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The Baltimore Ravens are 1-5 heading into their bye week, but head coach John Harbaugh still thinks they can make the playoffs.
Only the 1970 Cincinnati Bengals, 2015 Kansas City Chiefs, 2018 Indianapolis Colts and the then-Washington Football Team in 2020 have made the playoffs after 1-5 departures since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, according to NBC Sports.
Harbaugh said much of his belief is rooted in star quarterback Lamar Jackson’s return from injury after the bye week.
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Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh watches the second quarter of the game against the Los Angeles Rams at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland on October 12, 2025. (Mitch Stringer/Imagn Images)
“Well, I have a pretty high expectation that Jackson will come back,” Harbaugh told reporters at a news conference Monday.
“If I was on the couch with a psychiatrist right now, if I said it, I would have to say that I lean into it very hard, very hard. For any type of psychological well-being, spiritual well-being, I lean heavily on that. So I’m hopeful that that will happen.”
Harbaugh, after the team’s 17-3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, said he expected Jackson and middle linebacker Roquan Smith to return from injury.
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Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh watches the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Baltimore Ravens at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on August 16, 2025. (Jérôme Miron/Imagn Images)
Jackson injured his hamstring in the team’s 37-20 loss to the Chiefs in Week 4 and missed the last two weeks because of it. The two-time MVP had completed 71.6% of his passes for 869 yards with 10 touchdowns and an interception before being sidelined.
Harbaugh also said the team is going to rely on veteran leadership to help turn things around.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) leaves the field after a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri on September 28, 2025. (Jay Biggerstaff/Imagn Images)
“It’s something we work on all the time. I believe in our guys. I really love our guys. I have great respect for our guys. Our guys are really special people, and if you look at each of these guys that you’re talking about – the veteran leaders – you’ll understand why I would say that. But we’re working on that, because when you face such adversity in football – like in life, we say (that all the time) but it’s true,” Harbaugh said.
The Ravens will come off the bye week and look to get their season back on track when they face the Chicago Bears (3-2) at home in Week 8.
