Ravens 2023 schedule roundtable: Breaking down the best games, toughest tests, predicting final record and more

The Ravens haven’t played a game since early January, but with the release of the NFL’s 2023 schedule Thursday, hope springs eternal in Baltimore.

The Ravens, looking to return to the postseason for the second straight year and get a full season with newly signed quarterback Lamar Jackson, will open their slate at home against the Houston Texans on Sept. 10 before traveling to face the AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals.

Four months from the Ravens’ season opener, 2023 predictions are almost entirely speculative. But someone’s got to make them. Here’s what Baltimore Sun reporters Brian Wacker and Childs Walker, columnist Mike Preston and editor Tim Schwartz have to say:

Which game are you most looking forward to?

Wacker: Last year’s Week 2 game against the Miami Dolphins had more than 1,000 yards of offense and 80 points between the teams, along with an epic fourth-quarter collapse by the Ravens, who lost 42-38. This season, they meet again at M&T Bank Stadium, but in the penultimate game of the regular season in a showdown that could have major playoff implications. If both quarterbacks are healthy, this could be another high-scoring affair, even with Miami’s addition of All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

Preston: The Bengals have won the past two AFC North titles, so they are the team to beat, especially since they knocked the Ravens out of the playoffs last year. The Bengals have upgraded their offensive line, so it will be a good barometer when Cincinnati hosts the Ravens in Week 2 at Paycor Stadium. Until proven otherwise, the road to the AFC North title goes through Cincinnati.

Walker: The answer might be the Week 16 game against the 49ers if it was not on Christmas night. But the great fascination with this team will be coordinator Todd Monken’s new offense, with Jackson throwing to the most gifted set of targets he’s ever had. That unit will face a serious test almost right out of the chute with a Week 2 trip to Cincinnati. Early-season games don’t come much more intriguing than that one.

Schwartz: The Week 2 game against the Bengals will tell us a lot about the pecking order of the AFC North. But I’m looking at Week 7 against the Detroit Lions. The Oct. 22 game is about the time of year that the league separates some of the contenders from the pretenders, and if the Lions are as legitimate as some analysts think they are, that could shape up to be a fun game to watch. Both teams have relatively easy schedules to that point, too, so the records on paper could make this the game of the week (hello, flex schedule).

Who’s the best team on the Ravens’ schedule?

Wacker: The 49ers went 13-4 last season, got to the NFC championship and will be contenders again this season. Their defense is elite and they’ll have a full season of surprise quarterback Brock Purdy and do-everything running back Christian McCaffrey.

Preston: The 49ers appear to be the most balanced. They have some good weapons on offense and might have the best defense in the NFL. They fly to the football, and they get the Ravens at home on Christmas night. Plus, the Ravens play Jacksonville the week before. It will be a good test to see if the Ravens are playoff ready.

Walker: The 49ers probably have the best all-around roster. The Bengals have the best quarterback in Joe Burrow. So, slight nod to the reigning kings of the AFC North.

Schwartz: The 49ers are loaded. The Bengals are loaded. The Chargers should be better. The Seahawks should be an NFC contender. The Dolphins are still scary. But let’s be honest … much of the NFL’s elite won’t face the Ravens this year.

Which opponent with a losing record last year (Houston, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Tennessee, Arizona, Los Angeles Rams) should the Ravens fear most?

Brian Wacker: The Ravens are 35-13 all-time against the Browns, but Cleveland has won six of the past 10, including the past two in Cleveland. They’ll also have a full season from quarterback Deshaun Watson, who last year served an 11-game suspension, paid a $5 million fine and underwent professional evaluation and treatment as part of a settlement with the NFL after he was sued by more than two dozen women for sexual harassment and assault during massages.

Preston: It’s definitely Cleveland. The Browns will have Watson for the entire season and they have always had a strong running game. Most of the other teams have quarterbacks who are unproven, but the Browns usually play the Ravens tough. Plus, it is an AFC North game. I like what the Browns have on their interior lines, so it will be a physical game. Houston, Indy, Arizona and even the Rams are in a rebuilding stage but it will be interesting to see how the Titans play Baltimore in England. The last time the Ravens traveled overseas they bombed against Jacksonville in London’s Wembley Stadium, 44-7, in 2017. Cleveland, though, presents the toughest challenge.

Walker: Fear? None of them. The Titans still have fangs, and the Ravens will have to overcome dispiriting memories of their last trip to London. But the Browns are the logical answer if Watson can come anywhere close to his peak form in Houston. They still have the front-line talent to make a playoff push.

Schwartz: With Watson having a normal offseason and preseason, it should be the Browns. A healthy Matthew Stafford could make the Rams closer to a contender in the NFC. But the Ravens won’t fear any of those teams, especially Houston and Indianapolis. Getting rookie quarterbacks in Weeks 1 and 3 is music to John Harbaugh’s ears.

Will all the travel (25,422 miles) be a factor at the end of the season?

Wacker: These guys aren’t sitting in middle seats in coach. The bigger problem for the Ravens is who they’ll play in the second half of the season with four prime-time games in six weeks, including tough matchups at the Los Angeles Chargers, at the Jacksonville Jaguars and at the 49ers on Christmas night before ending the season at home against the rival Steelers.

Preston: It really doesn’t make a difference. Schedules are done in advance and every team has to travel to the West Coast eventually. Last year, the Ravens got a break playing New England on the road as well as the Giants and Jets in New York. The furthest away game was playing the Saints in New Orleans, so there are no complaints here. It’s just their year to play teams in the NFC West, so deal with it. It is what it is, so the travel can’t be used as an excuse.

Walker: They don’t have long trips sandwiched around the London game. The Week 13 bye will help, splitting up their last two trips to the West Coast. And they’ll finish up with two home games. So no, it won’t be a huge factor in the end.

Schwartz: It’s the NFL, right? They should be fine. But there are always questions about Jackson’s routine and preparation, so there could be some worry about that with a lot of travel.

What’s your way-too-early prediction on the Ravens’ record?

Wacker: There’s every reason to believe the Ravens should start the season 8-2. Then the schedule gets tough. Still, given only a mildly difficult slate, a healthy Jackson, the additions of Odell Beckham Jr. and Zay Flowers and being very good on defense, the offensive line and special teams, 12-5 feels easily attainable.

Preston: 11-6. It all comes down to if Jackson can stay healthy for the entire season. Again.

Walker: 11-6.

Schwartz: I’ll say 12-5. Way-too-early prediction? They lose to the Bengals (Week 2), Steelers (Week 5), Lions (Week 7), Chargers (Week 12) and 49ers (Week 16). Optimism!

()