The 2013 Baltimore Ravens went 8-8 and missed the playoffs. The 2014 Ravens lucked their way into the playoffs as a decent 9-7 team. 2015 doesn’t count, as injuries explain the story of that season. 2016 saw an 8-8 record. 2017 saw a 9-7 Ravens miss the postseason. It’s a story that doesn’t change, a wheel that continually turns one way.
The cost of the Ravens middle of the pack records is substantial. The Ravens do just enough to get out of range for top draft picks, and just bad enough to miss the playoffs. Baltimore hasn’t seen the playoffs since 2014.