N.F.L. FAST FORWARD; No. 1 vs. No. 1: It's Rarer Than You Think New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots, two most dominant regular-season teams and top seeds in each conference, prepare for Super Bowl; Baltimore Ravens coach Brian Billick, whose team knocked off top-seeded Tennessee Titans on its way to Super Bowl title in 2000, discounts idea that top seeds feel more pressure because opponents are targeting them; photos (M)l

While Offense Is Pondered, Colts’ Defense Takes Over With their 20-3 victory Saturday, the Colts sounded a warning shot for the Jets in next Sunday’s A.F.C. championship game and perhaps beyond.

Well-Rested Manning Leads Colts Past Ravens The Colts showed no signs of rust as they dissected a Ravens team that never got in gear. The win sends the Colts to the A.F.C championship game.

COLTS 20, RAVENS 3; Well-Rested Manning Leads Colts Past Ravens Indianapolis Colts defeat Baltimore Ravens, 20-3, to advance to conference title game; photos (M)g

Ravens Lineman Can Create His Own Ending The next challenge for the Ravens’ Michael Oher, whose story was chronicled in “The Blind Side,” comes Saturday night against the Colts in Indianapolis, where his past and present will intersect.

RAVENS 33, PATRIOTS 14; Dominating Victory by the Ravens Shakes Up a Dynasty Their injured receiver, Wes Welker, watched from a luxury box, his crutches propped nearby providing a fitting reminder of how fragile the New England Patriots' grip on success has become. Perhaps, if better days are ahead, the Patriots will look back on this season as a blip in their dynasty, the moments when a young team tasted bitter defeat and grew from it. But on Sunday, their glorious past gave way to a miserable present, the Baltimore Ravens overwhelming the Patriots with an 83-yard touc...

For Jets, Success Far Beyond One Playoff Victory The Jets’ win over the Bengals highlighted Rex Ryan’s Baltimore pedigree, from the Ravens players he brought with him, to an overall approach to football.

After Super Bowl Catch, Tyree Is Just Hanging On David Tyree, who helped the Giants win a Super Bowl, has carved a niche for himself on the Baltimore Ravens by excelling on special teams.

N.F.L. ROUNDUP; The Ravens Win and Are In; New England Is Next Willis McGahee ran for a career-high 167 yards and 3 touchdowns, including a 77-yarder that included a vicious stiff-arm, and the Baltimore Ravens clinched an American Football Conference wild-card berth Sunday by beating the host Oakland Raiders, 21-13. ''It's not easy to make the playoffs in the National Football League, and our guys did it, and it's been a tough road,'' Coach John Harbaugh said.

Penalties Cost Ravens At times, the Ravens seem to be the only ones who don't realize their tough, physical, old-fashioned brand of football is, these days, often illegal. Baltimore leads the league in penalty yards. On Sunday at Pittsburgh, Baltimore managed to turn a playoff-clinching win into a loss, because of 113 yards' worth of flags. They weren't your run-of-the mill flags, either. Kelly Washington's hold negated a Willis McGahee touchdown. Terrell Suggs's block in the back wiped out a Domonique Foxworth scor...