NFL Playoff Picture: Baltimore Ravens Will Host AFC's Best This January

Despite leading the AFC North via a narrow tiebreaker over the Pittsburgh Steelers because of having swept the defending AFC champions this season, the 10-3 Baltimore Ravens are primed for the conference's top spot heading into the 2011 NFL playoffs.

Baltimore is currently the No. 2 seed in the AFC standings behind the 10-3 Houston Texans because Houston has a better conference record, huh?

Fret not purple people, let me explain.

Both teams will be favored to win in each of their last three remaining games, and in that scenario the Ravens claim the AFC's No. 1 seed at 13-3, having beat Houston head-to-head back in Week 6.

Much better.

Baltimore is a lock to steamroll to the top spot in the season's remaining weeks with games against the 6-7 San Diego Chargers, the 4-9 Cleveland Browns and the 7-6 Cincinnati Bengals, who have lost four of their last five games.

Baltimore is a perfect 2-0 against Cleveland and Cincinnati this season, and could very well have Ray Lewis back in the line up for the second meeting with each division rival.

The Ravens are arguably the most complete team in the AFC right now given Houston's devastating injuries under center. 

Still, they can ill-afford to slip up with teams like Houston, Pittsburgh and New England right on their heels.

The good news: The Ravens rank top-five in the league in pass (fifth) and run (second) defense, and shut down opposing running backs better than the Steelers, who rank sixth against the run this season.

Baltimore also has an offense that can beat opponents in a variety of ways. 

Ray Rice has rushed for 1,029 yards and 10 TDs in 2011, and is complemented through the air by the strong arm of fourth-year starter Joe Flacco, who has thrown for 3,122 yards and 15 TDs this season.

Flacco is on pace to throw for a career-high in passing yards, and potentially completions. His nine interceptions would also be a career-best.

Meanwhile Rice, who is also in his fourth year oddly enough, is on pace to surpass his career-high from 2009 in rushing yards, and has already amassed nearly as many rushing TDs as he did in his three previous seasons in the NFL.

The lesson to be learned here is that the Ravens have a potent offense that is made twice as effective because they have a dominant, trash-talking defense to back it up.

Every interception or fumble by the Ravens' offense is half as costly as it would be to any other team without Terrell Suggs and Ed Reed to take the field in search of getting the ball back.

When Baltimore forces a turnover on D, their offense is even more dangerous. Flacco can take a deep shot to Anquan Boldin, or preferably Torrey Smith, knowing his defense just gave him a free opportunity to add points to the board. 

No other team outside of the Pittsburgh Steelers will be as dangerous as Baltimore in the AFC this January.

Those two teams, along with the Green Bay Packers, are built for a Super Bowl run on both sides of the ball, and in all three phases of the game.