NFL Playoff Picks: Why the Baltimore Ravens Are Poised to Beast Through the AFC

Often times in the playoffs it is quite easy to identify an obvious favorite in each conference from the start. In the NFC it is obviously the Green Bay Packers, who are the defending champions and went 15-1. Things are much sketchier in the AFC, however.

Between the New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, it would be very easy to see any of those teams representing the conference in the Super Bowl. While all of them have their strengths and weaknesses, I think the Ravens are the most complete team, and that will become very apparent.

From top to bottom, the Ravens truly are the total package. They very well may have the best defense in football as they excel in all areas, including defending the run and the pass, as well as rushing the passer and forcing turnovers. In fact, they rank in the top five in nearly every important defensive category.

The offense is much less heralded, but when it's on, it is capable of being one of the best in the league. Running back Ray Rice is an absolute workhorse who can handle large volumes of touches game in and game out. I think it's fair to say that the main concern surround Baltimore's chances, though, is quarterback Joe Flacco.

Some of the concerns are certainly valid as Flacco only completes around 58 percent of his passes and head coach John Harbaugh doesn't always seem to trust him late in games. At the same time, though, his overall statistics were quite good this season as he threw for 3,610 yards, 20 touchdowns and a respectable 12 interceptions.

The thing about Flacco, though, is that with how good the running game and the defense are, he doesn't need to be great—he just needs to play smart. The Ravens have gone deep in the playoffs before with Flacco under center, and there were some playoff games where he was barely asked to throw.

Baltimore's integrity as a strong defensive team that can run the ball remains, but Flacco is now more seasoned and can be trusted in big moments. While he doesn't always come through, I think his performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road several weeks ago is a good indicator of his growth.

With just over two minutes remaining and the Ravens trailing by four points, Flacco led the Ravens on a 92-yard drive that culminated in a 26-yard touchdown pass to Torrey Smith with just eight seconds remaining. This would have been impressive against any team, but it was especially so against the Steelers.

It remains to be seen whether Flacco can do something similar in the playoffs, but he probably won't have to if the defense plays up to its usual level. Baltimore's top competition in New England and Pittsburgh both have major deficiencies that the Ravens can exploit if and when they face them.

The Patriots have the worst pass defense in the league, while the Steelers are currently plagued by injuries as running back Rashard Mendenhall will miss the rest of the season and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is hobbled by an ankle ailment.

Baltimore is pretty healthy for this time of the year and can compete with the best in every area. Because of those factors I think it is very obvious that the Ravens should be the favorites in the AFC. The obvious doesn't always come to fruition, but in this case I believe it will.