Are the Ravens in trouble? Baltimore at Dallas a huge game for both teams this week...

[eball]

Losing a last second game at KC isn't unexpected, but the Sunday implosion at home vs. the Raiders is.  Now they go to Dallas to face an embarrassed Cowboy squad looking to get back on track, then it's home vs. Buffalo followed by a trip to Cinci.

 

It is not unthinkable they they could be 0-5 in three weeks.

 

And if Dallas loses this week, that's two in a row at home in a "win or bust" season in which both CeeDee and Dak just got paid.

 

Thoughts?

 

[Big Turk]

Unlikely.  They are still a good team and will get it figured out over the course of the season.

[unbillievable]

It's nice to have a game that feels important in week 3.

[CNYfan]

One week at a time.

 

Dallas v. Ravens will be a fun and interesting viewing

[boco357]

I trust Harbaugh way more than Mccarthy unfortunately for this one.

[Billl]

Pittsburgh is favored in their game. It’s entirely possible that the Ravens could be three games back to a team that beat them twice last season. 

[SCBills]

7 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

Unlikely.  They are still a good team and will get it figured out over the course of the season.

 

Probably.  If they lose to Dallas, their season is officially off the rails though.  

 

I think they'll win.. it just seems like a game they would win and Dallas would lose.  

 

That said, I didn't think there was any way they'd lose to the Raiders.. and their OL is a problem.  Dallas pass rush terrorized Watson Week 1.  

[DaBillsFanSince1973]

week 3. 14 weeks to go. one or the other could be in trouble but too early to tell. rare but some teams have bounced back from 0-3 and most certainly teams can come back from 0-2.

[BuffaloBillyG]

Both teams come in reeling off games they should have won (on paper). There's only 17 games so this is big for both teams. Both should be pretty desperate for the win. 

 

I think Baltimore wins this one.

[Process]

At Dallas

Vs Buffalo

At Cincinnati 

At TB

At Cleveland 

 

That's their upcoming schedule, with a game vs Washington in the middle. They better get it figured out quick. Cincinnati has a much easier schedule. 

 

[Chicken Boo]

Thanks to a 17 week season and 7 teams in the playoffs now, they're still ok.  

[Big Turk]

8 minutes ago, SCBills said:

 

Probably.  If they lose to Dallas, their season is officially off the rails though.  

 

I think they'll win.. it just seems like a game they would win and Dallas would lose.  

 

That said, I didn't think there was any way they'd lose to the Raiders.. and their OL is a problem.  Dallas pass rush terrorized Watson Week 1.  

 

Run the ball...they should go watch the Bills game from last year.

[GunnerBill]

It's a big game for them, for sure. Other than Ronnie Stanley their oline has been gross through two weeks and their receiver room is a mess. They want to play Flowers wide because they have nobody else. But he is waaay more effective from the slot (no shock there) and it means teams are defending them narrow and cramping the middle of the field. It's kinda the worry I have had about the Bills offense but demonstrating itself in Baltimore. Right now I'd take the Bills receivers over the Ravens and that is a swap from where I was pre-season. 

 

Defensively I don't think they have played poorly and the Raiders got a tad fortunate at the weekend but still... they are 0-2 for a reason. 

[eball]

19 minutes ago, boco357 said:

I trust Harbaugh way more than Mccarthy unfortunately for this one.

 

Until last Sunday I would have trusted Harbaugh with a 10-pt lead at home in the 4th quarter against Gardner Minshew…

 

[Scott7975]

13 minutes ago, DaBillsFanSince1973 said:

week 3. 14 weeks to go. one or the other could be in trouble but too early to tell. rare but some teams have bounced back from 0-3 and most certainly teams can come back from 0-2.

 

Over the past three seasons since the expansion to a 17-game schedule, 21 teams have opened the season 0-2. Only two have eventually made the playoffs. In 2023, nine teams started the season 0-2 and the Houston Texans were the only team to make the playoffs. They finished 10-7 and won the AFC South. The year prior, five teams started 0-2 and only the Cincinnati Bengals made the playoffs. They finished 12-4 and won the AFC North. In 2021, seven teams started the season 0-2 and none of them made the playoffs.

 

In 2020, when the league expanded to a 14-team playoff field, 11 teams started with an 0-2 record and none of those teams made the playoffs.

Prior to 2020, the NFL adopted a 12-team playoff format in 1990. Between 1990 and 2019, 12% of teams that started 0-2 reached the playoffs.

 

https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/24245523/0-2-start-nfl-playoffs-how-likely-history-last-season

[Alphadawg7]

21 minutes ago, eball said:

Losing a last second game at KC isn't unexpected, but the Sunday implosion at home vs. the Raiders is.  Now they go to Dallas to face an embarrassed Cowboy squad looking to get back on track, then it's home vs. Buffalo followed by a trip to Cinci.

 

It is not unthinkable they they could be 0-5 in three weeks.

 

And if Dallas loses this week, that's two in a row at home in a "win or bust" season in which both CeeDee and Dak just got paid.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

This is more of a must win for the Ravens IMHO than Dallas.  Ravens starting the season 0-3 is going to really put them well behind in the AFC that is already a lot tougher conference than last year.  Cowboys can start 1-2 and still have a good chance at their divisional title as at worst they will be only 1 game back where Ravens will be either 2 or 3 games back depending on if Steelers win this week.

 

I think both are pretenders though as they are every year.  

[HappyDays]

I heard a stat yesterday. Over the last five years the Ravens have 10 losses where they held a 7+ point lead in the 4th quarter, the most of any NFL team in that timeframe. Letting a bad Raiders team win in that fashion is just embarrassing honestly.

[MJS]

I was saying in the offseason that the Ravens could be worse than many thought. They lost a lot of talent, especially on defense, and that was not being talked about. Meanwhile, the focus was all on the roster turnover for the Bills.

 

So, I'm not surprised that they are having some struggles. They simply aren't the team they were last year. But, I still expect them to have a winning record and potentially make the playoffs.

 

But what are their weapons, really? They have an aging RB, a couple of nice TE's, Zay Flowers, and then a bunch of guys. I don't think they have that impressive of a receiving room. But even if they did, Lamar Jackson hasn't ever been a receiver friendly QB.

[buffblue]

I think Baltimore will beat the brakes off Dallas. That is a poor matchup for a finesse Cowboys team who is terrible against the run

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

25 minutes ago, Chicken Boo said:

Thanks to a 17 week season and 7 teams in the playoffs now, they're still ok.  

0-2 start with two afc losses is really tough if you don’t go on to win your division especially if the chargers are good…they’re 2.5 games behind one of the wildcard teams right now and starting out dead last in a logjam for the other two spots with a bunch of teams that have easier schedules 

Edited September 17 by Generic_Bills_Fan