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Be thankful for: The infrastructure. This year hasn't gone according to plan. They blew a 21-10 lead to the Titans and wasted so many opportunities. Lamar Jackson threw a bad interception in the second half. He failed to connect with Mark Andrews on a key third down. They had a drive stall at the end of regulation and had to settle for a field goal to force overtime. They failed to bring A.J. Brown down on a key third down in the red zone. And they went three-and-out on their first drive in overtime. If the season ended today, the Ravens wouldn't make the playoffs. It's been by all accounts a disappointing season for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. But Jackson will be just 24 years old going into next season. John Harbaugh is an excellent coach. And Eric DeCosta and the front office have made mostly smart decisions. Nothing is guaranteed, but they are positioned to have more chances at a Super Bowl even if this year ends badly.

If the playoffs started today, they would be out. Now they face a tough turnaround with a road game against the Steelers on Thursday night. They don't throw it well enough.

They've suddenly lost three of four and are now depleted by COVID-19 in a short week when they have to go to Pittsburgh. But too soon to panic given Baltimore should be heavily favored in its final five games.

What they're thankful for: Easy December schedule

After a Thanksgiving night game in Pittsburgh, the banged-up and reeling Ravens get a much-needed reprieve with the easiest remaining schedule in the NFL. Baltimore's last five opponents have a combined 16-33-1 record (.333). The Ravens don't look much like a playoff team right now after losing three of their past four games. But Baltimore should reach the postseason for a third straight season by taking care of the Cowboys (3-7), Jaguars (1-9), Giants (3-7) and Bengals (2-7-1). -- Jamison Hensley

The Ravens had another chance to entrench themselves as an AFC power player in Week 11, but instead came away looking like a pretender. On Sunday, they suffered the indignity of watching the Titans -- the same team that ruined their fairytale season in 2019 -- celebrate a walk-off 29-yard scoring run by Derrick Henry in overtime. Baltimore outplayed Tennessee for much of the game, but a touchdown by A.J. Brown late in the fourth quarter -- on a third-down play in which Brown ran through four would-be Ravens tacklers on his way to the end zone -- said a lot about the current state of Ravens football. "It looked like that team wanted it more than us," Lamar Jackson said. The man's got a point.