Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens have larger aspirations, but they accomplished one of their goals for the 2024 season on Saturday.

Baltimore clinched a spot in the playoffs for the third straight year and sixth time in the last seven seasons with a 34-17 win over Steelers.

Here is a look at where they fit into the current playoff bracket and standings:

AFC Playoff Bracket

1. Kansas City Chiefs (bye)

7. Denver Broncos at 2. Buffalo Bills

6. Los Angeles Chargers at 3. Pittsburgh Steelers

5. Baltimore Ravens at 4. Houston Texans

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AFC Playoff Standings

Division Leaders

1. Kansas City Chiefs (14-1; clinched AFC West)

2. Buffalo Bills (11-3; clinched AFC East)

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5; lead AFC North, clinched playoff berth)

4. Houston Texans (9-6; clinched AFC South)

Wild Card Race

5. Baltimore Ravens (10-5, clinched playoff berth)

6. Los Angeles Chargers (9-6)

7. Denver Broncos (9-6)

8. Indianapolis Colts (6-8)

9. Miami Dolphins (6-8)

10. Cincinnati Bengals (6-8)

Eliminated

11. New York Jets (4-10)

12. Cleveland Browns (3-11)

13. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-11)

14. Tennessee Titans (3-11)

15. New England Patriots (3-11)

16. Las Vegas Raiders (2-12)

NFC Playoff Bracket

1. Detroit Lions (bye)

7. Washington Commanders at 2. Philadelphia Eagles

6. Green Bay Packers at 3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

5. Minnesota Vikings at 4. Los Angeles Rams

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NFC Playoff Standings

1. Detroit Lions (12-2; lead NFC North; clinched playoff berth)

2. Philadelphia Eagles (12-2; lead NFC East; clinched playoff berth)

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6; lead NFC South)

4. Los Angeles Rams (8-6; lead NFC West)

Wild Card Race

5. Minnesota Vikings (12-2, clinched playoff berth)

6. Green Bay Packers (10-4)

7. Washington Commanders (9-5)

8. Seattle Seahawks (8-6)

9. Atlanta Falcons (7-7)

10. Arizona Cardinals (7-7)

11. San Francisco 49ers (6-8)

12. Dallas Cowboys (6-8)

13. New Orleans Saints (5-9)

Eliminated

14. Chicago Bears (4-10)

15. Carolina Panthers (3-11)

16. New York Giants (2-12)

Frankly, making the playoffs seemed like it would be a formality coming into the season for the Ravens. Not only did they have reigning MVP Lamar Jackson under center and a solid defense, they also added future Hall of Fame running back Derrick Henry during the offseason.

Pairing Jackson and Henry together in the backfield turned out to be a nightmare for opposing defenses.

Jackson is in the middle of MVP discussions after throwing his 37th touchdown pass of the season against Pittsburgh, while Henry has eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards for the sixth time in the last seven seasons and has 15 total touchdowns.

The Alabama product has remained dominant at 30 years old and after leading the league in carries in four of the previous five seasons, giving the Ravens another dynamic playmaker who can take advantage of all the attention defenses have to pay to Jackson.

All it takes is a split second of a linebacker hesitating to figure out who has the ball between Jackson or Henry for either Ravens star to take off for a game-changing play.

Lamar. Action. Jackson. Wow.#CINvsBAL on Prime Video
Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/EMGKsJaAVX

— NFL (@NFL) November 8, 2024

It hasn't been all smooth sailing for the Ravens, though, as they lost their first two games of the season. The one against the Las Vegas Raiders has not aged well, and it was fair to question whether they would be in trouble in the AFC playoff picture.

All they did was respond with five straight wins and a 7-1 stretch that saw them defeat the Cincinnati Bengals twice, Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos. Even with some inconsistent play after that with losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles, it was clear Baltimore was going to make the postseason.

The question now is whether it will take the next step.

The Ravens lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game last season despite having home-field advantage. They have never reached the Super Bowl during the Jackson era, and the quarterback's playoff track record is the only question mark on his resume.

Jackson is just 2-4 as a starter in six playoff games with six touchdown passes to six interceptions. Those statistics don't stack up to peers such as Patrick Mahomes (three Super Bowl rings and 41 touchdown passes to eight interceptions in 18 playoff games) and Josh Allen (21 touchdown passes to four interceptions in 10 playoff games).

Yet he will have the opportunity to change that narrative once again during the upcoming playoffs after the Ravens clinched their spot.

