The Baltimore Ravens have the opportunity to make amends on Sunday night. In NFL history, only five teams that started 0-5 made it to the playoffs. The 2025 Ravens have the chance to become the sixth. The Ravens’ season began in a disastrous manner, and even though they have a 7-3 record for the second half, there is still much to be desired. They are fresh off of their best performance this season at Lambeau Field on Saturday night.

Baltimore’s offensive line was bludgeoned by Derrick Henry. Baltimore ran for more than 300 yards and scored four touchdowns. The game was both frustrating and satisfying. The Ravens’ blueprint for the last three months should have included an injured quarterback, a porous defense and a weakened offense. The football gods gave the Ravens a second chance to correct their mistakes. The AFC North title is now down to just one game on Sunday night. This scenario seemed likely a few weeks ago. The schedule made it appear that the AFC North battle would be decided by this Week 18 game.

The Ravens are the superior team on paper. Pittsburgh will be missing D.K. Metcalf and Darnell Washington are also possible candidates, as is T.J. Watt. It doesn’t matter if Lamar Jackson is on the field or not. Last week, the Ravens discovered a blueprint. Keep your defense off of the field, run the ball and control the clock. In the last two seasons, the Ravens have destroyed the Steelers in the running game. In Week 14, when the Ravens offense was in a rut, it still managed to run for over 200 yards. The Ravens were ultimately defeated by the usual suspects: turnovers, bad decisions, and poor game management in the late stages.

The Ravens’ offense is clearly different and more conservative with Tyler Huntley on the field. And, to make things even funnier, this offensive was built for postseason. Todd Monken is eager to use the full playbook with Jackson at center. This makes sense. The downside of this is that there are more sacks, penalties and turnovers. The Ravens adopted a more conservative offensive style with Huntley at the helm, and a greater reliance on the short-passing strategy. This is a formula which has helped teams such as Kansas City, Buffalo and Philadelphia reach the playoffs.

The Chiefs dealt away Tyreek Hill after their loss in 2020’s AFC Championship. Kansas City’s decision was not only a wise one, but it was also ahead of its time. To win the postseason you have to play a football style that minimizes risk. What was the result? Three consecutive Super Bowl appearances. The Eagles and Chiefs were ranked 12th (out of 14 playoff teams) and 13th (out of 14 playoff teams) in the ADoT ranking. It’s a coincidence that both teams reached the Super Bowl. Washington, the only team that was below average, still exceeded all expectations to reach the NFC Championship.

The Ravens will win next week, if they follow the same style of play as Green Bay. Green Bay’s sound system is still ranked in the Top 10 for many categories, even with an injured defense. They looked helpless. Good defenses are frustrated by the running of the ball and the use of the short passing game. They overcompensate. Then you’ll want to look for the big offensive play. In the AFC Championship of 2023, the Chiefs employed a similar approach, with countless screens and short passes until the last third of the game when Patrick Mahomes hit the Ravens defense over the top for the winning shot.

Jackson may be great at moving the ball, but they should use a conservative offensive strategy, especially when there is an injured quarterback and a weak defense. The Ravens must make an effort to throw the ball away quickly and give Henry at least 30 attempts if Jackson is behind center. Jackson must also know that he cannot force the issue. Don’t throw anything away if it isn’t there. You might end up seeing another player fall. A healthy Jackson can have limitless benefits, but you need to make smart decisions.

Turnovers are usually the cause of the Ravens’ defeat against Pittsburgh. They result from players trying to do too many things. The Ravens are always good at defeating themselves, which is usually because they force the issue instead of just making a simple play. There is a formula for success. Will Harbaugh & Monken go back to the old ways or grab the easy fruit? This Sunday night, we will know.