Ravens and Packers Set for Week 17 Cross-Conference Matchup with NFL Playoffs on the Line
It is win or go home for the Baltimore Ravens. While it has felt like a do-or-die situation for the Ravens all year, Week 17 could put the final nail in the coffin of a disastrous 2025 season. Sitting at 7-8 and in second place in the AFC North, the Ravens will travel to take on the 9-5-1 Green Bay Packers, who are in their own fight for not only a playoff spot, but the NFC North. Quarterbacks for both teams are questionable for the matchup, as both Lamar Jackson and Jordan Love exited their respective Week 16 games with injuries. Cross-conference games are just as unpredictable as inter-divisional games, but one team has an easier path to the postseason, while the other has fans eagerly anticipating 2026.
Postseason Scenarios
For the Baltimore Ravens, it is simple. They need to win their final two games and hope the 9-6 Pittsburgh Steelers will lose to the 3-12 Cleveland Browns. If the Ravens win in Week 17 and the Steelers lose, it will come down to the Week 18 battle between Baltimore and Pittsburgh for the AFC North. Baltimore has no path to a wild-card spot. However, if the Ravens lose to the Packers or the Steelers defeat the Browns, Week 18 will essentially be an exhibition match with nothing on the line except rival-based bragging rights.
As for the Packers, they cannot be eliminated from postseason contention this week. The Packers can clinch if they win one of their two final games or if the Lions lose either of the final two. If they defeat the Ravens, they will eliminate the Lions from the playoffs and earn a spot themselves. However, if the Packers lose, the Bears will win the NFC North, forcing Green Bay to be in a win-and-in situation versus the Vikings in Week 18. Similar to Baltimore’s path to the postseason, the only situation where Green Bay is eliminated is if the Packers lose their last two games and the Lions win their last two games. The difference is that the Ravens have one more game against the Steelers, whereas the Packers do not play the Lions again, adding an extra layer of complication, which is rooting for a divisional rival to help you make the playoffs.
Who Will Start at QB?
Weird but true fact: Lamar Jackson has never played the Green Bay Packers in the regular season, and it looks like he won’t in 2025. Since Lamar was drafted, the Ravens have only played the Packers once, and Tyler Huntley got the start in 2021 due to a Lamar Jackson injury. Jackson exited the Sunday Night Football loss to the Patriots just before halftime due to a mild contusion in his back, caused by a defender’s knee on a non-QB-protected slide. Backup QB Tyler Huntley has since left the Ravens, returned, earned the backup job midseason, and is in line to start his second game for the Ravens in 2025. Huntley is more than capable of taking down the Packers, especially after leading the team to one of their two home wins over the Chicago Bears, who are fighting for the first-round bye and NFC North title. Fans hope Lamar is healthy and able to start, but they feel more comfortable with Huntley under center rather than Cooper Rush.
In Green Bay, Jordan Love is also questionable to play in his first regular-season matchup against the Ravens due to a concussion suffered late in the first half of their Week 16 loss to Chicago. Malik Willis came in and did everything he could for the Packers, but it wasn’t enough. Josh Jacobs is also questionable with knee and ankle injuries, barely playing in the second half, which may have contributed to Green Bay’s downfall. Willis won his two starts for Green Bay in 2024, filling in for Love, and put up modest stats for someone who didn’t take first-team reps and was thrown into the deep end at a moment’s notice. Packer fans will hope Love will play, but also, like Baltimore, fans feel confident in Willis’ ability in the Green Bay system if Love is unable to suit up. It is also worth noting that Willis is dealing with a shoulder injury from the last drive of Week 16, but is more than likely to suit up than practice squad QB Clayton Tune, who lost his only start in Arizona and has yet to throw a touchdown in 13 appearances.
Ravens Gameplan
The game plan is simple for Baltimore: give Derrick Henry the ball. While the Ravens' rushing offense has been very hit-or-miss due to the offensive line's struggles, Derrick Henry is still a smash-mouth ball carrier. Henry scored twice in the loss against New England and surprisingly didn’t take another snap, which is a common factor as to why the Ravens have blown leads or simply lost a game. Henry averages five yards per rush and about 83 yards per game, while the Packers allow about 104 yards per game on the ground. Henry, combined with Huntley or Jackson’s rushing ability, could open the playbook and add a dimension to how the offense looks, giving fans a glimmer of hope in a disappointing season.
The Ravens must also limit the turnovers. Another common factor in the Ravens’ losses over the last few seasons has been untimely fumbles and costly interceptions. From the game-losing Huntley fumble against the Bengals in the playoffs to a Zay Flowers fumble in the 2023 AFC Championship Game and a fumble in the 2024 Divisional Round loss to Buffalo, the Ravens can’t find a way to hold onto the ball and finish drives in big moments in or out of the playoffs. Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers, Mark Andrews, Lamar Jackson, and Isaiah Likely are the biggest culprits of the turnovers, but that is because they are the star playmakers who spend the most time with the ball. More time with the ball equals more opportunities to lose possession. While that statement should not be the case, it unfortunately is for the Ravens. Micah Parsons, who tore his ACL in Week 15, is primarily a pass rusher for Green Bay, but could have been a deciding factor in disrupting any part of the Ravens offense.
The Ravens’ defense will have to band together and stop the Packers' offense. Creating an effective pass rush is something the Ravens have been unable to do all season, but the return of Tavius Robinson helps add depth and energy to a slow and stagnant pass rush. Marlon Humphrey and the DBs will have their hands full with Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Matthew Golden, and Jayden Reed, who are all competent pass catchers with deadly deep threat abilities. While Kyle Hamilton should remain a versatile defender, capable of playing all positions, the defense will rely on Roquan Smith to cover short inside passes and disrupt rushing lanes. The formula that helped shut out the Bengals might not work against the Packers, but there is no reason to say it shouldn’t. If the Ravens can successfully rush the passer, force throws, make tackles, and play clean football with no unnecessary penalties, they can keep their season alive for at least another 12 hours, until the Steelers take on the Browns.
Final Prediction
No matter who is starting at QB, the Ravens' traveling to Green Bay will be a great game to watch. Whether it is Willis versus Huntley, Willis versus Jackson, Love versus Huntley, or Love versus Jackson, both sets of QBs are capable of leading their team to victory. The real question is whether the Ravens can overcome their season-long struggles and take down the Packers, or if the Packers can rally to the playoffs without Micah Parsons and potentially Jordan Love leading their team. My final score prediction will be 32-29 in favor of the Ravens. While there may be some fan bias in the prediction, the Ravens are fully capable of winning this game, but can also easily blow this game, allowing Aaron Rodgers and other Pittsburgh stars to rest in their Week 18 matchup. You can watch the Packers host the Ravens on NBC, Peacock, or NFL+ on Saturday, December 27th, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. EST as a Peacock-exclusive Holiday matchup.
