With the NFL schedule out, we can take a closer look at each matchup. Though every Baltimore Ravens game is one fans should watch, six offer a little something extra that should earn a circle on the calendar.
Here are seven games that Ravens fans should be looking forward to in 2019.
Week 2 vs. the Arizona Cardinals
Normally, I wouldn’t be marking a game against the team that finished with the worst record in the previous as something to look forward to, except for maybe a chance to see a good old-fashioned blowout. But this isn’t any old game against a terrible team.
After 16 seasons in Baltimore, franchise legend Terrell Suggs left in free agency to go back home to Arizona. The Ravens were expected to retain Suggs to retire with Baltimore, but now have to face him instead. Suggs has always been a showman and there’s no reason to believe that he won’t bring his A-game as he faces his former team. Let’s see if they won’t bring the same.
Week 3 at the Kansas City Chiefs
Week 14 was one of the most exciting games of last season, with Lamar Jackson almost leading the Ravens to pull an upset before Patrick Mahomes came back and led the Chiefs to an overtime victory. The loss came as a blow to the Ravens, who gave Mahomes all that he could handle that day.
It goes without saying that Baltimore will be looking to get revenge this year and come out of Arrowhead Stadium with a win. Hopefully, the team will also be able to put up another good showing against the team that was the top seed in the AFC last season.
Week 4 vs. the Cleveland Browns
This might be the first time where a game against the Browns has been mentioned as something worth looking forward to. But Cleveland almost managed to keep Baltimore out of the playoffs in a Week 17 thriller that just might serve as a glimpse into the future of the AFC North.
Needless to say, this will be an interesting re-match with Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson entering into a sophomore season where both of them will be trying to live up to great expectations. And after an offseason where the Browns were able to acquire Odell Beckham, the stakes are even higher. The Browns are being talked about as possibly being the new champions of the AFC North, but the Ravens will likely have something to say about that as the current kings of the North.
Week 5 at the Pittsburgh Steelers
As always, Ravens-Steelers will be the game to watch, as this is one of the biggest rivalries in the NFL. And this year should prove to be special, with Jackson making his first ever start against Pittsburgh. He did see some action against the Steelers as a rookie, but he didn’t get much, as he was still being used as a gadget player.
But now Jackson is taking over as the full-time starter and he’ll be facing Pittsburgh in earnest. This match-up will go a long way towards showing whether the Ravens are really moving forward as the kings of the division.
Week 7 at the Seattle Seahawks
Baltimore won’t be the only team that has to face off against a former franchise legend. The Ravens signed safety Earl Thomas away from the Seahawks this season and it didn’t seem like his parting was an amicable one. The ex-Legion of Boom member probably has this game circled on his calendar as well.
Baltimore should expect to get a show from Thomas as he returns to CenturyLink Stadium to face off against his former team and this game will also be an opportunity for John Harbaugh to get a special achievement. If the Ravens are able to defeat the Seahawks, he will have finally been able to lead the Ravens to victory against every team in the NFL.
Week 9 vs. the New England Patriots
The Ravens’ first prime-time matchup of 2019 could possibly be the biggest game of the season, as the Patriots are coming to town. If Jackson making his first start against Pittsburgh is something to watch, then him making his first start against New England is even more so, as Bill Belichick will likely be working hard to keep Jackson under wraps this week.
But what matters more is what this game means for the Ravens as a team. If they can defeat the Patriots in prime-time this season, it will signal to the rest of the NFL that what they did in 2018 was real and that the new Ravens are here to stay as contenders
Week 17 vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers
You’re not a real Ravens fan unless you tune in to both Steelers matchups. I might even go as far as to say you’re not a football fan if you aren’t watching these two annual games. But Week 17 offers a little something extra on top of it.
Baltimore and Pittsburgh have regularly battled it out for the AFC North crown. Though some are counting on Cleveland to run the division, it could still easily be a contest between the Ravens and Steelers. If it is, this Week 17 matchup will be even more brutal than usual. Even if Baltimore and/or Pittsburgh aren’t at the top of the division, the playoff seeding for the AFC will likely be determined by the winner of this single game.
With the Steelers watching their scoreboards in Week 17 last year and hoping for a Ravens’ loss, there’s likely going to be a little extra salt this time around.
