John Harbaugh On Ravens' Playoff Hopes Despite 1-5 Start: 'we Still Believe We Can Do It.'

John Harbaugh is keeping the faith in his Baltimore Ravens.

Following Sunday's 17-3 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams, the back-to-back AFC North champions are looking up from the bottom of the division with a 1-5 start. But with 11 games to play, there is a lot of football left and a lot of time for the Ravens to find a way into the postseason for a fourth straight year.

According to the NFL, four teams since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger have started a season 1-5 and went on to qualify for the playoffs. The 1970 Cincinnati Bengals finished 8-6 and won the AFC Central; the 2015 Kansas City Chiefs ended up 11-5 and finished second in the AFC West; the 2018 Indianapolis Colts wound up 10-6 and were second in the AFC South; and the 2020 Washington Football Team won the NFC East with a 7-9 record.

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"Our focus going forward and what we can accomplish for the next 11 games and try to earn our way into the playoffs, which obviously as it was pointed out [Sunday] night has not been done very often with the record we have," Harbaugh said on Monday. "But we still believe we can do it."

Currently enjoying their bye week. the Ravens have a lot to look forward to when they resume play in Week 8. Quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has missed the past two games with a hamstring injury, is expected to return; left tackle Ronnie Stanley, who has missed or exited Baltimore's last three games early, will get extra rest; as will a banged-up defense that has allowed the fourth-most total yards (380.8) per game, the most points allowed per game (32.3) and forced the third-fewest turnovers (3) through six weeks of the season.

"If I didn't think we had the talent or the ability or the work ethic or the care factor from everybody in the building, then I wouldn't be as optimistic as I am," Harbaugh said. "I'm not trying to stand up here and feed anybody any baloney or say things that aren't true or talk out of both sides of my mouth. I'm trying to be as honest and straightforward as I can about where we're at and what we need to do."

Following their bye week, the Ravens will play the Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns and New York Jets through Week 12. Beginning on Thanksgiving night, they will play three straight division games — two against the Cincinnati Bengals and one against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Baltimore will also finish the regular season against the Steelers in Week 18.

This is tied for the worst start in franchise history. The last time the Ravens got off to a 1-5 start they finished the 2015 season with a 5-11 record, which started a three-year run of them missing the playoffs.

"It's been a test. It's been a test of faith," Harbaugh said. "And your family, obviously, it's a test for your family and a test for everybody in the building. And I think what I really try to be intentional about is continuing to respect people and to treat people the right way on our team, in the building, and our coaching staff who are giving everything they've got every single day to be the very best they can be."