Which game remaining on the Ravens’ schedule is the most important?
Badie: The next game. If the Ravens can beat the undefeated Patriots, we will know they can beat anyone and will be in the Super Bowl conversation.
Doon: Dec. 8 at the Buffalo Bills. If the Ravens want to host a playoff game for the second straight year, this game will be crucial. Buffalo (5-2) could be jockeying with the Ravens for the third or fourth seed, and the Ravens might be hurting and desperate for a win after facing four possible playoff teams in the previous five weeks. Matchups against the Patriots (Sunday night), Texans (Nov. 17), Rams (Nov. 25) and 49ers (Dec. 1) are more exciting litmus tests, but the game in Buffalo comes at a crucial time as the Ravens prepare for the stretch run.
Oyefusi: Dec. 22 at the Cleveland Browns. The Ravens have built a 2½ game lead in the division heading into their bye, but have a tough second-half schedule. The Browns, on the other hand, have started the season 2-4 but have a significantly easier schedule on the back end. The Browns already went on the road to beat the Ravens in Week 4, so if Cleveland catches fire, this Week16 matchup could decide the division.
Preston: New England. If they win that one, then they have truly arrived.
Schmuck: The Week 16 matchup against the Browns will be a key late-season game because it could determine whether the Ravens win 10 or 11 games, shake the memory of the lopsided home loss to Cleveland and remove any doubt they are the dominant team in the division.
Shaffer: It’s the next one. For as many games as Jackson’s won in his year as a starter, he still lacks a signature home victory. (Remember, the Browns team he ran all over in Week 17 last season finished 7-8-1.) The Patriots have set the standard for excellence in the NFL, and they have the defensive talent to make the Ravens as miserable as they were in their January playoff loss. This is an important measuring-stick game for the offense.
Walker: Dec. 1 against the San Francisco 49ers. Even if they continue playing well, the Ravens could go 1-3 or 2-2 over their next four games based on the quality of opposition. So they could go into December looking to reassert their position as the clear leader in the AFC North. The 49ers might have looked like an easy mark when the schedule came out, but they’re far from it, having won their first six games with one of the best defenses in the NFL. If the Ravens pass this test going into the home stretch, the playoffs will suddenly feel much closer to their grasp.