Where Ravens stand in AFC playoff chase

The Ravens’ loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers (11-0) on Wednesday afternoon officially knocked them out of contention for the AFC North title. With their third straight defeat, the Ravens sit at 6-5 and the ninth seed in the conference. The undermanned team will get the majority of its players back from injuries and COVID-19-related absences in the next week-plus but will have to start stacking wins to make the playoffs for the third consecutive season. Fortunately, the final five-game stretch sets up favorably for the Ravens, with only one game against a team with a winning record.

ESPN’s NFL Football Power Index gives the Ravens a 76.7% chance of making the playoffs after losing their third straight game for the first time since 2018.

Here’s who the Ravens are vying with in the conference:

Titans (8-3), third seed

The Titans pulled one game ahead of the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South with a 45-26 win on Sunday. The season series between the teams is tied so any tiebreaker for the division would favor the team with the better division record. The Ravens’ playoff chances would fare better with the Titans winning the division instead of the Colts. Baltimore has the head-to-head edge over Indianapolis for a wild-card spot but not Tennessee. ESPN FPI chance to make playoffs: 97.3%

ESPN FPI chance to make playoffs:

Colts (7-4), seventh seed

The Colts’ loss to the Titans dropped them from a potential first-round home playoff game to the edge of the playoff picture. Key games against Las Vegas and Pittsburgh remain for Indianapolis. ESPN FPI chance to make playoffs: 46.7%