs in the other 8 games during that time.

I didn't expect the O-line to turn it around last year, but they did. So they've shown (players and coaches) that they CAN make adjustments, even when there was no reason to expect it. Last year's DEN debacle gave NOBODY outside of Owings Mills much reason to be optimistic. Just saying... don't write the post-season off yet.

At this point all of us would take last years regular season line in a second over what we have now.


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[Jsmoove]

Like i said unless we miraculously turn this shit around in the bye week, 8-8 looking at the draft in april.