Ravens Have 96% Chance To Earn Top Seed In AFC After Win Over Bills, Patriots Loss
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The train kept right on rolling on Sunday afternoon as the Baltimore Ravens edged out a tough Buffalo Bills team 24-17, extending their winning streak to nine games and locking up a playoff spot in the process.
That win, combined with the Chiefs 23-16 victory over the New England Patriots, has put John Harbaugh's squad in prime position to lock up the #1 overall seed in the AFC with three weeks left in the regular season. The top seed was something clearly on the team's mind as well, with tight end Hayden Hurst telling the team's website that it is a goal everyone in the locker room has.
"It's great to lock up a playoff spot, but I think everyone in that locker room has aspirations to lock up that No. 1 seed," Hurst said. "You know we want that home-field advantage. We have a couple games left to play, and we're just going to focus on those."
That goal is well within reach. Currently sporting an 11-2 record, the Ravens are one game up on the Patriots with three left to play. The last three games of the season for the team are this Thursday against the Jets (5-8), next Sunday on the road against Cleveland (6-7), and then close out the year on December 29th at home against the Steelers (8-5). At the moment, FiveThirtyEight's prediction model gives the Ravens a 90% win probability against the Jets, 76% against the Browns and 83% against the Steelers. So, the odds would seem to be in their favor, with ESPN's FPI model giving them a 96% chance of clinching the top spot
The clinching scenarios for the #1 seed is pretty simple. If the Ravens win two of those three games, they are the #1 seed. In the end, as quarterback Lamar Jackson noted, the team is just focused on the upcoming matchup with the Jets.
"It's pretty cool but we're trying to finish out," quarterback Lamar Jackson echoed. "We have to play the Jets Thursday, quick turnaround, we have to focus on them now."
