Will The Ravens Go To Indy?

The stage is finally set for the NFL playoffs. The following teams will all be playing at least one more game before they take a seat on the coach with the rest of us:

AFC                                                                              NFC                                                                              

1. New England Patriots                                           1. Green Bay Packers

2. Baltimore Ravens                                                 2. San Francisco 49ers

3. Houston Texans                                                    3. New Orleans Saints

4. Denver Broncos                                                    4. New York Giants

5. Pittsburgh Steelers                                               5. Atlanta Falcons

6. Cincinnati Bengals                                               6. Detroit Lions

The top two seeds in each conference move right into the second round of the playoffs. As a Raven's fan, I have mixed feelings. Getting a "bye" in the first round means that I won't get to watch them play this weekend. On the other hand, it puts them one step closer to the Super Bowl.

And before I go any further, let me confirm that the number six seed in the NFC is not a typo. Yes, the Detroit Lions made the playoffs this year.

One of the most interesting teams in the whole mix has got to be the Denver Broncos. Here's a team who started off at 2-5. Then, from what some might describe as divine intervention, a guy named Tim Tebow came along and   led Denver to five consecutive wins. And just when you thought they would storm into the playoffs, they actually limped into the post-season, losing their final three games and ending up with an unimpressive 8-8 record. Actually, the Oakland Raiders and the San Diego also finished with 8-8 records. But  Denver won the tie-breaker scenario and gets to play another week. And because Denver won their division they will get to host the 12-4 Steelers this Sunday. Can Tim Tebow possibly resurrect some of that magic he showed us a few weeks ago?

Let's take a look the AFC North.....

Here's a division that sends three teams to the playoffs: Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. (By the way, if Denver happened to be in the AFC North, they would not have even made the play-offs.) What makes this so interesting is that these three teams have already faced each other twice during the regular season. From the first round match-ups (Houston vs. Cincinnati and Pittsburgh vs. Denver), I would expect both of the AFC North teams to win their first round games. Of the winning teams, the highest reaming seed will then travel to Baltimore to face the Ravens. So, it's very possible that either the Steelers or the Bengals will face their division rival for the third time this year. Keep in mind that Baltimore is 6-0 against the AFC North this season. And they are 8-0 at home. Could we possibly have a rematch of last year's Pittsburgh/Baltimore play-off game? Will Baltimore get it's revenge? One thing is certain, it would definitely be fun to watch....

This year's Super Bowl will be played in Indianapolis. How poetic would it be for Baltimore's "new" team to win the Lombardi Trophy on the turf of Baltimore's "old" team? And to make the deal even a little more sweeter, Hall Of Fame receiver Raymond Berry (and former Baltimore Colt) will be presenting the Lombardi Trophy to Commissioner Roger Goodell (who will then present it to the winning team).

It almost sounds like the script has already been written.....

kw