Heading into Week 12 of the NFL regular season, the playoff picture is coming together. Here are five teams that must win.
We are getting down to the wire and games are getting more and more important. As the playoff picture starts to come full circle reality is setting in for many teams. Some good, some bad and there are teams desperate to win in Week 12.
During this Thanksgiving week, here are five teams that would be thankful for a win.
5. Baltimore Ravens
At 5-5 the Baltimore Ravens are somehow still in the playoff picture. They’ve taken advantage of a weak AFC and are holding on for dear life to the final Wild Card spot. Realistically the Ravens can’t afford to lose one more game down the stretch. They enter a must-win game against the Texans in their first Monday Night Football game in over five years.
The picture couldn’t be painted any clearer for John Harbaugh. The Ravens have no shot at winning the division but are in the driver’s seat for a Wild Card berth. They currently hold tiebreakers over the Bills, Raiders, Dolphins and also have the easiest remaining schedule of any team in the NFL. It helps to face at least three more backup quarterbacks this year and the Ravens have to take advantage of it. There’s no excuse that this team shouldn’t make the playoffs and any other result would be a disappointment.
Even with all of this, there’s still plenty of doubt that the Ravens could miss out on the playoffs. Their record is indicative of what we’ve seen this year and there’s been plenty of inconsistencies. Three shutouts have been impressive but the Ravens have to string some wins together. They have the perfect opportunity to do that against a Tom Savage-led Texans team.
No matter the record the Ravens are a team no one wants to face in the playoffs. They’re loaded with experience and Joe Flacco always seems to elevate his game in January.