James Harrison to Bengals: Top 6 Moments in a Pittsburgh Uniform

As of yesterday, long-time Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison will no longer be crushing skulls while sporting the black and gold. In fact, he'll be doing so while wearing a rival's uniform.

The 34-year old Harrison has signed a new two-year contract with AFC North counterparts the Cincinnati Bengals, meaning he'll meet the Steelers twice a year.

It'll be tough for Pittsburgh fans to root against Harrison, who was voted for five Pro Bowls and two First Team All Pro squads while with the franchise over the years. Here are some of Silverback's greatest moments while with Pittsburgh:

Interception and Hurdle over LaDainian Tomlinson on MNF

Long before Harrison was well-known around the league as the ferocious pass-rusher nicknamed Silverback, and long before commissioner Roger Goodell began fining him for countless illegal hits on opponents, there was this play. On Monday Night Football on October 10, 2005 during Pittsburgh's quest for Super Bowl win No. 5, Harrison picked off a Drew Brees pass attempt and ran it back for 25 yards near the 50-yard line in the second quarter.

It was his first career interception, but what was the most special part about that play was the fact that he jumped over LaDainian Tomlinson. At 6'0" and nearly 250 pounds, Harrison doesn't exactly look like a very nimble play on the field, but this play (shown below) put him on the map and showed everyone his athleticism.

Harrison Slams Browns Fan

If this incident doesn't discourage you from jumping out of the stands at an NFL game and running onto the field, then I honestly have no idea what will. On Christmas eve 2005 during a Steelers/Browns game, Browns fan Nate Mallett (had to do a little research to find out his name) ran out onto the field, and this was the result:

Ouch. Can you imagine being body-slammed by this dude? He says it didn't hurt, but I don't care how much alcohol is in your system, there's no way he didn't feel that one in the morning. At least the players he hits on the field are fully dressed with pads. Nate had nothing to protect him from Harrison and the cold-hard ground. I doubt he ever tried to pull something like that ever again.

Career-high 3.5 Sacks in a 38-7 MNF win over Baltimore

Throughout his career, Harrison was known to his fans as a Raven killer. He played his best games against their arch-rival Baltimore Ravens, and this 38-7 Monday night trouncing on November 5, 2007 was no different. In the first game Harrison started against the Ravens, he set a career-high with 3.5 sacks against Baltimore's Steve McNair. He also added an interception that he returned for 20 yards as McNair managed just 63 yards through the air on his 13 of 22 passing.

The 38 points scored is still the second-most the Steelers have ever put up against its AFC North rivals.

Three Consecutive Double-Digit Sack Seasons

In his 2008 campaign Harrison started all but one game while setting a career-high in sacks (16.0) and tying a career-high in forced fumbles (7) while recording 93 combined tackles. His first of two All Pro seasons happened to be the first out of his three consecutive double-digit sack seasons. The year prior he came up just short, recording 8.5 in his 16 starts. The next two years Harrison combined for 20.5 sacks in 32 starts, adding 2 interceptions, 11 forced fumbles and 179 combined tackles. During his three-year stretch from 2008-10, Harrison played his best football and was voted to three Pro Bowls and two All Pro teams.

After his 2010 campaign, Harrison was still dominant but only when he was healthy. Injuries and aging plagued his 2011 and 2012 seasons as he started just 11 and 13 games respectively. He did make the Pro Bowl again in 2011, but he combined for just 15 sacks over those two seasons.

Postseason Career-high 3.0 sacks in 2010 Divisional Victory over Baltimore

In Silverback's eight career postseason games his best performance by far came in the 2010 AFC Divisional game against, you guessed it, Baltimore. Harrison dominated quarterback Joe Flacco in the passing game, recording 7 combined tackles and sacking him a postseason career-high 3.0 times. The 31-24 victory put the Steelers in the AFC Championship and eventually back in the Super Bowl against the Packers, though Harrison performed poorly (1.0 sack, didn't make much of an impact on outcome) and the Packers came away with the 31-25 win.

In 11 career regular season games against the Ravens, Harrison has 66 combined tackles and 11.0 sacks. In his two career postseason games against Baltimore, he has 13 tackles and 3.0 sacks.

