Lamar Jackson, Ravens Clinch 2020-21 NFL Playoff Berth with Win vs. Bengals

The Baltimore Ravens are one of the hottest teams in football. And now they're headed to the postseason.

The Ravens dominated the Cincinnati Bengals 38-3 on Sunday, clinching a playoff berth. While Baltimore's seeding has yet to be determined, the Ravens have a path toward a title.  

It would have been surprising if the Ravens didn't get in. The team only needed to win, and a loss by either the Cleveland Browns or Indianapolis Colts—or a few other scenarios that involved ties—would have also clinched them a playoff berth.

Beating a 4-10-1 Bengals team seemed like a gimme for the Ravens, who enter the postseason on a five-game winning streak after losing four of five in November and early December. How a team finishes the regular season isn't always indicative of how it'll fare in the postseason, but the Ravens are playing their best football right now.

That makes them a scary opponent in the playoffs.

So does having Lamar Jackson—who on Sunday became the first quarterback to post multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons—the best run game in football as well as one of the stingier defenses. This team isn't without warts—the Ravens went just 3-4 against teams with winning records, including 0-4 against three of the top teams in the AFC: the Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans.

But the Ravens also could have easily posted a better record, as four of their five losses came by six points or fewer. 

In the loaded AFC, this team is a real threat. The Chiefs are the favorite after winning a title last year and claiming the top overall seed and a bye, but there's a strong argument to be made that all seven AFC playoff teams this year are capable of making a run to the Super Bowl. The Ravens, last year's No. 1 AFC seed, have viable championship aspirations.