This week the Ravens and to some degree their fans get to sit back, rest a bit both physically and mentally before cranking up the adrenaline throttle in preparation for January 15, 2012 at 1:00PM. Together we can take in all the games, the most interesting and perhaps most pivotal of which for the Ravens is the Bengals v. Texans game in Houston this Saturday at 4:30PM.  

The oddsmakers have installed the home team as a 3 point favorite and if it plays out that way and the Texans win, it should be music to the ears of Ravens fans. That means the Ravens would host the Texans a week from Sunday and in all likelihood, despite being banged up, the Steelers will draw the Patriots on Saturday, January 14.

Earlier this season the Steelers beat the Patriots on October 30 at Heinz Field by the score of 25-17. It wasn’t that close. And despite their injuries, if the Steelers can take the early lead on January 14 in Foxboro, I don’t think they’ll give it up as easily as the philanthropic Dolphins and Bills who wet the bed after taking 17-0 and 21-0 leads on the Patriots, respectively.

After the Ravens hand the Texans a Charm City beat down, they will get ready to host the Steelers on January 22 at 3PM.

Now unless you’ve just returned from a tour of duty in the caves of Afghanistan, you know that the Ravens swept the Steelers during the 2011 regular season and that fact seems to make many fans a little uneasy.

“It’s so hard to beat a team three times in the same season.”

No it’s not!

It’s hard to PLAY the same time three times in the same season. BUT if one team beats the other during the first two games it’s actually more likely that the winner of games 1 and 2 also wins the third. In fact during the modern era of the NFL (when the AFL & NFL merged) this situation has presented itself 18 times and the team that has taken the first 2 games also won the third 12 times – 67% of the time!

Root for the Texans on Saturday and if your cheers are answered by Arian Foster & Company, prepare to see the Ravens represent the AFC in Super Bowl XLVI.

Oh and as the home team they’ll get to wear purple too!

You with me?