Maybe Terrell Suggs is starting to sizzle again.

He began to look like his old self Sunday. He anticipated the snap count. He had explosion off the ball. The speed move was back, and he was making New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady uncomfortable.

Suggs could be the final piece in the development of a defensive line that is peaking at the right time. The Ravens have had to fight age, injuries and selfishness this season, but they put on a terrific display Sunday.

If the Ravens are to advance to the AFC championship game, they're going to need another stellar effort Saturday night against the Indianapolis Colts and quarterback Peyton Manning.

"This is a playoff game. It's playoff football, and you always have to turn your game up," Suggs said. "We are a pretty good team in January, and a lot of things can happen for us. We are just trying to keep our season going.

"Next week we have another challenge. We got the two best quarterbacks in the game back-to-back, and we definitely have to bring our 'A' game."

It's highly unlikely the Colts will spot the Ravens a 24-0 first-quarter lead as New England did Sunday, but that's what made the game even more fascinating. Pass defense and pressuring the quarterback have been the Achilles' heel of this team all season, so it was interesting to see how the Ravens would handle Brady when he was given the green light to throw more than 40 times.

The Ravens buried Brady with inside blitzes from linebackers Ray Lewis and Jarret Johnson, but they also got pressure from their down linemen. Suggs and end/tackle Dwan Edwards each had a sack, and Trevor Pryce forced Brady to move a couple of times in the pocket.

The Ravens sometimes got a rush using only three or four defensive linemen, something they haven't done well all season. That's the sign of a good defense possibly coming together.

"We had a lot of pressure, and he had to get rid of the ball quickly," Pryce said. "It doesn't always mean you tackle him, but it means you get close enough to rattle him and make him make a decision very quickly."

Johnson said: "I thought we did a good job of mixing it up. We did a lot of four-man rush. They had a hard time picking up exactly where we were coming from."

The biggest surprise, though, was Suggs. He came to training camp about 13 pounds overweight, and then he had a knee injury that forced him to miss several games.

He has been heavily criticized for his lack of production after signing a new six-year, $63 million contract in July and for his off-the-field domestic issues, but Suggs showed up Sunday. His sack and recovery of a fumble by Brady in the first quarter led to a touchdown and a 14-0 lead.

Suggs has always been sound against the run, but if he can turn his game up in the postseason, the Ravens can present opposing teams with a lot of problems.

If Suggs can be dominant enough again so he draws a double team, then that would leave Pryce or Antwan Barnes or Edwards in one-on-one situations. That's an enviable position for the Ravens.

Another lineman who stood out was Edwards, a sixth-year player. Including the sack, Edwards had seven tackles. He almost had another sack because, like Pryce, he is relentless in pass-rushing situations.

It appears as though the Ravens have finally found their rotation. Injuries slowed run-stopping tackles Haloti Ngata (ankle) and Kelly Gregg (knee) this season.

Because of major knee surgery at the start of last season, Gregg was expected to start slow, but he has been dominating in the final month of the season. Ngata will battle the soreness in his ankle for the rest of the season, but he is again a force.

With Ngata and Gregg sharing time with Justin Bannan, the Ravens have their three best run-stoppers healthy in the postseason. Pryce and Edwards can split time and are effective against the pass or run.

Barnes or Johnson can play outside linebacker or defensive end, and if Suggs is finally back, the Ravens should make the game against the Colts very interesting.

The Colts now have some serious game-planning to do.

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