Record-breaking 100-yard Interception TD in Super Bowl XLIII

This was the defining moment in Harrison's career, and was the biggest play of Pittsburgh's 27-23 Super Bowl victory over the Cardinals. With the Cardinals down 10-7 just before halftime and knocking at the door, Harrison stepped right in front of a Kurt Warner pass and returned it all the way to the other end of the field for a touchdown. It was without a doubt a momentum-changer, as Warner's Cards had the ball inside the five and about to take the lead for the first time of the game.

The touchdown gave Pittsburgh an extended 17-7 lead at the half, and shifted the momentum back to their side. Though Arizona scored 16 4th quarter points and nearly completed the comeback in the second half, Pittsburgh managed to hold off the feisty Cards thanks to Harrison's Super Bowl record 100-yard interception TD. Though it was his second Super Bowl ring, it was the first one that he actually made a huge contribution to.

- - - - -

At 34 years old (will turn 35 on May 4) and missing eight starts over the last two seasons, it's clear that Harrison's best days are long gone. But that doesn't mean that he can't make a contribution to Cincinnati's pass-rush this season, which was ranked third in sacks in 2012 with 51.

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Wild Card Preview: Cincinnati vs. Houston Round 2

It's game day! The postseason starts today and the All-Out Blitz is just now getting around to deciding who will win each game. This year we'll be doing it a little bit different and previewing each game with separate posts.

First things first, and that's today's 4:30 pm (eastern time) matchup between the No. 6 seeded Bengals (10-6) and the No. 3 seeded Texans (12-4). Facing each other in the first round of the playoffs for the second consecutive season, will the Bengals get revenge? Or will the Texans win the rematch as well?

Cincinnati Bengals @ Houston Texans

4:30 PM, Reliant Stadium

Favorite: Houston by 5

Cincinnati is riding a three-game win streak against Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Baltimore, while going 7-1 in the second half of the season to make the playoffs following a 3-5 start to the season. Houston has struggled recently, dropping three of its final four games, but all three losses came to playoff teams (Patriots, Vikings, Colts).

Despite being just a win away from the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs and blowing its chance at clinching home-field advantage, Houston has a great shot at winning this if they can produce on offense. Getting the ball to running back Arian Foster early and often, while keeping the ball out of Matt Schaub's hands, can do wonders for this Houston offense today.

Offensive 2012 Stats

Cincinnati: 12th-ranked scoring, 17th-ranked passing, 18th-ranked rushing

Houston: 8th-ranked scoring, 11th-ranked passing, 8th-ranked rushing

Defensive 2012 Stats

Cincinnati: 8th-ranked scoring, 7th-ranked passing, 12th-ranked rushing

Houston: 10th-ranked scoring, 16th-ranked passing, 7th-ranked rushing

The numbers on both offense and defense are very close between these two, but I think the difference will be the running game. Cincy has run for just 61 yards on the ground in the past two weeks and they will be up against a top 10 rushing defense. There have just been four games this season in which Houston was held to under 100 yards on the ground and just two games in which Houston's defense didn't force a turnover.

With second-year quarterback Andy Dalton (16 interceptions, 46 sacks in 2012) under center against this Houston defense, I believe J.J. Watt & Co. will attack the Cincinnati offense enough to limit Dalton's effectiveness. Defense and a solid running game win championships, and that's how Houston will knock off the Bengals in the Wild Card round for the second consecutive season.

Things to Remember While Watching

*Houston beat Cincinnati 31-10 in the first round of the AFC playoffs last year at Reliant Stadium.

*This is Matt Schaub's first postseason start of his 9-year career (didn't play in last January's game due to injury, then-rookie T.J. Yates made the start for Houston).

*This is just the third postseason game in franchise history for the Houston Texans. Being in the league since 2002, last season was Houston's first appearance and they went 1-1.

*Cincinnati has not won a playoff game since the 1990-91 season. Postseason appearances came in 2011, 2009 and 2005, but were all one-and-done seasons when it came time for the playoffs. Cincy's last playoff victory? A 41-14 victory over the Houston Oilers on January 6, 1991. Exactly 21 years from tomorrow.

