BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Ravens' 2025 schedule was released along with the rest of the NFL slate Wednesday.
Will Lamar Jackson make that elusive Super Bowl run? That's the question that will loom over the Ravens all season, and Baltimore will find out early where it stands in the AFC with a season-opener at the Buffalo Bills (who ended the Ravens' 2024 season) and a Week 4 game at the Kansas City Chiefs (who ended the Ravens' 2023 season).
The Ravens are scheduled for four prime-time games, including a rare "Monday Night Football" game in Baltimore against the Detroit Lions in Week 3. Since John Harbaugh became the Ravens coach in 2008, Baltimore has only had five home MNF games, tied with Houston and Jacksonville for the fewest in that 16-year span.
Ravens president Sashi Brown spoke to the league about not playing on Christmas after two straight seasons of playing a road game on Dec. 25. Instead, Baltimore plays host to the Cincinnati Bengals on Thanksgiving. The last time the Ravens played on Thanksgiving was 2013 in a game that will be remembered for Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin veering too far away from the sideline and slowing down Jacoby Jones, which turned a would-be kickoff return for a touchdown into one of the NFL's most controversial incidents.
Here's what's in store for the Ravens (all times ET):
Ravens 2025 regular-season schedule
Week 1: Sept. 7 at Buffalo Bills, 8:20 p.m. (SNF)
Week 2: Sept. 14 vs. Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m.
Week 3: Sept. 22 vs. Detroit Lions, 8:15 p.m. (MNF)
Week 4: Sept. 28 at Kansas City Chiefs, 4:25 p.m.
Week 5: Oct. 5 vs. Houston Texans, 1 p.m.
Week 6: Oct. 12 vs. Los Angeles Rams, 1 p.m.
Week 7: BYE
Week 8: Oct. 26 vs. Chicago Bears, 1 p.m.
Week 9: Oct. 30 at Miami Dolphins, 8:15 p.m. (TNF)
Week 10: Nov. 9 at Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m.
Week 11: Nov. 16 at Cleveland Browns, 4:25 p.m.
Week 12: Nov. 23 vs. New York Jets, 1 p.m.
Week 13: Nov. 27 vs. Cincinnati Bengals, 8:20 p.m. (TNF)
Week 14: Dec. 7 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m.
Week 15: Dec. 14 at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m.
Week 16: Dec. 21 vs. New England Patriots, 1 p.m.
Week 17: TBD at Green Bay Packers*
Week 18: TBD at Pittsburgh Steelers*
*Dates for Weeks 17 and 18 game are to be determined
Strength of schedule: .533 (ninth hardest)
Over/Under: 11.5 wins
Biggest takeaway
There is no easy stretch. From start to finish, this is a gauntlet of a schedule.
The Ravens open the season by playing five 2024 postseason teams in the first six weeks. This includes a Week 4 game at Kansas City, where the Ravens haven't won since their 2012 Super Bowl season.
In the middle, Baltimore plays three consecutive weeks on the road, starting with a Thursday night game in Miami in Week 9. In their previous six seasons, the Ravens have had to go on the road for three straight games just once (2023).
Then, Baltimore closes out the season with three of four games on the road, culminating in road trips to Green Bay and Pittsburgh. This marks the first time that Baltimore ends a season with back-to-back road games since 2016.
Circle this date: Sept. 28 at Chiefs
If Baltimore wants to reach the Super Bowl for the first time in 13 years, the Ravens know they have to overcome a major mental hurdle by winning at Arrowhead Stadium, which has been the site of six of the past seven AFC Championship Games. Jackson is 0-3 in Kansas City, his worst record in any road city. After Baltimore's 27-20 loss at Arrowhead last season, a reporter mentioned to Jackson how he once described the Chiefs as his team's "kryptonite" years ago. "Ain't my kryptonite," Jackson snapped back.
Key stretch
The first four games. This is arguably the most challenging start in the Ravens' 30-season existence. Baltimore faces showdowns with three formidable Super Bowl contenders in September: at the Bills in Week 1, home against the Lions in Week 3 and at the Chiefs in Week 4. Those teams all won their divisions last season, combining for a 43-8 record (.843). But no one should assume Baltimore will find itself in an early hole. The Ravens traditionally start strong, with a 37-20 (.649) record in September under Harbaugh. That's the second-best mark in the NFL over that span behind the Packers, who are 38-20-1 (.653) in the opening month.
Bold prediction
The Ravens win three road games in three weeks for the first time in team history, sweeping their games at Miami (Week 9), Minnesota (Week 10) and Cleveland (Week 11). The Ravens have never been able to pull off the trifecta in their seven previous instances of three straight away games. And fun fact: Minnesota is one of the two places where Harbaugh has yet to win (Las Vegas is the other). The good news? Jackson's 34-13 road record (.723) is second to only Patrick Mahomes (44-12) since he entered the league in 2018.
Can Jackson and the Ravens three-peat in the AFC North?
Baltimore can accomplish something that has never been done before -- win three consecutive AFC North division titles. The Ravens will need a strong finish to capture the division because five of their last eight games are against AFC North teams, including road games at Cleveland, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. In order to derail Baltimore, the division has to figure out a way to slow down Jackson. In winning the AFC North crown in 2023 and 2024, the Ravens have scored 27 or more points in nine of their 12 division games.