The Baltimore Ravens have waived wide receiver Diontae Johnson—who was acquired from the Carolina Panthers before the trade deadline, saw limited playing time, caught one pass for six yards over four games, refused to enter his team's home matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles and then got suspended for last Sunday's contest against the New York Giants.

We have waived WR Diontae Johnson. We have activated DB Desmond King and WR Anthony Miller from the Practice Squad for tomorrow's game.

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 20, 2024

The Ravens acquired Johnson and a sixth-round draft pick from the Panthers on Oct. 29 for a fifth-round pick. The Panthers also agreed to absorb part of Johnson's contract.

Johnson caught 30 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns in seven games with Carolina. At the time, the Ravens' trade seemed like a steal given that he was acquired for a Day 3 pick swap, more or less. In theory, the Ravens could have used him as their third wide receiver alongside Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman.

Per Pro Football Reference, Johnson only saw 39 snaps over four games and never more than 17. That effort took place in a 41-10 win over the Denver Broncos on Nov. 3, and Johnson ended without a target.

Four weeks later, Johnson refused to enter his team's 24-19 home loss against the Eagles, a game where Bateman suffered a knee injury and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest.

That didn't sit well with the Ravens, who suspended Johnson for last Sunday's 35-14 win over the Giants. Now he's off the team entirely, leaving Baltimore even more shorthanded at receiver.

Nelson Agholor is out with a concussion. Bateman is questionable with a foot injury and notably didn't practice Thursday.

Flowers figures to remain the WR1. Tylan Wallace and Devontez Walker are the next men up at the position, with Anthony Miller now on the active roster as well after his practice squad call-up.

The 9-5 Ravens have a huge game on Saturday at home against the 10-4 Pittsburgh Steelers at 4:30 p.m. ET.

A win clinches a playoff berth and ties them with Pittsburgh in the AFC North race. A Ravens loss clinches the division for Pittsburgh, although the Ravens would still be heavily favored to make the postseason.

After serving a one-game suspension this past weekend, Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Diontae Johnson still won't be back with the team anytime soon.

The Ravens announced on Monday that they mutually agreed with Johnson to excuse him from team activities this week.

Mike Garafolo of NFL Network noted that this isn't an extension of Johnson's suspension, and the Ravens and his camp are "working through their options right now."

Since being acquired in a trade with the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 29, Johnson's tenure in Baltimore has been a massive disappointment. He appeared in four games and recorded just one catch for six yards on five targets.

Things reached a boiling point when Johnson refused to enter the Ravens' game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 13, resulting in his suspension before the team's bye. Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta called the disciplinary action a "difficult decision." Johnson sat out Sunday's game as the Ravens defeated the New York Giants 35-14 to improve to 9-5.

Baltimore gave up a fifth-round pick to acquire Johnson and a sixth-round pick from Carolina, which had already picked up most of his remaining salary for the 2024 campaign. If the Ravens choose to cut him, they risk losing out on a potential compensatory pick in the 2026 draft if he signs with another team in free agency.

Johnson is already set to hit the open market at the end of the year, so perhaps both sides could find a way to continue their partnership while the Ravens chase a spot in Super Bowl LIX.

Lamar Jackson was in MVP form as the Baltimore Ravens beat the New York Giants 25-14 on Sunday.

The star quarterback posted 290 passing yards and five touchdowns on 21-of-25 passing while posting 65 yards on the ground. It was Jackson's second five-passing touchdown performance of the year and his fourth game with at least four touchdowns.

Though the Ravens were playing on the road on Sunday, Jackson received "MVP" chants from Baltimore fans who made the trip to MetLife Stadium.

Some words of encouragement for Malik Nabers and then a jog off to chants of “M-V-P” from the #Ravens’ fans for Lamar Jackson. pic.twitter.com/DHHXTDoSpB

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) December 15, 2024

There was a similar sentiment about Jackson's MVP chances on social media after the huge game.

LAMAR HEATING UP THE MVP RACE 🔥

He's down to +400 to win MVP...

