Baltimore Ravens 2023 Game by Game Predictions

After a disappointing lackluster season marked by the absence of quarterback Lamar Jackson for the Baltimore Ravens, the Ravens Flock can finally look forward to this upcoming season with higher spirits. The return of Jackson, along with the acquisition of veteran WR Odell Beckham Jr. and several talented draft picks, bolster the team into 2023 as the Ravens seek to produce better results than last year. With high expectations and even higher hopes, let’s get into this year’s game-by-game predictions.

Week 1: Ravens vs. Texans

Sun, Sep. 10 | 1 p.m. EST on CBS

The Ravens start off their season hosting the Houston Texans in the teams’ first matchup since 2020. Barring any preseason injuries (let’s not talk about the 2021 injury list), the “Purple Pain” are likely to repeat history and defeat the Texans to start off their season strong.

Now the Texans shouldn’t be slept on at all, and here’s why. The 2023 NFL Draft proved fruitful for the Texans as they welcomed former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud along with former Alabama edge Will Anderson Jr. Stroud will most likely win the starting quarterback position by Week 1, meaning he’ll have to face the might of the Ravens defense early in his career. Despite the Texans boasting a decent defense, the combination of Jackson’s first regular season game since Dec. 4, 2022, and a rookie quarterback leading the helm will prove too much to overcome.

Ravens 31 – Texans 24

Week 2: Ravens at Bengals

Sun, Sep. 17 | 1 p.m. EST on CBS

Moving on to Week 2, the Ravens get no grace period as they head to Cincinnati to face quarterback Joe Burrow and the rest of his squad. In this matchup that has only gotten more exciting since the addition of Burrow in 2020, Jackson and crew will certainly be tested, and I firmly believe that this game will demonstrate just exactly where the Ravens stand.

It’s no secret just how productive the Bengals’ offense can be, and they won’t hold back against the Ravens. With this being the first divisional matchup for the Ravens, there is a lot at stake for the team. If the Bengals somehow manage to lose to the Browns in Week 1, the Ravens have the opportunity to hand Burrow and his team its second divisional loss in a row. No matter the results of Week 1, the Bengals and its powerhouse of a team are coming full steam ahead, and it might just be too much for the Ravens to handle.

Ravens 14 – Bengals 27

Week 3: Ravens vs. Colts

Sun, Sep. 24 | 1 p.m. EST on CBS

The Ravens return home to M&T Bank Stadium to welcome another rookie quarterback — this time, it’ll be Anthony Richardson with running back Jonathan Taylor in tow. The Colts had a quiet season last year as they finished off 2022 with a seven-game losing streak. With a new player potentially leading the offense, things could be different than they were last time around.

However, with a defense that already troubles other seasoned offenses, the Colts will have a hard time producing on the field as players like linebacker Patrick Queen, safety Kyle Hamilton, and cornerback Marlon Humphrey work to smother the offense. I don’t expect a close game, but I also don’t foresee a huge blowout for the Ravens in this matchup.

Ravens 28 – Colts 17

Week 4: Ravens at Browns

Sun, Oct. 1 | 1 p.m. EST on CBS

Another divisional matchup makes its way onto the Ravens’ schedule as the first of back-to-back AFC North opponents. The last time the Ravens took on the Cleveland Browns, it resulted in a shocking 13-3 loss for the Purple and Black. Now that the squad is nowhere near as decimated as it was last year, I don’t see a result quite like the last one.

The Browns welcoming party onto their home turf include quarterback Deshaun Watson (this will be his first full season), running back Nick Chubb, and new addition, wideout Amari Cooper. In addition, defensive end Myles Garrett and linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah will be ready to lead the defense against the Ravens. It could be a close matchup for these two teams, and I foresee this coming down to a typical Justin Tucker field goal at the end of the game.

Ravens 17 – Browns 14

Week 5: Ravens at Steelers

Sun, Oct. 8 | 1 p.m. EST on CBS

The Ravens stay on the road as they take on another division rival up in Pittsburgh. With another trip away from home inside Acrisure Stadium (I preferred Heinz Field), Jackson and his squad could be more susceptible to slipups and miscues against the Steelers defense. Defensive end Cameron Heyward and linebacker T.J. Watt are formidable foes for this offense to go up against, and it’ll be up to the offensive line to clear the way.

Quarterback Kenny Pickett remains at the helm with offensive weapons like running back Najee Harris and wideouts Diontae Johnson and George Pickens, going up against the Steelers and their calvary the week after the Browns could be troublesome for the Ravens. In this timeless contest between old-time rivals, I predict another close game with the Steelers coming out on top.

