A year ago, the Baltimore Ravens had already wrapped up the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs as they headed toward the final week of the regular season.
Baltimore rested many of its starters in that meaningless finale, a luxury derived from its stature as the team with the best record in the NFL.
This season, the Ravens face a must-win situation Sunday in Cincinnati. And they couldn’t be happier, considering all they’ve gone through to get this far.
Baltimore started 5-1 before a coronavirus-induced slump — combined with injuries to starting left tackle Ronnie Stanley and tight end Nick Boyle — left the Ravens at 6-5 and in desperate need of a late surge to reach the postseason.