(via @mysportsupdate @DKSportsbook) pic.twitter.com/nExm0nT9lc

— br_betting (@br_betting) December 15, 2024

LAMAR FINISHES WITH MORE TDs THAN INCOMPLETIONS 😱

🐦‍⬛ 21-for-25
🐦‍⬛ 5 TDs

Did he just vault back into the MVP race? pic.twitter.com/CGAnSWzx7B

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) December 15, 2024

My Lamar Jackson MVP bet pic.twitter.com/4WXDAHgwfI

— Bobson Dugnutt (@AirTitus) December 15, 2024

Lamar Jackson today:

21/25
290 Yards
5-0 TD/INT

Only Brady and Brees have more 5-0 TD/INT games in NFL history. pic.twitter.com/F56eMpl5Ar

— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 15, 2024

Lamar Jackson at halftime:
13/14, 3 passing TDs, 162 passing yards, 55 rushing yards.

Has been the MVP, continues to be the MVP.

— William Herman (@_williamherman) December 15, 2024

INSANE: #Ravens QB Lamar Jackson has more passing touchdowns today than incompletions.

🤯🤯🤯@Lj_era8 has 5 touchdown passes and only 4 incompletions. This is crazy.

MVP…?

(Powered by https://t.co/F4JjLr48ld) pic.twitter.com/hZDXPRqNwa

— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) December 15, 2024

Lamar Jackson is your MVP

MV3 pic.twitter.com/18deJw24Jj

— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) December 15, 2024

https://twitter.com/GarrettSprints/status/1868392735717384590

Have a day Lamar Jackson! 5TDs, 290 yds & a 154.6 passer rating! MVP, MVP! #RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/j6LcFIONbx

— Kris (@KrisHynson16) December 15, 2024

I really don’t know how Lamar Jackson slipped out of MVP front runner conversation at any point

— Bryce Frederick (@bafreddy26) December 15, 2024

MV3 🔥🏆 pic.twitter.com/xke1hyvEBb

— Theo (@TStervemb) December 15, 2024

A couple of mediocre games over the last few weeks hurt Jackson's MVP chances, but after Sunday's performance, it's fair to say he's right back in the race for the coveted award.

Jackson is now up to 3,580 passing yards, 34 passing touchdowns and just three interceptions. He's also picked up 743 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

His biggest competition for the award is likely Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who had 3,033 passing yards, 23 touchdowns and five interceptions along with 416 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns heading into Sunday's matchup against the Detroit Lions.

With three games left this season, a couple of big performances could put Jackson in the driver's seat to win his third MVP.

Baltimore Ravens stars Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry have excelled in their first year as teammates, and now they've both earned spots alongside one another in an exclusive circle.

The Ravens announced on Wednesday that Jackson and Henry were named to the 99 Club in EA Sports Madden NFL 25.

Introducing the newest members of the 99 Club!!@Lj_era8 | @KingHenry_2 | @EAMaddenNFL pic.twitter.com/uCQGCD2fnO

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 11, 2024

The moment @Lj_era8 and @KingHenry_2 found out they were in the @EAMaddenNFL 99 Club. 💜 pic.twitter.com/xbiTZraMPh

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 11, 2024

The custom cleats for our newest #99Club athletes 🔥@Lj_era8 x @KingHenry_2 pic.twitter.com/3IHgWzdNwr

— Madden NFL 26 (@EAMaddenNFL) December 11, 2024

Jackson and Henry will be joining Minnesota Vikings star wide receiver Justin Jefferson, Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce and San Francisco 49ers stalwart left tackle Trent Williams as the only players with a 99 overall rating this season. Both Ravens stars entered Wednesday with 98 overall ratings before the one-point bump into the game's highest tier.

Baltimore team reporter Ryan Mink pointed out that both Jackson and Henry had never been promoted to the 99 Club prior to Wednesday, which is almost unfathomable when considering their career accomplishments. During his tenure with the Tennessee Titans, Henry was a two-time rushing champion in 2019 and 2020 and the 2020 NFL Offense Player of the Year.

Jackson, a two-time league MVP, wasn't even given a 99 overall rating when he graced the cover of Madden NFL 21. The 27-year-old called out the absurdity of never previously being in the 99 Club.

"I feel like that was overdue," Jackson told reporters of his promotion on Wednesday.

Jackson is in the midst of another MVP-caliber campaign with 3,290 passing yards, 29 touchdowns and three interceptions while also adding 678 rushing yards and three more scores. Henry has been dominant in his first year in Baltimore with 1,407 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns plus two receiving touchdowns.

The star duo will be trying to help the Ravens (8-5) win the Super Bowl that has eluded them for the past few years despite Jackson's brilliant career. Both Jackson and Henry could be in for a big day on Sunday when they face the 2-11 New York Giants.

