OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Carlos Alcaraz, Rory McIlroy and perhaps the Baltimore Ravens?
All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton spoke to his Ravens teammates at lunch Wednesday about how Baltimore can become the latest comeback story this year. He brought up how Alcaraz saved three championship match points to win the French Open and how McIlroy bounced back from bogeying the 18th hole to win the Masters.
"All these great sports feats have come with a challenge, and we could be another story along that road," Hamilton said. "So, that's kind of the mindset I feel like we've taken upon ourselves right now. It's kind of the mindset we need to have -- have to have -- in order to get where we want to go. But it's going to be a heck of a story; that's what we're telling ourselves."
The Ravens (6-7), who trail the first-place Pittsburgh Steelers by one game in the AFC North with four weeks remaining, will need to rally in similar fashion to reach the postseason.
Despite losing two straight games, Baltimore still controls its playoff path. The Ravens can capture the AFC North by winning their last four games, which would include the regular-season finale at Pittsburgh. If Baltimore and Pittsburgh finish with the same overall and division record, the Ravens hold the advantage in the third tiebreaker -- better record against common opponents -- over the Steelers.
Baltimore's chances to win out -- beating the Bengals (4-9), Patriots (11-2) Packers (9-3-1) and Steelers (7-6) -- are 7%, according to ESPN Analytics.
"It never really is the 'Cinderella fairytale season' that it's going to be, and that just is what it is," Hamilton said. "So, it's not about how you get there, it's just a matter of you getting there."
Ravens tight end Mark Andrews acknowledged that Sunday's game at the Bengals is essentially a must-win for Baltimore. If the Ravens lose in Cincinnati, their chances of making the postseason drop to 14%, according to ESPN Analytics.
"The type of guys that we have here are fighters and people that are resilient, humble -- and no matter what they go through -- they're just continuing to keep their head down and work," Andrews said. "I think that that'll pay off in the end."
This marks the first time since 2015 that the Ravens are playing in December with a losing record. After entering this season as the betting favorite to win the Super Bowl, Baltimore hasn't lived up to expectations, with the NFL's 19th-ranked offense and 25th-ranked defense.
But Andrews says he believes the Ravens aren't far off from hitting their stride.
"We're still not playing our best football by any means, and the type of games that we're playing in are winnable games," Andrews said. "So, I think that we're very close to doing our thing, and we have so much talent."