OTL: Ahead of NFL Schedule Release, 4 Most Intriguing Ravens Matchups

For social media teams around the NFL, Thursday’s schedule release truly becomes their version of the Super Bowl. Creative and comedic schedule-centered videos will flood the internet, as the 2026 NFL schedule will become official. A few games have already been confirmed, including the Ravens’ Week 3 road game in Brazil, where they’ll battle the Dallas Cowboys.

But before everything else becomes official this evening, let’s take a look at a few of the more intriguing matchups for the Ravens in 2026.

Ravens @ Bills

There might not be a better quarterback battle on the Ravens schedule than another road matchup against Josh Allen and the Bills. Both MVP quarterbacks put on an absolute showcase in the first Sunday Night Football game of the year in 2025, regardless of the outcome for Baltimore. Lamar Jackson and Allen combined for 703 total yards of offense and seven total touchdowns in the Bills’ stunning 41-40 comeback win last season. There are plenty of interesting storylines that’ll surround this matchup as the weeks continue. Both teams will enter the year with new coaches, following the departure of John Harbaugh in Baltimore and Sean McDermott in Buffalo. The Bills are also set to open their new High Mark Stadium, replacing the 53-year-old stadium just across the street. This matchup between Buffalo and Baltimore will be the 4th time in the last three seasons the two teams have met, and the second straight in Buffalo following each team finishing 2nd place in their respective divisions.

Prime time or a 4:25 national TV time slot feels like a guarantee between these two. Will this potential playoff matchup be another early-season tilt or a late-season battle with large postseason implications?

Ravens @ Cowboys in Brazil (Week 3)

The only confirmed game for the Ravens up to this point is their Week 3 battle with the Cowboys, from Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It’s the first NFL game that will be played in Rio de Janeiro, with the Cowboys serving as the home team, so Ravens fans avoid losing a home game. The Cowboys will serve as a real offensive test early in the year for the now Jesse Minter-run Ravens. Baltimore’s secondary was a true liability last season, but they’ll be given an early shot to rewrite their outlook in a matchup featuring CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and Jake Ferguson. Lamb and Pickens combined for over 2,500 receiving yards last season, with Ferguson emerging as a real TE1 with 8 TDs and a career-high 82 receptions. The last time these two teams met was just two seasons ago, a 28-25 victory for Baltimore. Dallas finished 2nd in YPG (391.9) and 7th in PPG (27.7) during the 2025 season, losing just Justin Tolbert to free agency as far as skill position players.

The pageantry should be interesting, as well as the atmosphere as a whole. A road game away from an NFL stadium should take away the home-field advantage from Dallas.

Chargers @ Ravens

Minter gets the chance to coach against his former team in his first season with the Ravens, when the Chargers come to M&T Bank Stadium. After two seasons as the defensive coordinator with Los Angeles, Minter was hired to replace John Harbaugh as head coach, becoming just the fourth in Ravens franchise history. Minter won’t be the only one taking on their former team, as both former Ravens tight end Charlie Kolar and running back Keaton Mitchell will make their returns to Baltimore. Mitchell had some interesting comments that came out yesterday, when he stated the Ravens never reached out to him or his agent regarding a contract extension.

#Chargers RB Keaton Mitchell says he was shocked the Ravens had no interest in bringing him back — to the point that neither he nor his agent even heard from them.

“I was surprised. I ain’t gonna lie.” pic.twitter.com/SDuuCtDVLT

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) May 13, 2026

It’s not uncommon for a player to return with a chip on his shoulder, which will make Mitchell’s return even more interesting to witness following his remarks. For two seasons since Jim Harbaugh’s return, this matchup was always referred to as the “Har-Bowl.” Even without the battle of the brothers, this battle still finds a way to make you tune in.

Browns @ Ravens

I was having some trouble deciding which divisional game really pulled me more. We all know what happens when Lamar and Joe Burrow are at the top of their games, but neither game last year delivered those same fireworks. Pittsburgh and Baltimore is always a battle, but Pittsburgh is still trying to figure out its quarterback situation, which makes it difficult to pick at this slot. The Browns remain, and could really be the most interesting divisional game this season. Todd Monken is set to begin his tenure as head coach in Cleveland, following three seasons with the Ravens. An MVP season in 2023, a should-have-been MVP season in 2024, and an injury-riddled season for Jackson in 2025 is unfortunately how the Monken/Lamar duo came to an end. Monken’s offensive creativity and the additions on the outside for the Browns could put Cleveland’s quarterback in the best position to succeed. Adding both KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston in this past April’s draft showed the Browns’ willingness to address the wideout position, which has been severely underwhelming over the last few years.

We’ve seen what Todd Monken is capable of, and we will now have to face his offense twice a year. Cleveland has some question marks regarding who exactly will take the snaps under center in Week 1, but the additions this offseason have me interested to see how both teams will match up.

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