At the beginning of the season, when the Ravens won two in a row, this town was already buzzing about playoffs.
It was way too early.
But now after the Ravens beat the Houston Texans, 41-13, on Sunday, you can actually start thinking about the p-word. Go ahead, let it roll off your tongue. The picture is starting to become a little clearer.
If the Ravens had lost to the Texans, there would be few scenarios remaining that had the Ravens in the postseason, even with the Indianapolis Colts knocking off the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
But if the magic number for the Ravens (6-3) is 10-6, that record is a possibility because they have a realistic shot at winning four of their last seven.
There is some apprehension. The toughest part of the Ravens' schedule begins Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J., when the Ravens meet the New York Giants (8-1), the defending Super Bowl champions.
Some say that if the Ravens want to make a statement, then that will be the game. But the Ravens made a statement Sunday in Houston.
It's still an uphill battle because the Ravens are playing good football teams such as the Giants, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh. Even some of the disappointing teams on the remainder of their schedule, such as the Dallas Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars, will be tough.
But if you take a closer look at the Ravens, they are a much improved team from when the season started. They are nowhere near as bad as they looked in training camp and have made significant progress just in the past month.
Defensively, they are still one of the NFL's most dominant units despite several serious injuries in the secondary. The Ravens have a great front seven, perhaps the league's best.
But it's on offense that they have grown the most. The Ravens have established themselves as a run-oriented team. A young offensive line has developed into a solid group despite key injuries.
Joe Flacco is so far advanced in his development as a quarterback that he no longer can be classified as a rookie, and he is actually starting to spread the ball around to his receivers.
Another key to consider is the strength of the coaching staff. Defensive coordinator Rex Ryan has done a masterful job of working around those injuries in the secondary, even now hiding the hamstring injury to safety Ed Reed.
