Who would provide the most favorable playoff matchup for the Ravens: the Dolphins, Jets or Patriots?

Bring on the Jets

This is a no-brainer. It also will sound like blasphemy.

Given the choice of facing Chad Pennington, Matt Cassel or Brett Favre, I'll take the NFL's all-time leading touchdown passer - and the New York Jets - for so many reasons.

First of all, the Ravens' defense would feast on Favre. He's a long-ball passer in a short-ball pass offense. The Jets really haven't figured out how to best use their aging icon. And Favre has given them few clues.

In the past four games - three of them losses, by the way - Favre has thrown six interceptions and one touchdown pass. The Jets' only win in that stretch was achieved by defense and destiny - yes, destiny, Bob Costas - not on Favre's heroics.

I'd really rather not face Bill Belichick and Cassel in frosty New England, where the tuck rule is always a threat, or Pennington and the rejuvenated Dolphins. Belichick is famous for eating up first-year quarterbacks, even those as precocious as Joe Flacco. Pennington has been a godsend in Miami, where the Dolphins haven't had a dependable quarterback since Dan Marino. Pennington's comfort level with his teammates and his short passing game are much better than they were in the Ravens' Week7 victory.

Here's another reason: The Jets, with Favre, are so over-hyped by the New York media, there is no way they can live up to expectations. The Favre experiment could cost Eric Mangini his job. The pressure to win will swallow up the Jets, if it hasn't already. From all appearances, they've gone in the tank.

Finally, Baltimore still owes the Jets from Super Bowl III.

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No, it's the Dolphins

One thing Baltimore Sun colleague Ken Murray and I can agree on is whom Ravens fans should least want to see the team play against in a potential playoff game: the New England Patriots. Who needs to travel to freezing Gillette Stadium and deal with Bill Belichick?

OK, so who would make for a comfortable first-round game?

No question: the Miami Dolphins.

First, the obvious. The Ravens have already beaten these guys once this season, 27-13 on Oct.19 in Miami.

That happened to be the game that got the Ravens started on the run that has them in position to make the playoffs.

It also happened to be one of the Ravens' most productive offensive efforts. Joe Flacco spread the ball around to six receivers and went 17-for-23 for 232 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. Willis McGahee ran for 105 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.

The Dolphins can forget about their "wildcat" offense against the Ravens; the gimmick never got any traction in the first game. And while Miami quarterback Chad Pennington has had an exceptionally efficient year - 17 touchdown passes with just seven interceptions - he doesn't have the big arm that can challenge the Ravens deep when they are in man coverage.

Turnover differential has helped the Dolphins turn their fortunes around from a one-win season a year ago to the threshold of the playoffs. Miami is plus-14 in takeaways/giveaways. So if the Ravens don't give the Dolphins any help, Miami should be the perfect opponent.