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The NFL has not released the official 2016 NFL regular season schedule, but that won't stop me from making my own predictions on how things could turn out. The Baltimore Ravens finished the 2015 season 5-11 which is the first losing season under head coach John Harbaugh since he arrived to Baltimore in 2008. The Ravens originally had five primetime regular season games and two of them were eventually flexed out.
Expect the Ravens to have somewhere around two or three primetime games this season with matchups against the Pittsburgh Steelers possibly being two primetime games. But that's just my guess.
2016 Preseason Schedule Predictions
- Week 1: Atlanta Falcons at Baltimore Ravens (Ravens win 22-10)
- Week 2: Baltimore Ravens at New Orleans Saints ( Saints win 20-17)
- Week 3: Baltimore Ravens at Washington Redskins (Redskins win 24-21)
- Week 4: Carolina Panthers at Baltimore Ravens (Panthers win 17-13)
2016 Regular Season Schedule Predictions
Week 1: Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens (Sunday 1:00 PM ET| CBS)
Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco will return to action after missing the final six games of the 2015 season due to a torn ACL and MCL. The Ravens will look for revenge against the Browns as Cleveland went to Baltimore last season and won 33-30 in overtime.
The Ravens defense will be out to prove itself and the Ravens offense will move the ball efficiently to a 27-10 opening day win. The win will be the first time the Ravens start the season off 1-0 since the beginning of the 2012 season.
Week 2: Baltimore Ravens at New York Jets (Sunday 1:00 PM ET| CBS)
The Ravens will travel to New Jersey to play the Jets for the first time since week 1 of the 2010 season. The Ravens have won eight straight games against the Jets dating back to the 1998 season. With Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick as the starter, the Ravens can expect to force some turnovers.
In a hard fought game, the Ravens will win the game late with a 20-14 victory to improve to 2-0 for the first time since the 2009 season.
Week 3: Baltimore Ravens at Jacksonville Jaguars (Thursday 8:20 PM ET| CBS/NFL Network)
The Ravens haven't won on the road at Jacksonville since the 2001 season. Last season, the Jaguars went on the road to Baltimore to defeat the Ravens with a very controversial ending by the score of 22-20. The Ravens, once again, will be out for revenge. The Ravens put this game away 24-13.
Ravens improve to 3-0 on the season.
Week 4: Baltimore Ravens at New York Giants (Sunday 4:25 PM ET| FOX)
The Ravens will travel to New Jersey for the second time in two weeks, with this meeting being against the Giants. Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham will have a big day catching 10 passes for 170 yards and three touchdowns as the Ravens defense has their first real let down of the season. The Ravens lose 28-21.
The Ravens fall to 3-1 on the season.
Week 5: Oakland Raiders at Baltimore Ravens (Sunday 1:00 PM ET| CBS)
The Ravens will be looking to get back on track after its week 4 loss to the Giants and will host a Raiders team that defeated Baltimore in Oakland during the 2015 season. The Ravens will continue its revenge tour by putting a lot of heat on Raiders quarterback Derek Carr and Joe Flacco will have a big day of his own throwing four touchdown passes with zero interceptions.
The Ravens win 34-17 to improve to 4-1 on the season.
Week 6: Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals (Sunday 1:00 PM ET| CBS)
The Ravens will travel on the road to face their AFC North division rival in the Bengals and the Ravens have not fared well against this team losing its last five meetings against Cincinnati.
The Ravens start off of with a slow start on offense as the unit usually does against the Bengals with the score being 17-6 at halftime in favor of the Bengals. The Ravens rally back to take the lead in the third quarter as they score 17 unanswered points to lead 23-17 entering the fourth quarter.
But then the Ravens defense collapses in crunch time and the Ravens fall to the Bengals 31-23. The Ravens record will drop to 4-2 on the season.
Week 7: Miami Dolphins at Baltimore Ravens (Sunday 4:15 PM ET| CBS)
The Ravens go back home to play the Dolphins, a team that the Ravens will host for the first time since the 2010 season. The Ravens have historically dominated this matchup winning five out of six meetings under head coach John Harbaugh. Expect more of the same in week 7 as the Ravens bully the Dolphins 24-10.
The Ravens improve to 5-2 on the season.
