Count on the Ravens

Here we go again. The Ravens are headed into another lion's den, and there's just no way they can win on the road against an opponent the caliber of the Tennessee Titans. That's what they're saying in Music City, but those of us who have been around this team all season know the Ravens have the Titans right where they want them.

Home-field advantage? The Ravens will make themselves at home in Nashville as they've made themselves very much at home in six of their past seven road stops. The only one of those seven road games they lost was to the New York Giants at the Meadowlands, and I believe the Giants are the defending Super Bowl champions.

The Titans fancy themselves a Super Bowl team, but they're 3-3 in their past six games. If the Ravens' secondary plays as it has lately, Kerry Collins might need surgery after the game to remove Ed Reed from his psyche.

No. 1 seed in the AFC? All the top seeding gets you is a big, red bull's-eye on your backs. The Ravens are the team from nowhere, which is why they are so dangerous and determined. They just have to do what they've been doing the past three weeks to get to the AFC championship game. They've got the momentum. They've got the big-play defense. And, after tomorrow, the Titans will always have Opryland.