The Baltimore Ravens were reportedly disappointed by wide receiver Diontae Johnson's actions during the team's Week 13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

This week, the Ravens announced that Johnson would be suspended for the Dec. 15 game against the New York Giants after refusing to enter the game against Philadelphia.

A Ravens source told ESPN that Johnson's decision was a "major letdown," although it was noted that his demeanor was "about as good as could be expected" entering this week's bye.

The 28-year-old Johnson was originally a third-round draft pick out of Toledo by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019, and he put up solid numbers during his five years with the franchise, recording 391 receptions for 4,363 yards and 25 touchdowns, earning one Pro Bowl selection along the way.

Before the 2024 season, the Steelers traded Johnson to the Carolina Panthers, and he produced to the tune of 30 catches for 357 yards and three scores in seven games for the Panthers.

With Carolina not contending for a playoff spot and Johnson set to hit free agency during the offseason, the Panthers opted to trade him and a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Ravens for a 2025 fifth-round pick.

The trade was widely viewed as a massive steal for the Ravens, but Johnson has essentially made no impact during his time in Baltimore.

In four games, Johnson has just one catch for six yards, and he has played a grand total of just 39 offensive snaps for the Ravens.

It raised some eyebrows when Johnson did not play against the Eagles since wide receiver Rashod Bateman left the game with a knee injury.

If Bateman is forced to miss additional time coming out of the bye week, the Ravens' wide receiver depth chart will be down to Zay Flowers, Nelson Agholor, Tylan Wallace and rookie fourth-round pick Devontez Walker.

No public commitments have been made by the Ravens in terms of keeping Johnson on the roster once his suspension ends, and ESPN noted that Baltimore showed interest in veteran wide receiver Josh Reynolds on waivers this week.

Reynolds was awarded to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the Ravens' interest suggest they are looking at other options.

On Dec. 21, the Ravens have a huge matchup with the Steelers, who are 1.5 games ahead of them for the AFC North lead.

As noted by ESPN, cutting Johnson would potentially allow the Steelers to bring him back if they are so inclined, and they could probe him for information regarding Baltimore's offense.

Ultimately, the Ravens must decide if keeping Johnson could have an adverse effect on team chemistry, and they must also be sure that he is committed to playing and helping them win down the stretch.

If Johnson and the Ravens can get on the same page, he still has a chance to be a massive difference-maker heading into the playoffs.

The Baltimore Ravens will be without one of their wide receivers against the New York Giants next week after Diontae Johnson was suspended one game for "conduct detrimental to the team."

Amid the suspension, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that the Ravens have "been looking at potential receiver help," which could indicate Baltimore is planning to add a free-agent receiver before the end of the season.

Johnson had 30 receptions for 357 yards and three touchdowns before being traded from the Carolina Panthers to the Ravens on Oct. 29. Since arriving in Baltimore, he has recorded just one catch for six yards. That sole reception came nearly a month ago when the Ravens played the Cincinnati Bengals.

After recording 17 snaps in his Ravens debut, Johnson has seen his snap count decrease every week.

https://twitter.com/Schultz_Report/status/1864400509198606804

Before last week's matchup, the reason for Johnson's lack of playing time was unclear, but it was by his own doing against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. The Ravens said in a statement that Johnson's suspension "stems from refusing to enter our game against the Philadelphia Eagles."

Even with Johnson, who the Ravens got in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round pick, not doing much during his time in Baltimore so far, the Ravens have managed to stay afloat. With Sunday's loss to Philadelphia, they dropped to 8-5 but are still in the playoff mix.

Baltimore has a relatively manageable schedule to close out the season, taking on the New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns.

Whether the Ravens have the receiving weapons to compete with top teams in the AFC like the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills is to be determined. If Baltimore feels Johnson isn't going to be much of an option this season, picking up another receiver to pull some weight would be a good option.

The Baltimore Ravens suspended wide receiver Diontae Johnson for one game after refusing to enter his team's home game against the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday.

Ravens executive vice president and general manager Eric DeCosta released a statement on the matter (h/t Mike Garafolo of NFL Network).

Statement from the #Ravens, who say Diontae Johnson wouldn’t enter the game against the #Eagles. https://t.co/cF8IzFhlvo pic.twitter.com/pl2f2HykL1

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) December 4, 2024

The Ravens have a bye this week, so Johnson will sit his team's Sunday, Dec. 15 road game against the New York Giants.

