As Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning walked off the field in anguish Saturday night after the Colts' loss to the San Diego Chargers, some of the Ravens had to be smiling in their Miami hotel rooms.
No NFL quarterback has tortured the Ravens' defense in recent years as much as Manning has, so it was great to know the road to the Super Bowl didn't have to go through Indianapolis.
Thus far in the postseason, the Ravens have gotten some significant breaks. They don't have to deal with Manning. There was no wild-card game in New England or going head-to-head with The Genius, Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
That's not to just say the Ravens are lucky. When you win 12 games in the NFL, you're pretty good. But with one game left in the regular season, playing in New England and against Manning were the two major obstacles to the Ravens' winning the title. Now, you have to like their chances better.
Call it luck. Call it destiny. Call it whatever you want, but at this point in the season, you take what you can get.
The Ravens didn't want to see Manning. The last time they did, he carved up their secondary for 271 yards and 31 points. It was a clear mismatch because of Manning's arm, the Colts' overall speed and the outstanding receivers on their roster compared with the Ravens' makeshift secondary.
But with Manning and crew out of the playoffs, the four remaining AFC teams - the Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Chargers and Tennessee Titans - are built pretty much the same, except San Diego likes to throw more than the other three.
All four teams like to play strong, physical defense, and none of them will back down from a good fight. That's why the Ravens' chances of winning are nearly as good as the other teams'. Tennessee had to rally late in the fourth quarter to beat the Ravens, and Pittsburgh had to complete last-minute comebacks for both victories over Baltimore.
But here's the X-factor for the Ravens: There is no Manning or Tom Brady or even Brett Favre left who can take advantage of their suspect secondary.
Tennessee's Kerry Collins? He's a veteran and a proven commodity, but he doesn't put the fear of Dan Marino in anyone.
San Diego's Philip Rivers? Gimme a break. Tough guy. Strong personality. But one game he might throw four touchdown passes, and the next day he might throw four interceptions. He's the poster child for better-than-average quarterbacks in the NFL.
