NFL Schedule Preview: Baltimore Ravens

It’s 73 days until the new NFL season begins but for a football mad guy like me that’s just too long so I’ve taken it upon myself to go over each NFL schedule and try and predict for all of you what may happen once the season rolls around.

We conclude our look at the AFC North today with the Baltimore Ravens who went 12-4 in 2011. Here’s how I think their season will go:

• Week 1 vs Cincinnati Bengals – Loss
• Week 2 at Philadelphia Eagles – Loss
• Week 3 vs New England Patriots – Loss
• Week 4 vs Cleveland Browns – Win
• Week 5 at Kansas City Chiefs – Loss
• Week 6 vs Dallas Cowboys – Loss
• Week 7 at Houston Texans – Loss
• Week 8 BYE
• Week 9 at Cleveland Browns – Win
• Week 10 vs Oakland Raiders – Loss
• Week 11 at Pittsburgh Steelers – Loss
• Week 12 at San Diego Chargers – Loss
• Week 13 vs Pittsburgh Steelers – Loss
• Week 14 at Washington Redskins – Win
• Week 15 vs Denver Broncos – Loss
• Week 16 vs New York Giants – Win
• Week 17 at Cincinnati Bengals – Loss

Overall Record for the Baltimore Ravens in 2012: 4-12

When I look at this schedule all I see is carnage. Having to face the Bengals, Eagles and Patriots in the first three weeks is as brutal as it gets and that 0-3 start is what really sets the tone for the whole season. Then there’s the Texas tornado tag of the Cowboys and Texans back to back prior to the bye week. It doesn’t get much better later in the season as they face the Steelers twice in a fortnight before taking on the Manning brothers – provided Peyton survives that long – in successive weeks before ending the season in Cincinnati.

To put it bluntly the Baltimore Ravens have the worst schedule in the NFL and it’s not even close. This was the year they were supposed to make that one last push to get a Super Bowl victory for veterans Ed Reed and Ray Lewis who won’t be around much longer but with the age of this team, the personnel that has moved on to other team and the nature of this lineup to be battered by injury this season will likely be nothing short of an abomination. I’m sorry to say it Ravens fans but your luck has run out and this is the year that the lack of development from younger players finally comes home to roost.

That’s all for our NFL Schedule Previews this week. Next week we’ll be looking at the AFC South beginning with the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday.

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