After going 14-2 last season, the Baltimore Ravens are among the top few teams in the league. That success and a bevy of top opponents on the docket should see them receive a number of primetime games in front of a national audience on the 2020 NFL schedule.
With the NFL schedule release this week, the Ravens have seven matchups that are perfect for the national spotlight. Let’s take a look at each one of those seven opponents and what makes the matchup so interesting for everyone else to tune in.
Kansas City Chiefs
Many expected the AFC to come down to the Chiefs versus the Ravens in the Championship Game for the right to go to Super Bowl LIV. Sadly, Baltimore was eliminated from contention early but once again this season, the Ravens are right alongside Kansas City as the best of the conference.
With two young faces of the NFL in quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson teamed up with hard-hitting defenses and fast-paced offenses, there’s plenty to love in this matchup for the casual fan. With a potential early look at the AFC Championship Game, this is one matchup that should be easy enough to promote and could be one of the best games of the season.
Pittsburgh Steelers
It’s for the top of the AFC North and it’s arguably the nastiest rivalry in the NFL right now. It’s bound to feature hard-hitting defense, power rushing, gutsy calls and plenty of smack talk between plays. What’s not to love?
Even if the Steelers aren’t quite at the level they once were, this is a matchup that is often bitterly close at the final whistle. If there’s even a doubt the AFC North will be up for grabs this season, Pittsburgh is bound to be in the middle of it.
Tennessee Titans
The team that knocked the Ravens out of the postseason and from their perch. You better believe Baltimore has this date circled on the calendar already and the schedule isn’t even released yet. The Ravens spent this offseason with that playoff game in their minds and they’ve used free agency and the draft to hopefully remedy the problems that saw them lose in the first place. Now it’s time to see if they can back up all that work on the field.
For casual fans, this is a potential playoff matchup here. Both teams were in the postseason last year and there’s no reason to think either team will miss the cut this season. The revenge aspect added to the playoff ramifications will make this a must-watch for at least fans of the AFC.
New England Patriots
Tom Brady or no Tom Brady, the Patriots are among the top of the teams in the league until they’re finally proven to not be. Though Baltimore absolutely demolished them with Brady under center last season, this is another one of those top AFC matchups that fans are going to want to pay attention to.
Depending on where this game falls on the schedule, this could also be New England’s first real tough opponent following Brady’s departure. For all the NFL fans that want to know if the Patriots dynasty was because of coach Bill Belichick or Brady, their first playoff-caliber opponent of this era will paint quite a picture and folks are absolutely going to want to see how it plays out.
Cleveland Browns
While the Browns have often found a way to defeat themselves despite talented rosters, there’s absolutely no denying they’re once again one of the most talented teams on paper. We’re already seeing some pundits label them as Baltimore’s biggest threat in the division and they should be in the running for a playoff spot.
Just like with the Chiefs, this matchup pits two young faces of the NFL in Jackson and Baker Mayfield. After their fight last season, Marlon Humphrey going against Odell Beckham Jr. should draw plenty of attention as well. And we can’t really forget the Browns did beat the Ravens in Baltimore last season before getting demolished later in the year. While Cleveland might not be a huge draw until they prove themselves, there are a lot of things going for this matchup to be worth a nighttime slot.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys are pretty similar to the Ravens. Both feature young franchise quarterbacks and top rushing attacks. There are plenty of names to highlight here including Jackson, Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Mark Ingram, Amari Cooper, and Marquise Brown.
With how big of a draw Dallas is, this was already a matchup that made sense to put in primetime to get the most from it. But with both teams being playoff contenders with talented offenses and some marquee names, it only further makes sense to see this one under the lights.
Houston Texans
Like many of the other games on this list, this matchup has two top quarterbacks, household names, and playoff implications pushing it forward.
You’ll have two MVP candidates in quarterbacks Jackson and Deshaun Watson being pitted against one another. There are top wide receivers in Brown and Brandin Cooks. You’ve got household names on defense in J.J. Watt and Earl Thomas.
Though the Ravens trounced the Texans last year, this could be an early preview of a playoff matchup as well. If scheduled towards the end of the season, this is a game that will absolutely send shockwaves through the AFC playoff seeding regardless of who wins and by how much. The effect it will have on the rest of the conference will be massive, making it another great reason to be in a primetime slot.
