Marvin Lewis used to be Ray Lewis’ defensive coordinator. On Sunday, Marvin’s Bengals meet Ray and the Ravens in the most intriguing game of the NFL’s most intriguing weekend in several seasons.

Neither was shy about discussing the matchup after their weekend victories.

“It’s set up now,” linebacker Ray Lewis said after the Ravens scored 44 points for the second straight week and routed San Francisco 44-6. “We’ve heard it for a couple of weeks. Cincinnati this. Cincinnati that. OK, then Baltimore now.”

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis reciprocated after Cincinnati rallied in the last minute to beat Pittsburgh 24-20.

“We’re going to do what people said we couldn’t do – we’re going to win three on the road,” he said. “That’s not a prediction. That’s our goal. It’s our goal to win three on the road, and we have a great ballgame next week.”

That great ballgame is one of many that could just about settle the playoff picture.

It will be the biggest game for the Bengals since at least 1990, the last season they made the playoffs and last time they finished over .500.

At 7-5 after starting 0-3, the Bengals are tied with the Ravens for the lead in the AFC North. A win in Baltimore would effectively give them a two-game lead with three to play since they won the first meeting, 34-26 on Oct. 19.

That’s only one of several games with major playoff ramifications, starting with Indianapolis at Tennessee. The matchup could decide the AFC South regardless of how the Titans fared Monday night against the Jets at the Meadowlands.

The Colts (9-3) rallied from a 21-point deficit at home against New England, but lost 38-34 because they failed to score in the final minute of four chances from the Patriots’ 2.

The loss dropped Indianapolis a half-game behind Tennessee, but the Colts won the first meeting so a win Sunday would give them control of the division, with the loser almost surely a wild-card playoff team.

Other top games:

• Dallas (8-4) at Philadelphia (9-3). With their win over Carolina, the Eagles have won seven straight and nine of 10. The Cowboys were awful in a 40-21 loss to Miami on Thanksgiving. But coach Bill Parcells has a way of motivating his teams after demoralizing losses and a victory would give Dallas the tiebreaker since it won the first meeting.

• Miami (8-4) at New England (10-2). This one is probably more important for the Dolphins, seeking a wild-card berth. A win by Miami, though, would also put pressure on the Patriots, who want to remain in the race for home-field advantage in the playoffs with Kansas City.

• Kansas City (11-1) at Denver (7-5). Not the game it appeared to be after the Chiefs’ 24-23 win at home on Oct. 5 – the injury-beset Broncos have lost four more since. But Denver is chasing a wild card and the Chiefs want home-field advantage in the AFC.

• Seattle (8-4) at Minnesota (7-5) The Vikings have lost five of six after a 6-0 start but still lead Green Bay by a game in the NFC North. Seattle trails the Rams by a game in the West, is probably in good shape for a wild-card berth, but is 1-4 on the road and needs this for confidence going into St. Louis. If the Seahawks could win both (doubtful), they could win the division.

Coaching casualties?

Despite rumors of his potential demise, no one in authority ever suggested coach Jim Fassel would be fired after the season by the Giants, although Fassel himself has discussed the situation.

Bill Callahan’s status with the Raiders has always remained vague – Al Davis makes all those kinds of decisions and he hasn’t been disposed to chat lately.

The status of both coaches is now clarified – Fassel’s by Giants co-owner Wellington Mara; Callahan’s by his own remarks.

After thousands left the Meadowlands early Sunday as the Giants lost to the Bills and fell to 4-8 in a season that began with Super Bowl hopes, Mara made his first statement on the issue.

“The crowd is our customers,” the 87-year-old Mara said. “When they leave, it’s the same as someone calling up or writing and saying you’re not doing what it is I want you to do.

“I’m very dissatisfied. The message comes across loud and clear. All it tells me is that we need to improve the product. And how we go about that is something we will discuss.”

Callahan, fighting internal dissension on a team that is now 3-9 after a Super Bowl trip last season, went public about his players and himself.

“We’ve got to be the dumbest team in America,” he said after a 22-8 loss to Denver. “It’s embarrassing and I represent that. And I apologize for that.”

Davis had to be listening.