For the Baltimore Ravens, Week 3 has become the most pivotal moment of the season. After making it to the AFC Championship game last season, the Ravens are in jeopardy of starting the 2024 campaign 0-3. History shows that teams beginning 0-3 face harsh odds and rarely recover to make the playoffs. This is Baltimore’s reality as they travel to Dallas to face the 1-1 Cowboys.
Starting a season at 0-3 puts an NFL team in a serious bind. The statistics are daunting and haven’t improved since the league added a 17th game in 2021. Since 2021, no team that has lost its first three games has come back to make the playoffs. While some teams have defied the odds, turning the ship around to make the postseason after a 0-3 start is a feat that has not been accomplished often.
Breaking down 0-3 historically
To understand just how important Sunday’s game with the Cowboys is to the Ravens, we first need to understand the ramifications of losing that third game to start a season. Since 1979, only six NFL franchises have fallen to 0-3 and have been fortunate enough to turn things around and qualify for the postseason.
That’s over four decades worth of NFL football and only six times has an 0-3 team salvaged their season. Since 1990, the feat has been accomplished just four times and only the 1992 San Diego Chargers (San Diego dropped its first four games) and 2018 Houston Texans won their division. So, it’s fairly safe to say that a team that falls to 0-3 is pretty much done in terms of competing for a playoff spot.
What this means for Baltimore
As the Ravens have closed in on their Week 3 matchup with the Cowboys, the tension has mounted. After dropping their first two games to the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders, Baltimore faces a crucial junction in the season. Starting the season 0-2 isn't ideal, but moving to 0-3 could be disastrous. This is one of those times that history is not on Baltimore’s side. It seemed the Ravens had finally broken through last year making a run to the AFC title game and hanging with the Chiefs down to the very end.
A Desperate Situation
Baltimore finds itself in a precarious situation. At 0-2, the stakes are heightened as the Ravens come in desperate for a win against the Cowboys. There is no doubt this game will be a defining moment in their season, affecting any potential playoff aspirations.
Week 3 isn’t just another game; it's a defining chapter in the Ravens' season. Victory here could reignite their path to the playoffs, illustrating that even when the odds are against a team, they can rise and compete with the best.
