Opponent

Much has been made about the Ravens welcoming back former defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano when he leads the Indianapolis Colts into M&T Bank Stadium for Sunday's AFC wild-card playoff game. It's a similar scenario for for Ravens offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell, who will face the Colts for the first time since the organization fired him in January after he coached them to a 2-14 season. Caldwell said Thursday that he still has fond memories and strong relationships with members of the franchise where he had spent the previous 10 years before being hired as the Ravens' quarterbacks coach in February.

Sunday's playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts could be the last for one of the greatest linebackers in football history, but the Ray Lewis who will dance out of the tunnel at M&T Bank Stadium - that is, assuming he does play - - has not, this season, resembled the Ray Lewis of lore. For the better part of 17 seasons in the NFL, Lewis seemed to - one pancaked ball-carrier at a time - take out his frustrations with the critics who said he was too small to play the linebacker position.

The Indianapolis Colts' Andrew Luck is one of three rookie quarterbacks in the NFL playoffs this season. Historically, the Ravens have played well against teams with first-year passers leading the offense. Rookie quarterbacks are 2-6 - and winless in the playoffs - against the Ravens since John Harbaugh became their coach before the 2008 season. “I can't tell you any secrets, but we've got a little niche going,” defensive tackle Arthur Jones said. “We definitely have something going that you'll see on Sunday.

Bengals 23, Ravens 17 Strategy: Believing that upgraded health in the postseason trumps building momentum, the Ravens rested injured players and key starters. And it worked as there were no serious injuries. The offense was run differently to accommodate the multi-dimensional skills of backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor, an excellent scrambler. The AFC North champions evaluated younger receivers Deonte Thompson and David Reed and rookie lineman Gino Gradkowski, the Ravens' future center.

With all the AFC division winners being decided, the Ravens' opponents for the 2013-14 campaign are now set. The dates and times of the games will be determined at a later date. Home : Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Houston Texans, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings. Road : Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions.  Also, a reminder that the Pro Bowl teams will be announced live at 7 p.m. tonight on NFL Network.

The John Carroll Patriots crushed visiting Centennial in wrestling Thursday night, 58-18. Devin Davis earned the Patriots their first non-forfeit victory of the night, pinning opponent Sam Routt in 2:17 during the 132-pound contest. Following a trio of Centennial victories, John Carroll's Austin Ross got the Patriots back on track with an 11-2 major decision win over Nick Shearin in the 160-pound bout. In the 170-pound matchup, John Carroll's Christian Scott pinned opponent Bradley Fasulo at the 2:55 mark.

Steelers 23, Ravens 20 Strategy: The Ravens aggressively tried to strike deep, but were largely inefficient. Wide receiver Torrey Smith was targeted eight times, but only generated three catches for 31 yards. They wavered between a smash-mouth approach and a free-wheeling passing game. The no-huddle offense was used just three times, one leading to Anquan Boldin's touchdown against an overmatched Cortez Allen. The shotgun formation was curtailed severely, down to 14 of 58 plays after the Ravens used it 51 times in San Diego a week earlier.

It is truly regrettable that Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori chose to donate $2,000 from his "personal account" to a group supporting intolerant treatment of American citizens ("A diverse coalition for gay rights," Nov. 29). Clearly, he wasted his money. One can only speculate how that same amount of money might have improved the lives of the people of Baltimore. We are confronted every day with lists of needs - some very basic - of our fellow citizens. If the Archbishop of Baltimore is such a poor steward of his personal funds, why should we trust him to manage donations to the archdiocese?

Ravens 16, Chargers 13 (OT) Strategy: Cam Cameron heavily utilized the shotgun formation, 51 times overall with 42 during regulation. This plays to Joe Flacco's strengths, allowing him to see the field and get the football out of his hands despite suspect pass blocking. The no-huddle has been scrapped on the road, and wasn't used once in San Diego. A steady diet of intermediate throws with the occasional timely deep shot paid dividends. There were no complaints about Ray Rice's workload: 22 rushes for 97 yards and eight catches on nine targets for 67 yards.