Not even a diehard Baltimore Ravens fan could describe the team’s 2016 season as aesthetically pleasing, nor could they reasonably express more than cautious optimism about how the remainder of the year could play out. Still, regardless of how tenuous the Ravens’ grip on a playoff berth has appeared at times, the fact remains they find themselves in pole position for the AFC North crown entering the final month of the season.

While that status should encourage the Baltimore faithful, it shouldn’t erase all concern related to the team. The upcoming schedule appears difficult, and myriad issues could torpedo the season in just a matter of weeks. And the Ravens have little margin for error, with the Pittsburgh Steelers breathing down their necks in the standings. No one should feel surprised if come the end of December, general manager Ozzie Newsome and head coach Jim Harbaugh have fully shifted their focus to the 2017 NFL Draft.

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So what needs to go right for the Ravens to keep their unlikely postseason hopes alive? Numerous factors, starting with their play in the trenches.

Offensive line must solidify

The play of the offensive line has proven itself a thorn in the Ravens’ backside all season. The rookie tandem of No. 6 overall pick Ronnie Stanley and fourth-rounder Alex Lewis has endured the typical fluctuations expected of any first-time starters. Yet injuries across the line has further complicated matters, with everyone including über-dependable All-Pro Marshal Yanda missing time along the way. For an offense already out of sorts, adding O-line instability could sink the Ravens’ playoff hopes.

Yanda looks like a shaky-at-best proposition to play this Sunday against Miami Dolphins, but Baltimore needs him to return no later than Week 15’s showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles to realistically get the offense back on track.

But Yanda along can’t fix the offensive line. The Ravens also need John Urschel, the replacement starter for the injured Lewis, to gel with Stanley as soon as possible. Until that happens, quarterback Joe Flacco can expect plenty of pressure coming through the B gap. Likewise, Stanley needs to significantly reduce the number of mistakes he commits on a weekly basis. Baltimore cannot expect the rookie left tackle to play error-free football. However, with nearly a full NFL season under his belt, Stanley should start displaying better form and fewer mental mistakes.

#Elite Flacco needs to show his face

By any reasonable standard, Flacco has considerably underwhelmed this season. His return from an ACL tear and the aforementioned offensive line issues provide important context, but the veteran quarterback has committed too many mistakes all his own.

And yet, due to myriad reasons, Flacco’s struggles haven’t prevented the Ravens from sticking around the AFC North race and, consequently, the postseason hunt.

Can Flacco flip the #Elite switch and turn back the clock to early 2013? The possibility appears faint but not totally impossible.

Though the upcoming schedule includes no easy opponents, only one features anything approaching a quality pass rush. The Eagles enter Week 13 with the sixth-highest adjusted sack rate in the league (7.3 percent), but none of the Ravens’ other opponents rank higher than No. 19 (the Cincinnati Bengals at 5.7 percent). That reduced pressure should aid Flacco’s comfort level in the pocket and give him plenty of opportunities to play up to his potential.

Don’t lose to Pittsburgh in Week 16

Granted, the Ravens could mathematically still win the division and lose to the Steelers in their penultimate regular-season matchup. However, with Ben Roethlisberger and company playing three of their final five games at home — including their toughest remaining opponent, the New York Giants — the chances of Baltimore holding onto the AFC North lead without taking care of business in Week 16 looks slim.

While stranger things have happened, the idea of the Ravens upsetting the New England Patriots in Foxborough seems rather farfetched. Assuming that game plays out as expected, Baltimore risks relinquishing its superior in-conference record (currently 6-2 compared to Pittsburgh’s 5-3). That means that should the Steelers tie up the season series with the Ravens and finish with equal overall records, the AFC North would come down to one of the edge-of-the-ledger tiebreakers which remains up in the air.

The Ravens can and likely need to avoid this altogether by retaining their head-to-head advantage over the Steelers.

Jason B. Hirschhorn
Jason B. Hirschhorn

Jason B. Hirschhorn is an award-winning sports journalist and Pro Football Writers of America member. He has bylines at NFL.com, SB Nation, Sports Illustrated, and other outlets.

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