Johnson landed in Baltimore after the Carolina Panthers traded him and a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Ravens for a 2025 fifth-rounder.

It's not clear why Johnson refused to enter the game, but it's well-known that the six-year veteran went from being a featured player to barely seeing the field at all.

In Carolina, Johnson caught 30 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns on 58 targets in seven games.

In Baltimore, Johnson has been active for five games, playing four. He has snagged one pass for six yards on five targets. Per NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Johnson has played just 39 snaps total.

https://twitter.com/Schultz_Report/status/1864400509198606804

Johnson essentially fell to fifth on the wide receiver depth chart. Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman have clearly been the top two wideouts on the roster, but there was presumably room for Johnson to be the WR3. However, Nelson Agholor has kept hold of that role, with Tylan Wallace also getting more snaps than Johnson.

Bateman suffered a sore knee against the Eagles and left the game early, so there was a chance for Johnson to enter the game and make an impact in a massive game against one of the NFL's best teams.

For whatever reason, Johnson decided against doing that, and now he'll be sitting for the Giants game. And at this point, it's hard seeing Johnson making much of an impact at all for Baltimore as it fights for the playoffs and an AFC North title.

Amid another outstanding offensive season for the Baltimore Ravens, offensive coordinator Todd Monken is bound to see his name come up in head coaching searches.

But Monken said on Tuesday that his current focus is on the rest of the season with Baltimore.

"I don't deal with it," Monken said, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN (h/t Pro Football Talk's Josh Alper). "I don't deal with it because it has nothing to do with the here and the now and nobody really knows anything. I don't control that. All I control is the job I have here. That's the most important thing. It's winning here and scoring points because if you don't worry about that, you don't have a job here. Then the other stuff doesn't happen."

Monken, who took over as the Ravens offensive coordinator ahead of the 2023 season, led Baltimore to having the sixth-best total offense in the NFL last season, and the Ravens have posted the top total offense in the league this year.

His job is made easier by having reigning MVP Lamar Jackson under center and star running back Derrick Henry in the backfield, but that doesn't diminish Monken's accomplishments over the last two years.

Monken received a bit of interest during last year's coaching carousel as his name was in the mix for the Carolina Panthers head coaching job and the Los Angeles Chargers vacancy, but ultimately stayed in Baltimore as Dave Canales and Jim Harbaugh landed those respective jobs.

Monken, who helped lead Georgia to back-to-back national championships as the Bulldogs' offensive coordinator before arriving in Baltimore, could have a handful of teams eyeing him this offseason. So far, the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears have fired their head coaches, but the list of vacancies will likely increase by the end of the season.

Until then, Monken will look to help lead Baltimore to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2012. The Ravens head into their bye week 8-5 and will get a relatively manageable slate to close out the season.

Baltimore should have no issues securing a playoff spot, but making it out of the AFC will be a difficult task.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson said he agreed when his mother, Felicia Jones, criticized his run game after Sunday's 24-19 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

When asked if he passed up on opportunities to run during the loss, Jackson told reporters, "My mama just told me that."

"She just cussed me out," Jackson said, adding that his mother had pointed out available running lanes she believed he had missed.

"I was just trying to let guys develop routes, we had developing routes, I was just trying to go through my progressions," Jackson said. "But yeah, she's right. I'm going to do my s--t."

Jackson concluded: "I'm just mad, because I feel like we should win these games, and we're not getting them done."

Although he said he "wouldn't generalize" by saying that Jackson had missed run opportunities, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh praised the judgment of the quarterback's mother when asked about her comments after the loss.

"I really trust Lamar. I trust his mom, too," Harbaugh said, according to the team's official transcript. "His mom is a good judge. She's seen more of Lamar ball than anybody, so I'm sure she has a great handle on it. Let Lamar and his mom talk through all of that stuff. I trust Lamar to make good decisions.

"He's too good, [and] he's too productive moving around the pocket; he's too much of a problem for defenses, and he makes a lot of good decisions doing that."

The Ravens have found the most success this season when relying on Jackson's mobility and the team's run game. Four of the team's five losses, including the defeat by the Eagles, came after the club recorded fewer than 175 yards on the ground.

The Ravens fell to 8-5 with this latest loss, which marked the team's second in three games and dropped Baltimore toward the edge of the AFC playoff bubble heading into the Week 14 bye. Jackson said he "can't wait" until the break ends and he faces the New York Giants in Week 15.