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Could Ravens lose out? Projections say there's a chance

Ravens tight end Crockett Gillmore hauls in a touchdown pass in the first half against the Jaguars on Sunday. AP Photo/Nick Wass

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- It was just a week ago that the two-win Baltimore Ravens were expressing confidence about winning their final eight games of the season. However, after a controversial loss to the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars -- a team that hadn't won a road game in 35 months -- on Sunday, it's fair to wonder whether the Ravens will win any of their remaining games.

Could the Ravens lose out? The numbers say there's a chance.

According to ESPN's Football Power Index, Baltimore is favored to win only two more games, but the percentages aren't convincing: 65 percent against the Rams and 35 percent against the Browns. At this point, the Ravens are one-point favorites over the Rams at home (which shows the diminishing confidence in them), and Baltimore is no longer assured a victory over Cleveland after splitting the previous four meetings with the Browns.

"I feel like we are a good football team that has a chance to be a very good football team, and I’m sticking with that," coach John Harbaugh said.

If the Ravens have proved anything this season, it's that you can't rule anything out for a team that has lost to Oakland, Cleveland and Jacksonville, the perennial cellar-dwellers of the NFL. Some will argue the Ravens technically beat the Jaguars, but everyone can agree Baltimore played poorly enough to lose that game, whether it was the four turnovers in the second half or the 121 yards in penalties.

Before the Jacksonville loss, there had been renewed hope coming off a bye because the Ravens had winnable home games against the Jaguars and Rams before playing at Cleveland and Miami, two places Baltimore has traditionally played well. Now, there needs to be a different perspective when looking ahead.

Baltimore's past seven opponents have a combined 32-33 record, which isn't formidable until you consider the Ravens (2-7) have a better record than just one of those teams, the Cleveland Browns (2-8). In fact, six of the Ravens' past seven opponents have double Baltimore's current win total.

It wouldn't be unprecedented if the Ravens don't win again this season. Over the past four seasons, three teams -- the 2011 Rams, 2013 Texans and 2014 Titans -- lost their last seven games after starting 2-7.

"We’re going to stay together. We’re going to fight," running back Justin Forsett said. "We’re Ravens. We’re going to be relentless, and we’re going to go out every game and prepare to win.”