NFL schedule 2018: Each team’s biggest game

Baltimore Ravens: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Ravens were a crazy blown coverage in Week 17 away from making the playoffs last year, and they’ve now missed the playoffs in three straight years and four of the last five. Head coach John Harbaugh is a sneaky hot seat candidate this year, as a Super Bowl win after the 2012 season gets further away.

Going back many years now, there are no bigger games on Baltimore’s regular season schedule than the two divisional matchups against the rival Steelers. The Ravens swept the season series against Pittsburgh in 2014 and 2015, but they split the games in 2016 and lost both to the Steelers last year by an average of 10.5 points per contest. Quite literally, even one win over Pittsburgh in 2017 would have put the Ravens into the playoffs if everything else stayed the same.

A road win over the Steelers would be nice, but the Ravens have to at least hold serve against their biggest rival at home. If they don’t, their playoff fate may be left to fluke occurrence, a random defensive breakdown or tie-breakers again. With the head coach’s job possibly on the line, being swept by the Steelers is not an option in 2018.