The Baltimore Ravens finished the 2020 regular season with an 11-5 record and the No. 5 overall seed in the AFC.
Here’s a look back at how they got here:
The atmosphere at M&T Bank Stadium Sept. 13 was starkly different than any game ever held at the facility, with no fans in attendance. Yet once the game began, the Ravens looked much like the team that rolled to a 14-2 record and runaway AFC North title last year, with reigning league Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson carving up the Cleveland Browns in a 38-6 season-opening victory. [ Read the full story. ]
The offense sputtered and stalled early, but the defense provided a spark with a second-quarter touchdown, and Lamar Jackson and the Ravens ultimately ran past the host Houston Texans, 33-16, for their second straight win to open the 2020 season. [ Read the full story. ]
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw for 385 yards and four touchdowns, while Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson struggled to get in any rhythm as Kansas City rolled to a 34-20 win at M&T Bank Stadium Sept. 28. [ Read the full story. ]
Week 4: Ravens 31, Washington 17
Coming off a “Monday Night Football” beatdown at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs, the Ravens did precisely what was needed against an inferior opponent, getting the lead and pulling away to a 31-17 win against the Washington Football Team at FedEx Field Oct. 4. [ Read the full story. ]
On a day when Lamar Jackson and the offense struggled to gain any traction, the Ravens’ defense inundated Bengals rookie quarterback Joe Burrow and punctuated the win with a fumble return for a score as the Ravens rolled to a 27-3 win at M&T Bank Stadium Oct. 11. [ Read the full story. ]
For three quarters, the Ravens appeared to be in complete command. Then it nearly all unraveled, but Matthew Judon and L.J. Fort stuffed a two-point conversion try and the Ravens held on for a 30-28 win at Lincoln Financial Field Oct. 18. [ Read the full story. ]
Week 7: Bye
Week 8: Steelers 28, Ravens 24
In the latest installment of a rivalry widely perceived as the best in the league, should it have been any surprise that this one came down to the final play? Lamar Jackson’s pass for Willie Snead in the end zone was broken up as time expired, and the Steelers (7-0) remained undefeated with a thrilling 28-24 win against the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium Nov. 1. [ Read the full story. ]
After scuffling through a first half in which the offense failed to score, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson found his rhythm in the second half and the defense held firm as the visiting Ravens pulled away for a hard-earned 24-10 win against the Indianapolis Colts Nov. 8. [ Read the full story. ]
Week 10: Patriots 23, Ravens 17
Led by a potent running attack and a trick play, the Patriots scored on four straight possessions to build a 23-10 lead, and although Willie Snead’s second touchdown catch of the game cut the Patriots’ lead to 23-17 late in the third quarter, Lamar Jackson and the offense could not muster another scoring drive playing in an absolute downpour in the final period. [ Read the full story. ]
Week 11: Titans 30, Ravens 24 (OT)
Titans running back Derrick Henry, held in check for much of the game thanks to a gritty effort from the Ravens’ patchwork defensive front, slashed off the left side, cut back and ran 29 yards for a touchdown in overtime to lift the Titans to a 30-24 win against the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium Nov. 22. [ Read the full story. ]
Week 12: Steelers 19, Ravens 14
With 14 Ravens sidelined by the COVID-19 outbreak, quarterback Robert Griffin III struggled to generate much offense and threw an early interception that was returned for a touchdown. The short-handed Ravens didn’t have nearly that much margin for error as they fell, 19-14, to the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field Dec. 2. [ Read the full story. ]
Week 13: Ravens 34, Cowboys 17
Coming back after a one-game layoff because he tested positive for COVID-19, Lamar Jackson raced for a 37-yard touchdown run for the Ravens’ first points and threw a pair of touchdown passes as the Ravens ran past the Cowboys, 34-17, at M&T Bank Stadium Dec. 8. [ Read the full story. ]
Lamar Jackson has already produced so many highlight-reel plays in his brief, MVP career that it’s hard to predict how the next one will come, but it’s safe to say no others will start in the locker room, which is exactly what happened on the defining play of the Ravens’ instant-classic, 47-42 win against the Cleveland Browns Dec. 14. [ Read the full story. ]
Week 15: Ravens 40, Jaguars 14
After throwing three touchdowns and running for another, Lamar Jackson watched bundled up from the sideline as practice squad quarterback Tyler Huntley mopped up the Ravens’ methodical 40-14 rout of the Jacksonville Jaguars at M&T Bank Stadium Dec. 20 that was every bit as lopsided as the final score. [ Read the full story. ]
From a clinical opening touchdown drive to a dominant second-half pass rush, the Ravens looked like a playoff team from start to finish as they dominated the New York Giants, 27-13, at M&T Bank Stadium Dec. 27. [ Read the full story. ]
The Ravens buried the host Cincinnati Bengals, 38-3, under a record-setting rushing attack for their fifth win in a row to secure the No. 5 seed in the AFC and advance to the playoffs for the third straight year. [ Read the full story. ]
Photo Credits: Kenya Allen/PressBox