Ravens game-by-game predictions after 2026 NFL Schedule release

The Baltimore Ravens saw their Super Bowl hopes come to a crushing end in 2025, as a missed field goal in Week 18 cost them a crack at the postseason. That miss led to a ton of fallout in the organization, including the firing of head coach John Harbaugh and the hiring of Jesse Minter.

Now, Minter will be looking to bring his elite defense over from Los Angeles to Baltimore while Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry both carry the load on offense once again. Despite missing the playoffs a season ago, this is a Ravens team that undoubtedly has Super Bowl aspirations heading into 2026.

Now, the Ravens’ path to the postseason is clear after the 2026 NFL Schedule was revealed on Thursday. Let’s dive into Baltimore’s slate and how they might fare during the regular season.

Week 1 at Colts (Sunday, Sept. 13): Win

The Colts will likely still be without Daniel Jones in this game, which means we could see Anthony Richardson out there in Week 1. Simply put, Richardson isn’t ready to play against a Jesse Minter defense, especially with this kind of talent and after so much time off last season. Baltimore dominates and cruises to a season-opening victory here.

Week 2 vs. Saints (Sunday, Sept. 20): Win

The Saints have a promising outlook with Tyler Shough entering his second season at quarterback, but this is a tough assignment for a very young offense in just the second game of the season. The Ravens’ defense has had some slow starts ins recent years, but it will start off 2026 with two consecutive standout showings to get to 2-0.

Week 3 vs. Cowboys (Rio de Janiero, Sunday, Sept. 27): Loss

The Ravens and the Cowboys should both have playoff-caliber teams this season, and they will face off in Week 3 in Rio. This would be a fascinating matchup later in the season, but the Ravens will be in just their third game running a complex new defense against arguably the best offense in football. The Cowboys get the edge here.

Week 4 vs. Titans (Sunday. Oct. 4): Win

The Titans will be much improved in Cam Ward’s second season, and Robert Saleh’s defensive overhaul should pay dividends on the other side of the ball. However, the running game projects to be a problem for Tennessee, and Lamar Jackson should have a lot of success against a secondary that is still lacking in talent. Baltimore gets back in the win column here.

Week 5 at Falcons (Sunday, Oct. 11): Win

The Falcons will be an interesting team to watch in the NFC this season as Michael Penix Jr. tries to take a leap and establish himself as a longtime starter in Atlanta. Bijan Robinson and this Atlanta running game could give the Ravens defense some problems, but the Baltimore offense will show up and get another win in prime time to get to 4-1.

Week 6 at Browns (Sunday, Oct. 18): Loss

If you’ve been watching the Ravens long enough, you know one of these is coming. Baltimore takes a puzzling loss every season, and Week 6 against a dreadful Cleveland team feels like a perfect letdown spot. The Ravens are coming off of a prime time game and could be looking ahead to a big game against Cincinnati in Week 7.

Week 7 vs. Bengals (Sunday, Oct. 25): Win

The Week 6 loss to the Browns serves as somewhat of a wake-up call for the Ravens in this spot. The Bengals and Ravens have played some classics in recent years, but Baltimore’s defense is much better this time around with Minter pulling the strings. On the other side of the ball, an improved but still bad Cincinnati defense has no answers for Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry.

Week 8 at Bills (Sunday, Nov. 1): Win

Winning in Buffalo is always tough, but there’s no telling how the Bills will look this season with Joe Brady as their new head coach. Baltimore will be hungry for revenge from a crushing Week 1 loss in Buffalo last season, and the Bills’ defense might take a step back without Sean McDermott there. The Ravens firmly establish themselves as contenders in the AFC with a win here.

Week 9 vs. Jaguars (Thursday, Nov. 5): Loss

After making a statement against the Bills, the Ravens have to play another playoff team at home. The Jags will come to Baltimore, and this will be a tough turnaround for the Ravens coming off of what will be an emotional win in Buffalo. The Jags take advantage and get the win here.

Week 10 vs. Chargers (Monday, Nov. 16): Win

After the tough loss to Jacksonville, the Ravens get an extra day tacked onto the end of their mini-bye before taking on the Chargers on a Monday night. Jesse Minter knows a thing or two about the way that Jim Harbaugh operates, and because of that the Ravens offense should be able to take advantage of a Chargers defense that will be desperately missing its former play caller. Baltimore gets back on track here.

Week 11 at Panthers (Sunday, Nov. 22): Win

The Panthers have done a lot of work to fix their run defense this offseason, which has been pretty poor for a couple of years now. However, it’s impossible to get it ready in one offseason for the likes of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. The Ravens run wild on the ground in this one and get a win.

Week 12 at Texans (Sunday, Nov. 29): Loss

In a game that will be sneaky important for the postseason picture, the Ravens fall to the Texans on the road. CJ Stroud is due for a bounce-back season, and this Houston defense is going to be an absolute wrecking ball in 2026. Jackson and company run into some trouble here and head into the bye week off of a loss.

Week 13 – BYE

Week 14 vs. Buccaneers (Sunday, Dec. 13): Win

Baltimore will be stewing on that loss to the Texans for two weeks, and it will be heading into a game against a Buccaneers team that it can control on both sides of the ball. The Tampa Bay front seven isn’t nearly stout enough to slow down the Ravens’ running game, and Baker Mayfield will struggle to put up big numbers through the air against a play caller like Minter. This is a good get-right spot for Baltimore.

Week 15 at Steelers (Sunday, Dec. 20): Win

It feels like the Ravens and Steelers always split the season series, no matter how good each team is during the regular season. However, with new coaches on both sides, this is the year that changes. The Steelers have an aging roster with a lot of holes, including at quarterback even if Aaron Rodgers is back in the mix. The Ravens get a hard-fought win in Pittsburgh here.

Week 16 vs. Browns (Sunday, Dec. 27): Win

The Ravens let their foot off the gas in their first meeting of the season with the Browns, but they have no such letdown this time. Baltimore, still firmly in the mix for the top seed in the AFC, gets a comfortable win here and keeps rolling toward the end of the season.

Week 17 at Bengals (Thursday, Dec. 31): Win

The Bengals should be in the wild card race at this point in the year, provided that Joe Burrow can stay healthy all season. However, they still have plenty of problems on the defensive side of the ball, and a red-hot Ravens team simply scores too much here.

Week 18 vs. Steelers (Date TBD): Win

It’s hard to pinpoint where the Steelers will be in Week 18, but this Ravens team should be fighting for the top seed in the AFC if they are healthy for most of the year. After beating the Steelers back in Week 15, the Ravens should have no problems here getting their fifth win in a row after the bye to head into the playoffs.

Final Record: 13-4

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