Playoff scenarios should only be done by professionals -- the NFL’s league office and NBC’s Joe Gesue -- but I’m going to take a crack at one on my own.
There have been reports the Ravens now “control their playoff fate,” but that doesn’t appear to be the case.
Three wins won’t necessarily get Baltimore in because New England won’t necessarily win the AFC East. There is still a scenario the Dolphins win out and get in as AFC East champs with a tiebreaker over the Patriots, while the Ravens and Patriots could tie for the last Wild Card spot at 10-6.
In that scenario, the Broncos would be 11-5. And the Patriots would get in over Baltimore for the sixth seed because they beat them in Week Four.
However improbable all of that is, it’s still possible. So the Ravens can’t say for certain that they are in the playoffs with three wins.
Realistically, Baltimore is in great shape. The odds of two of the current six-loss teams winning out isn’t very high anyhow. The Ravens have the most manageable remaining schedule with three straight opponents with losing records: Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Oakland.
It won’t be remotely surprising to see a seven loss team make the AFC playoffs. And let’s leave those scenarios to the professionals.
