The start of the playoffs on Saturday evening featured a couple of upsets, which was pretty much par for the course in this wacky 2010 season. The one the football world is talking about for now is how a 7-9 team, the Seahawks, stunned the defending Super Bowl champions, the Saints. The historic 41-36 upset provides more ammunition for proponents of playoff realignment.
But here in Baltimore, everyone is probably talking -- and should be -- about how Rex Ryan and the Jets did the Ravens a huge favor by eliminating Peyton Manning and the Colts from the playoffs. The Jets got a buzzer-beating field goal from Nick Folk to pull the rug out from under Peyton, who had just mounted a go-ahead drive of his own, in New York's 17-16 victory.
Sure, the Ravens have a long way to go to get Dallas (and they might not even survive Kansas City if the offense doesn't get its act together). But with their long-time nemesis out of the tourney, the Ravens won't have to clear the biggest possible mental hurdle to get to the Super Bowl.
If the Ravens beat the Chiefs, they would play the Steelers in Pittsburgh next weekend (and who isn't excited about that possibility?). Meanwhile, the Jets play the Patriots, and maybe they'll do everyone another favor by taking care of Tom Brady, too. Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves, though. The Ravens better make sure they handle Matt Cassel and the Chiefs first.