Ravens 20 – Steelers 24

Week 6: Ravens at Titans (International)

Sun, Oct. 15 | 9:30 a.m. on NFL Network

As the Ravens continue their trip away from home, they head over the pond to London as they take on the Tennessee Titans. Unlike the other two teams that drafted a quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft, it’s unlikely that Will Levis will take the starting position. This means the secondary will have to worry about quarterback Ryan Tannehill utilizing his greatest weapon: Derrick Henry.

The Ravens have struggled to contain Henry like a majority of the teams in the NFL, and this isn’t going to change during this game, so it’ll be up to Jackson and the offense to produce against the Titans’ defense. While Tannehill’s offense is highly powered by Henry, the defense doesn’t quite come to par, as they finished the 2022 season ranked 22nd in the league. This is a toss-up game, but the Ravens could easily head back home with their wings clipped.

Ravens 17 – Titans 21

Week 7: Ravens vs Lions

Sun, Oct. 22 | 1 p.m. ET on FOX

The three-week stretch of away games finally comes to an end as the Ravens head back home to play against the Detroit Lions. Quarterback Jared Goff and his Lions have been a quiet competitor in the league, but they shouldn’t be slept on as they finished the 2022 season placed second in the NFC North. Goff has great weapons at his disposal in rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs and third-year wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. The former finished last season with 1,161 receiving yards (11th in the league) and was PFF’s second-best receiver ranking only behind Tyreek Hill.

Defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald will have to utilize the Ravens’ defense efficiently against this sleeper team; otherwise, it will be completely up to the offense. Luckily for the Ravens, the Lions finished last in the league on the defensive side of things, so it should be no problem for the Ravens to rack up points on the board. In their first game back home in nearly a month, Jackson should be able to get things going and head back on the road with a win.

Ravens 35 – Lions 21

Week 8: Ravens at Cardinals

Sun, Oct. 29 | 4:25 p.m. EST on CBS

Heading back on the road, the Ravens will possibly face off against a Cardinals team without their starting quarterback. After sustaining an ACL tear back in December, quarterback Kyler Murray could possibly still be out by Week 8. If this is the case, first-year head coach Jonathan Gannon will have no choice but to use Colt McCoy, who’s had less than a spectacular career in the NFL. After failing to add another quarterback during the free agency period, McCoy is the only option.

While the offense seems hopeless, former Raven Hollywood Brown is still available along with tight end Zach Ertz who is also recovering from an ACL injury. Despite this, there shouldn’t be too big of a challenge for the Ravens to head in and out of Arizona with a win.

Ravens 31 – Cardinals 10

Week 9: Ravens vs Seahawks

Sun, Nov. 5 | 1 p.m. EST on CBS

It’s back to M&T Bank for a three-week stretch of home matchups for the Ravens. However, this won’t be an easy matchup by any means. As the Seattle Seahawks head to Baltimore, they’re not coming empty-handed with an offense that boasts quarterback Geno Smith and wideouts D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Metcalf finished the 2022 season with 1,196 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

While the offense could prove troublesome for the Ravens, the defense might not. The Seahawks’ defense ranked 26th in the league last season meaning that there is potential for some highly productive offense on the Ravens’ end. If the Ravens can remain consistent and not let any issues on their defense hinder their ability on offense, this should be a relatively easy win.

Ravens 31 – Seahawks 24

Week 10: Ravens vs Browns

Sun, Nov. 12 | 1 p.m. EST on FOX

The second round of division games begins against the Browns six weeks after their first matchup of the season. While I predicted the last game to be close, I expect a larger differential in the final score. By this point, the Ravens will hopefully have an established offense under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken and rookies like wideout Zay Flowers will have had time to adjust to the playing level of the NFL.

Likewise, Watson has had 10+ weeks to work with the Browns and their offense, so it’ll be a very different showing than Week 4. However, I think the Ravens will finish off their time with the Browns and head into the next division matchup with a win.

Ravens 28 – Browns 20

Week 11: Ravens vs. Bengals (TNF)

Thu, Nov. 16 | 8:15 p.m. EST on Prime Video

The lights will shine bright for the Ravens’ first primetime matchup against no other than the Bengals. By this point, Burrow and the offense should be a well-oiled machine and will have a test against the Texans a week before that should loosen them up before heading to Baltimore.

This will definitely be a huge battle for the Ravens to overcome and will have a huge impact on divisional standings as the season starts to head to a close. A win here would be huge for playoff chances, as there will only be one more divisional matchup in Week 18 against the Steelers. It’ll be a fight to the finish, and I see this one being up in the air with another possibility of a last-second kick from J-Tuck.

