"Take it one game at a time" is the Godfather of all sports cliches. There is no other phrase in the world of athletics more shopworn than this. However, cliches exist for a reason, and if you want to be a successful coach and/or player, taking it one day at a time is a solid strategy. But sports writers aren't players and coaches.
They should and do look ahead, at the whole schedule and way beyond the next game. We will do just that here.
It's the third NFL game in Brazil in as many years, and a perfect early-season litmus test for the Ravens. In 2024, Baltimore got off to a 0-2 start, but quickly turned their season around by winning at Dallas in week three.
You've got to win your division games, and if the Bengals are anywhere near as for real as quarterback Joe Burrow believes, then these two clashes will be critical. While there are a lot of tough games on Baltimore's 2026 schedule, they do have the advantage of playing the entirety of the divisions that were the weakest in both conferences last season.
The Ravens' own division, the AFC North, was the weakest of the lot in the American Football Conference in 2025. Baltimore also faces every team in the NFC South, which was the softest division in the National Football Conference in 2025.