"It's tempting to look at the possibility that Ray Lewis will be sidelined for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals and wonder if the Ravens are mentally tough enough to take care of business at this very important juncture in the season.

It's also tempting to consider the point where Lewis is in his amazing career and wonder how long he can keep fooling Father Time.

Of course, as John Harbaugh pointed out on Friday, we're talking about Ray Lewis, which means that none of the age-appropriate physical standards apply, and we're talking about the Ravens, who are about as emotionally predictable as a teenager on prom night.

First things first. The loss of Lewis would be significant on at least two levels, since he is the motivational leader of the team as well as a slam-dunk Hall of Famer who relays the signals that come in from the sideline and helps set the defense. Those are not small things going into a divisional showdown that will make the difference between first and third place in Week 11."