Baltimore Ravens: Can They Overcome Playoff Heartbreak in 2025?

The Ravens began the 2025 NFL Season right where last year’s season ended. Coach John Harbaugh’s Ravens are coming off another playoff heartbreak. They kicked off the 2025 NFL Season in Buffalo, facing the Bills with a 41-40 loss after being up multiple scores late in the 4th. Expectations are once again sky-high for these birds, but one question remains. Can they get it done in January?

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Eric DeCosta, Ravens General Manager, took steps during the off-season to answer that question. Their two notable offseason acquisitions were wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and cornerback Jaire Alexander. They focused on defense again in the first round of the NFL Draft. They selected Malaki Starks, a safety out of the University of Georgia. He had 81 tackles and an interception last year. He will play safety alongside Kyle Hamilton, a star veteran. Hamilton was recently extended for four years for $100.4 million.

The rest of the secondary is loaded. Jaire Alexander, Marlon Humphrey, and Nate Wiggins will play corner. This should hopefully resolve the issues the Ravens faced in defending the pass early last year. Roquan Smith will once again anchor the linebacking core. Nnamdi Madubuike will also anchor the defensive line. A rookie edge rusher, Mike Green, dazzled in camp and the preseason. The defense, on paper, should be a stout unit.

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Now, on the other side of the ball, there are very few questions. The offense is coming off a historic season. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry combined for a total of 2,836 rushing yards last year. The Ravens rewarded Henry with a 2 year, $30 million contract extension in May of this year. As for Jackson? Simply incredible. He totaled 5,087 total yards, with 4,172 coming through the air. Jackson is a generational talent and is a must-watch every Sunday. The Henry Jackson tandem creates an electrifying backfield.

The receiving core is finally finding some much-needed stability. Zay Flowers looks to be on the verge of a breakout season, Rashod Bateman is back, and the veteran Hopkins is here on a 1 year deal. Andrews and Likely are back for the tight ends, so that unit will remain solid.

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The offensive line is where the questions are. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley was re-signed for 3 years at a $60 million price. Joining him on the line are Left Guard Andrew Vorhees, Center Tyler Linderbaum, Right Guard Daniel Faalele, and Right Tackle Roger Rosengarten. The line is an unproven group. The question is, can they give Henry and Jackson enough time to do what they do best? But overall, this is an electrifying group that will keep a few Defensive Coordinators up at night.

The Ravens’ schedule this year is brutal, with 4 out of the first 5 weeks featuring a playoff team from last year. That one week, they don’t play a playoff team from last year? An old friend, Joe Flacco, makes his first return to Baltimore since being traded in 2018 as the leader of the Browns. That should be an interesting game. Their NFC division that they play this year is the NFC North. Their AFC division this year is the AFC East. They play a total of 4 prime-time games, which are subject to change at the end of the year. It is a tough schedule, but this team can rise to this great challenge.

Overall, this Ravens team has the potential to be a minimum 10-win team and make the postseason. They have a very solid team from top to bottom. They should win the AFC North. The same question remains, however. Can they get the job done in January? That is something we will find out very soon.