Ravens' Rooting Guide for NFL Playoff Implications of Week 16

The Baltimore Ravens are peaking at the right time and well on their way to the playoffs on the strength of a three-game winning streak. 

A disappointing playoff exit last year paired with some regression for Lamar Jackson and a 1-4 stretch after the bye week had the Ravens all but counted out. That was premature, though, as the Ravens now have a 74 percent chance to make the postseason, per the New York Times' playoff projection tool.

Much of that is within the Ravens' control. According to the projections, wins over the Giants this week and the Bengals next week would boost those odds to 99 percent. The Bengals did just beat the Steelers, but that probably says more about where Pittsburgh is than the actual merit of Cincinnati. 

Still, the Ravens have some things to root for that could either help them get in or make the road a little easier with a higher seed.   

AFC Playoff Picture

Brett Duke/Associated Press

First, let's take a look at the standings to get an overall sense of the race. 

Even with two games left on the schedule, the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills have each clinched their respective divisions and the home-field advantage that comes with it in the first round. The Chiefs are still in the driver's seat for the No. 1 overall seed in the conference. 

A win for them over the Falcons at home would clinch it. 

In the AFC North, the Cleveland Browns still have a chance to win the division. They need to win out with the Jets and Steelers on the schedule, while Pittsburgh would have to lose to the Colts this week and follow it up with a loss to Cleveland. 

The Ravens are right in the thick of the wildcard race. They are technically on the outside looking in but stand a better chance of getting in than others based on their remaining games. Neither the Giants nor the Bengals strike much fear into the heart of anyone right now. 

Baltimore is tied with the Miami Dolphins, who occupy the final spot while they are a game behind the Indianapolis Colts and Browns. 

Dolphins at Raiders

Isaac Brekken/Associated Press

Another second-half collapse has taken the Raiders out of the wild-card hunt (well, they have a less than 1 percent chance, per FiveThirtyEight). Now they have the opportunity to play spoiler to another playoff hopeful. 

The Dolphins sit just ahead of the Ravens with the same record but face an interesting Raiders team this week. Las Vegas is the only team to beat the Chiefs this season and took them to the wire a second time. They also nearly lost to the Jets and did lose to the Chargers last week. 

Brian Flores has his side playing well as winners in three of their last four. However, they have some significant injuries that could play a role. Wide receivers DeVante Parker and Jakeem Grant and tight end Mike Gesicki are all listed as questionable on the team's injury report. 

That's a lot of offensive weapons missing, but it might not matter going against a Raiders defense that is 29th in scoring. 

Still, a win for the inconsistent Raiders would be helpful to the Ravens. It would officially move them over the Dolphins (with a win over the Giants) and allow them to start looking at the sixth seed. 

Rooting interest: Raiders

Browns at Jets

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

The Browns are in a situation with a vast array of outcomes in Week 16. They could wind up not even qualifying for the playoffs. However, they could end up winning the division. 

Beating the Jets would help ensure the missing the playoffs thing doesn't happen, but beating the Jets isn't quite as guaranteed as it was a week ago. The Jets pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the year, beating the Los Angeles Rams. 

The Jets defense did enough to limit the Rams to just 20 points while Sam Darnold had a fine game in leading New York to a win over a team that will likely make the playoffs. It made no sense, but it shows the Jets are trying to win games, even if only at the player-level. 

A win for the Jets combined with a Baltimore win would bring the two AFC North teams to even records in their pursuit of a playoff spot. 

Rooting interest: Jets

Colts at Steelers

Zach Bolinger/Associated Press

Division rivalry aside, the Ravens need a little help from their AFC North friends in this game.

The Colts are tied by record for the lead in the AFC South with the Tennessee Titans but are currently in the sixth spot and thus also in competition with the Ravens. 

The Ravens are already out of the running for the divisional crown, so a Steelers loss does nothing to help their positioning. A Colts loss, however, does. The Ravens could draw even with a win over the Giants. 

This game represents a bit of a crossroads for the Steelers. After starting the season 11-0, they now sit at 11-3 with a 10-point loss to the Cincinnati Bengals last time they were on the field. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger reportedly hosted a players-only Zoom session after the loss and emphasized a sense of urgency, per the Associated Press. 

If Big Ben and the Steelers can return to their play from the beginning of the season, they will jump right back into the list of contenders. However, if they lose a big game to another team that has playoff aspirations of their own, that's not a good sign. 

It won't be the best time for Ravens fans, but this is the rare situation where they should be pulling for the Black and Yellow. 

Rooting interest: Steelers