Ravens 30 – Bengals 27

Week 12: Ravens at Chargers (SNF)

Sun, Nov. 26 | 8:20 p.m. EST on NBC

The Ravens travel to Los Angeles next to play against quarterback Justin Herbert and the Chargers. The Chargers’ offense has several key players, including running back Austin Ekeler and receiver Keenan Allen to keep an eye on. It’ll be up to Macdonald to find a way to keep these two at bay while Monken figures out how to get his offense going.

As mentioned before, the Ravens’ offense should be rolling by this time, and as long as things run smoothly, Jackson shouldn’t have too much trouble heading into the bye week with a win.

Ravens 27 – Chargers 21

Week 13: BYE

Week 14: Ravens vs Rams

Sun, Dec. 10 | 1 p.m. EST on FOX

Coming off the bye week, the Ravens will return to the City of Angels to take on a different opponent — the Rams. Quarterback Matthew Stafford returns for his third season with the Rams and is joined by running back Cam Akers, wideout Cooper Kupp and tight end Tyler Higbee. Despite these three, the Rams finished 2022 ranked last in the league in offensive production. By Week 14, this might not be the case, but it is something to keep in mind.

This will be the second former team that Beckham Jr. faces this season and if he has a chip on his shoulder, this could be a showout game for him. The Rams’ defense has defensive end Aaron Donald leading the charge and he’ll be a difficult challenger downfield for the Ravens. Despite this game coming right after a bye week, I see a potential late-season upset at home.

Ravens 17 – Chargers 27

Week 15: Ravens at Jaguars (SNF)

Sun, Dec. 17 | 8:20 p.m. EST on NBC

The Ravens will take a trip down to Jacksonville to play against quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s Jaguars. The team finished 2022 at the top of their division before succumbing to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in the Divisional Round. Things are looking up in Jacksonville as head coach Doug Pederson enters his second season in charge, and the Jaguars welcome offensive coordinator Press Taylor.

With players like running back Travis Etienne Jr. and wideouts Christian Kirk and Calvin Ridley, the Jaguars have great potential to take this game from the Ravens. However, I see the Ravens making a push during the later part of the season as they gear up for the playoffs.

Ravens 31 – Jaguars 27

Week 16: Ravens at 49ers (MNF)

Mon, Dec. 25 | 8:15 p.m. on ABC

In this Christmas Day matchup, Ravens fans get the best gift possible — a Super Bowl XLVII rematch. Things look a little different this time around, with almost a completely new team on both sides. Quarterback Brock Purdy shocked the nation with his performance following Trey Lance’s season-ending ankle injury in Week 2 of the 2022 season. It’s expected that he’ll sustain the starting position on the 49ers’ star-studded offense.

From running back Christian McCaffrey to tight end George Kittle and several talented wideouts, it’s safe to say that the 49ers are stacked. The defense seems to be the same as the team finished first on defense last season. This will be a difficult game for the Ravens, and unfortunately, this gift might end up being coal for the Ravens Flock.

Ravens 24 – 49ers 38

Week 17: Ravens vs Dolphins

Sun, Dec. 31 | 1 p.m. EST on CBS

In the second-to-last matchup of the season, the Ravens welcome the Miami Dolphins to Baltimore. On the offense, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has targets like wideouts Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle that will trouble the Ravens’ defense. Hill has been a headache for the Ravens since his days in Kansas City, and it’s clear this will continue, as he was second in the league in receiving by the end of the 2022 season.

The Dolphins defense isn’t too shabby either, with cornerback Jalen Ramsey and safety DeShon Elliot highlighting the secondary. It’ll be a tough game, but the home-field advantage will be a huge component as the climate in Baltimore during the winter won’t be friendly for those coming from the 305.

Ravens 31 – Dolphins 21

Week 18: Ravens vs Steelers

TBD

The 2023 regular season comes to a close against the Steelers in Week 18. After a long season that is expected to have its ups and downs, eyes will hopefully turn to the playoffs. This game is a must-win considering it’s against a divisional rival, and I expect this will happen.

Nothing too crazy should happen in this season finale, barring any unexpected injuries or lapses in play-calling/production. I see this being a simple win for the Ravens and, hopefully, the start of a successful playoff run.

Ravens 28 – Steelers 21

This season will be an interesting one to watch for Ravens fans all over the country. With the promise of the team’s star quarterback and several up-and-coming additions, no matter the final result, one thing is clear: The Ravens are back.

Final prediction: 12-5 / 4-2 AFC North