Week 8: Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns (Sunday 4:25 PM ET| CBS)
Going on the road to face a division rival is always tough. The same theme will be the same against the Browns. The Browns will start the game off hot scoring 17 points in the first half to lead the Ravens 17-10. But in the second half, the Ravens defense will come alive forcing turnovers in the process. Flacco and company on offense will wake up in the second half to score 16 points and the Ravens will rally late to defeat the Browns 26-20.
The Ravens improve to 6-2 on the season.
Week 9: Baltimore Ravens Bye Week
Baltimore will take a nice rest during this week to get ready for a playoff push.
Week 10: Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers (Sunday 8:20 PM ET| NBC)
The NFL schedule makers will learn their lesson after last season when they flexed out a Ravens-Steelers matchup in week 16 because they felt like the Ravens weren't good enough. Well, the Ravens went on to sweep the Steelers last season despite its 5-11 record.
The games between these two teams are always close so don't expect anything different. The Steelers will be looking for revenge against the Ravens and will squeak by with a 26--23 victory over Baltimore.
The Ravens fall to 6-3 on the season.
Week 11: Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens (Sunday 1:00 PM ET| CBS)
The Ravens will go up against some familiar faces as they take on their old defensive coordinator/Bills head coach Rex Ryan and former Ravens backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor who earned a pro bowl selection during the 2015 season.
The Ravens will rebound after losing in week 10 by the score of 19-13 over the Bills to improve to 7-3 on the season.
Week 12: Washington Redskins at Baltimore Ravens (Sunday 1:00 PM ET| FOX)
This will be a game that a lot of people in the Baltimore/Washington D.C. metro area will tune into in week 12. The Ravens still remember their overtime loss to the Redskins during the 2012 season and will look to win one for Ravens fans who have to deal with Redskins fans almost everyday of their lives.
The Ravens put quarterback Kirk Cousins on the ground by sacking him seven times and the Ravens running game behind Justin Forsett and Buck Allen will rush for 200 yards in a 30-14 victory over the Redskins.
The Ravens improve to 8-3 on the season.
Week 13: Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots (Sunday 4:25 PM ET| CBS)
This is a matchup that the Ravens have been waiting for. The last meeting between these two teams was back in the 2014 AFC Divisional round of the postseason where the Ravens had a 14 point lead on the Patriots on two separate occasions and lost to New England 35-31 on the road.
The Ravens want payback. The Ravens are never afraid to go on the road to New England and revenge is what the Ravens will get.
Flacco will be on a tear offensively as he usually is against the Patriots defense and while Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will have his moments during the game, it won't be enough against a determined Ravens defense. The Ravens pull this victory out 27-21 to improve to 9-3 on the season.
Week 14: Philadelphia Eagles at Baltimore Ravens (Sunday 1:00 PM ET| FOX)
The Ravens host John Harbaugh's former team in the Eagles. The Eagles at this point of the season will go through turmoil and frustration and the Ravens will take advantage of it by the score of 33-6 as the Ravens improve to 10-3 on the season.
Week 15: Baltimore Ravens at Dallas Cowboys (Sunday 4:25 PM ET| CBS)
The Ravens have never lost to the Cowboys as they have a 4-0 all-time record between the two teams. In fact, the Ravens are the only team in the NFL that the Cowboys have never beaten.
While that record has stood for a while, the Ravens won't protect that undefeated record against the Cowboys this week as the Ravens defense produces their worst effort of the season as the Ravens fall to the Cowboys 38-20.
The Ravens fall to 10-4 on the season.
Week 16: Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens (Sunday 1:00 PM ET| CBS)
The Ravens will be looking to get a bad taste out of their mouths with their loss against the Cowboys in week 15 and will set its sights on a Bengals team that it has struggled with.
The Ravens will play with a lot of emotion and determination to defeat the Bengals. The Ravens will earn their first win against the Bengals since the 2013 season by the score of 26-14.
The Ravens improve to 11-4 on the season.
Week 17: Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens (Sunday 8:20 PM ET| NBC)
The Ravens will host the Steelers at home in week 17 for the first time since the 2007 season. The Ravens will be playing for a first round bye as well as the AFC North title.
The Ravens have always been a difficult team for the Steelers to beat in Baltimore over the last 16 seasons and the results will remain the same as the Ravens squeak by the Steelers 24-20 earning its fifth AFC North title in franchise history to go along with a first round bye.