Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, only four teams have started the season 1-5 and reached the playoffs.
The Ravens want to become the fifth – joining the 1970 Bengals, the 2015 Chiefs, the 2018 Colts and Washington in 2020.
The chances are obviously not great. But with a bye week, head coach Jim Harbaugh noted Monday that the Ravens now have a clear goal in mind for the rest of the season.
“Our goal is to move forward and figure out what we can accomplish over the next 11 games to try to make the playoffs, which obviously, as was pointed out last night, hasn’t been done very often with the record that we have,” Harbaugh said during his press conference. “But we still believe we can do it.”
The main reason why? The expected return of quarterback Lamar Jackson in Week 8 following the team’s bye.
“I’m leaning pretty hard on (Jackson’s return),” Harbaugh said. “If I was on the couch with a psychiatrist right now, if I said it, I would have to say that I lean into it very hard, very hard. For any type of psychological well-being, spiritual well-being, I lean heavily on that. So I’m hopeful that that will happen.”
But other than that, Harbaugh is counting on the team’s veterans to provide the leadership needed to bounce back from this year’s poor start.
“I believe in our guys. I really love our guys. I have great respect for our guys,” Harbaugh said. “Our guys are really special people, and if you look at each of these guys that you’re talking about – the veteran leaders – you’ll understand why I would say that. But we’re working on it, because when you face such adversity in football – as in life, we say it all the time but – it’s true, and that’s why you asked the question, because we all live our lives; it’s something you really have to be intentional about, and you have to tell people about it. and ask them how they’re doing and see what they’re thinking, what they can do, what they think they can do, what they think should be done, what are the best ways to say things or approach things and try to help as much as you can when you’re in that kind of position.
“That’s what I’m trying to do. It’s really important to try to do that, so I feel like we’re going to have great veteran leadership; I believe that, and we’re going to have to do that, in your opinion. Nothing will be more important than that.”
