You will often hear this time of year about how a certain team can be dangerous in the playoffs, and that “nobody will want to face them.” Theoretically all playoff teams are dangerous, and you have to face someone.

But it actually applies to the Baltimore Ravens.

After the Ravens beat the Los Angeles Chargers, Baltimore safety Eric Weddle was asked if the Ravens could get to the Super Bowl.

“Honestly, why not?” Weddle said, via NFL.com. “What do we do? We play great defense. We control the ball on offense. We play great special teams. Why can’t you win playoff football? That’s the ingredients to win. Anyone has a chance. If we get in the tournament, we have as a good a shot as anybody.

“I know for a fact no one wants to see us. I know that.”

Prepare yourselves, if you haven’t already, for an offseason-long debate about whether the Ravens offense we’ve seen with Lamar Jackson in the second half of the season is sustainable. You’re going to hear a lot about that. And it is hard to believe a quarterback can survive with 16.5 rushing attempts per game, which is what Jackson is averaging over six starts.

But forget about the big picture for a moment. On a week-to-week basis, nobody wants to play the Ravens. It’s a nightmare because their offense is unlike any other in the NFL.

What the Ravens are doing with Lamar Jackson is unique. While the other 31 offenses have their wrinkles, they are all fairly similar. The Ravens are different. It’s like a college football team facing a service academy that runs the option. Teams don’t face that style of offense at any other time, so it’s a pain in the behind. (“We’re not even grading this tape,” then-Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables said after OU allowed 351 rushing yards in 2010 to Air Force. “It doesn’t do us any good, so we’re going right on down the road.”)

For an idea of how unique the Ravens’ offense is, the Chiefs had cornerback Tremon Smith play Jackson in practice all week for the scout team. The Falcons used a trio of receivers, Russell Gage, Marvin Hall, and Mohamed Sanu. Oakland had practice squad receiver/defensive back Rico Gafford mimic Jackson in practice. When your week starts off with figuring out which non-quarterback has to play the role of the opposing QB in practice, you know it’s going to be an unusual preparation.

And not only do the Ravens center their offense on their quarterback’s running ability more than … well, any NFL team ever, they’re creative with formations and plays. Don’t confuse a run-heavy offense with a simple offense.

Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley summed up the “complicated” offense this way, according to The Athletic:

“Very challenging.”

There’s a reason the Ravens are 5-1 with Jackson starting, with just an overtime loss at Kansas City. The defense is good, and an elite running game fits well with that. You won’t get many possessions against the Ravens, and the defense is going to make every one of them tough. We’ve seen that formula work many times in January.

“A lot of challenges, just because you don’t know what plays they’re running,” Raiders coach Jon Gruden said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. “I don’t recognize some of the plays they’re running. You’ve got to go back to Louisville and study him there.”

Of course, the Ravens haven’t made the playoffs yet. They need to beat the Cleveland Browns on Sunday to clinch the AFC North title, and beating the Browns is not an easy task anymore. If the Ravens lose, that opens up the door for the Pittsburgh Steelers to take the division title.

While Pittsburgh is widely viewed as the more talented, explosive team, potential playoff opponents — and especially the defensive coordinators of those teams — will probably be rooting for the Steelers to win the AFC North. It’s less of a headache to prepare for them.

Lamar Jackson and the Ravens are a win away from an AFC North title. (AP) More