As one NFL analyst recently asserted, the Baltimore Ravens’ 2025 season will test them from beginning to end. The schedule, in form and function, always brings out the best in teams. Tradition dictates that the better teams from the year before will see a tougher slate of games than those that struggled during the previous campaign.
Baltimore won the AFC North, going 12-5 and winning a playoff game. However, they lost a 27-25 contest to the Buffalo Bills, where tight end Mark Andrews couldn’t haul in an easy throw from quarterback Lamar Jackson. One NFL analyst believes the team must fight through a brutally tough stretch of games.
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Can the Baltimore Ravens Survive the NFL’s Toughest Stretch?
When their season collapsed due to a dropped pass, the Ravens probably wished they could start the next one immediately. But after looking at this year’s slate, they should be glad they got a breather. This season’s schedule will either toughen them up for a deep playoff run or derail their hopes before winter hits.
With no middle ground, Baltimore needs to push through. After several seasons of falling short in big moments, this fall could define their legacy.
“The Ravens got absolutely demolished by this schedule release,” said FanDuel TV NFL analyst Meghan Payton. “It is just tough if you’re a Baltimore fan. Let’s start with the beginning of the schedule. They’re facing the Bills, the Chiefs, and the Lions, with both the Bills and the Chiefs on the road.”
Three playoff teams right out of the gate do the Ravens no favors. All three bring high-powered offenses and tough defenses. Even worse, the Chiefs — likely still fired up from their Super Bowl beatdown at the hands of the Eagles — may be looking to take it out on someone.
The last time the Ravens played the Bills, it came down to a failed two-point try. And while Dan Campbell’s Lions are a dome team, they’ve shown they can go toe-to-toe with anyone, anywhere.
The final stretch of the season looks like something out of a horror movie — long weeks in the cold. Payton laid out what the end of the 2025 regular season holds.
“From Week 11 through 18, they’ve got to play all outdoor cold games — whether it’s in Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Green Bay, or Cincinnati. That is brutal. I don’t care if your team is built on grit and cold-weather toughness — no one wants that. Five of those eight games are divisional matchups, too.”
As mentioned, the Ravens need to have a monster season. During the offseason, whispers grew louder questioning whether John Harbaugh can lead this team to a title. Even more concerning, some believe Jackson has peaked.
The team’s expectations keep rising after frustrating playoff exits in the last three years. Can the Ravens meet and exceed them? With the 2025 schedule stacked against them, now is the time for the team to determine whether a championship run is realistic.