Ravens could be formidable postseason foe thanks to defense

There are some folks in the AFC who shudder at the thought of facing the Ravens' defense in the playoffs.

That's understandable, given Baltimore's propensity for takeaways (league-high 33) and its turnover margin (plus-17). That the offense is substandard tends to get ignored a bit, particularly if Terrell Suggs, C.J. Mosley and Matthew Judon are in an opposing quarterback's face all day.

Should the Ravens (8-6) win out, something they have a very strong chance of doing by facing Indianapolis on Saturday, then Cincinnati to close the schedule, they could be a formidable foe in January.

Baltimore is 58-20 at home during the regular season in coach John Harbaugh's 10-year run, including 15-7 in December.