Baltimore Ravens 2012 Schedule: Which Games Pose the Biggest Challenges?

Winning doesn't come easily in the NFL, no matter how well teams make it seem that way. The Baltimore Ravens have had four winning seasons in a row—and four straight years of playoff appearances as a result—but they have quite a task on their hands for the 2012 season.

The Ravens have the fourth-toughest schedule in the league this year, facing opponents who combined for a 134-122 win-loss record last season. As such, they have a number of difficult games on tap, starting in Week 1.

Baltimore opens the season at home on Monday night against division-mates the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals went 9-7 last year and reached the postseason (feats no one thought they'd accomplish) and have a good chance of being even better this season.

As of now, a week away from the draft, the Ravens have a few major holes to fill on their roster, and how well they do so will directly affect how they approach Week 1.

Run-stopping was a major talent of the Ravens defense last year, with linebacker Jarret Johnson a major reason for it. Johnson has since moved on to the San Diego Chargers, leaving them either to turn to their own roster depth or the draft to fill that hole.

Depending on how effectively they do so, they may find themselves struggling against the Bengals' newly-refocused run game. If that gives them fits, Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton will also have a better chance succeeding at the passing game.

In Week 2, the Ravens travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles. The Eagles certainly did not do as well as their free-agent frenzy seemed to indicate last year, but with a full offseason to gel (and the fact they seemed to finally do so as 2011 wound down), they could finally become that powerhouse squad in 2012.

Again, the Ravens defense will be tested by the one-two punch of running back LeSean McCoy and quarterback Michael Vick, while their own quarterback-running back tandem of Joe Flacco and Ray Rice will be up against a strong defense themselves.

They follow that up by hosting the New England Patriots in Week 3. The Patriots reached the Super Bowl last year, although they were almost completely dominated by the Ravens on both sides of the ball in the AFC Championship game.

This year, the Patriots aren't as likely to have such a terrible secondary, and as such, Flacco may struggle to yet again put up 300 or more passing yards. While either he or Rice should have good numbers in this game, I don't think both can.

The Ravens defense is no stranger to trying to stop Tom Brady and company, but it's never an easy task. Who knows what the Patriots' offense is set to look like this year? Once opponents figure that part out, then they have to figure out how to control it.

With little time to prepare for this, their second game on national television in three weeks, the Ravens could have a tough go of things.

That initial three-game stretch is going to mean a lot for the Ravens' postseason chances later on, so it's necessary that they win at least two of those three.

Things are (relatively) easier sailing for a few weeks until their next span of challenging games, in Weeks 11-13, when the Ravens take on hated rivals the Pittsburgh Steelers twice, with a trip out west to face the San Diego Chargers in between.

The Chargers are still projected to be one of the highest-production passing offenses in 2012 and should have a much-improved defense to boot. At this late point in the season, Baltimore will have to draw on their earlier experience against the Patriots to handle them.

Bookending that game are the two yearly contests against the Steelers. To have to face the Steelers twice like that is going to take a very real physical toll on both teams, and it's going to be hard for the Ravens to sweep Pittsburgh in back-to-back years.

Their last test comes in the final three weeks of the season, when the Ravens are set to face Peyton Manning's Denver Broncos, the Eli Manning-led defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants and finally (again) the Bengals.

At least both Mannings have to come to town, which does make things a bit easier on Baltimore. But at this point, the playoffs are most certainly on the line. Depending on how things play out, that Week 17 meeting against Cincinnati could determine which team is in and which team is out of the postseason.

It's surely a tough slate of games for the Ravens this year, with three distinct areas that are going to cause them the most trouble. These nine of their 16 games are going to prove extremely challenging—but, to their credit, they're a tough team to beat, as well, and their opponents are going to have their hands full trying to defeat them.

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