*The overall regular season series is currently tied 3-3.

Key Players for Each Team

Cincinnati

*BenJarvus Green-Ellis: Sure, the Bengals have won consecutive games to end the season despite the nonexistent running game. Green-Ellis is listed as probably for the game after missing last week, and he will need to be 100% healthy, and effective, in order to take the pressure off the young Dalton. You know the Texans will be bringing the heat on Dalton, and finishing with anything less than 80 yards on the ground could prove catastrophic for Cincy's offense.

*Geno Atkins: The monstrous defensive tackle has made his second consecutive Pro Bowl team in his three-year career. And it was well-deserved. But he will need another great game against Houston's O-line to give the Bengals a shot. The pass-rushing d-tackle will be making Schaub's game hell, but a role in stopping the run is just as important today against Houston.

*Vontaze Burfict: As you can tell, defense is more important for the Bengals in this game. If the offense underachieves again this week, as they have been, the defense will need to bring its A-game to limit Houston's smash-mouth offensive attack. Undrafted rookie Burfict has led the team in tackles this season and has a shot at making headlines by keeping Foster and the rest of Houston's backs to under 100 yards. Doing so may be the only way Cincinnati has a chance at winning.

Houston

*Matt Schaub: I'm certain that Schaub will be throwing less than 30 passes in this game, but he's listed as a key player because of what he can't do in this game in order to win. Turnovers. Schaub simply needs to protect the ball and limit mistakes. Conservative passing attack is what I'd expect from Rick Dennison's offense.

*Arian Foster: It's all about the running game vs. front seven in today's match-up. Last season Foster came up big in his two postseason games, rushing for a combined 285 yards and 3 TDs against Cincinnati and Baltimore. Coming just two TDs shy of breaking his career-high this season, Foster has been running as strong as ever this season and I would expect 120 yards and a TD from him in today's game.

*J.J. Watt: What Watt does early in this game could set the tone for the Texans defensively, and play a huge role on how Dalton fares in the rest of the game. If he can get to Dalton early and rattle him, it's game over for the Cincinnati offense.

As you can probably tell, I've been favoring the Texans in this match-up. Though Houston has backed into the postseason and fallen to the No. 3 seed, these Texans are an overall superior team to the Bengals. A lack of a rushing attack recently will come back to bite the Bengals in this game.

Final Prediction: Texans 31, Bengals 17

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Colts, Bengals Clinch Final Two AFC Playoff Spots with Victories

Heading in to today there were two playoff spots remaining in the AFC and three teams in the hunt. At 9-5, the rookie-led Indianapolis Colts were just one victory away from clinching one of the two open AFC wild card seeds. Cincinnati (now 9-6) and Pittsburgh (now 7-8) were both facing off in hopes of capturing that final spot.

Tip-toeing away from Heinz Field with a 13-10 last-second victory, the Bengals managed to eliminate its AFC North foes from playoff contention and snag the final spot earlier today.

Thanks to a late Ben Roethlisberger interception and a 43-yard field goal from freshly-signed kicker Josh Brown, the Bengals defeated the Steelers despite managing just 14 yards on the ground, as a team.

This marked the second consecutive week that Roethlisberger threw a costly interception late in the game, leading to three straight losses and five over the last six weeks of play. The only win since an overtime victory over Kansas City on November 12? A Charlie Batch upset over the playoff-bound Baltimore Ravens at the beginning of the month.

Cincinnati struggled mightily on offense throughout their 6th road win of the season, combining for 267 total yards and turning the ball over three times (also forced 3 on defense). Andy Dalton threw for 278 yards but was sacked six times and threw two picks in his fourth multi-interception game on the season. BenJarvus Green-Ellis had run for 100+ yards in four of his last five games with three touchdowns, while combining for the second-most rushing yards in the league over that five game span. But Pittsburgh limited him to all 14 of Cincy's rushing yards on 15 carries and no touchdowns.

The only Cincinnati touchdown of the day was off another Roethlisberger mistake, coming on a 17-yard interception touchdown by Leon Hall towards the end of the 1st quarter.

With two struggling offenses and three combined missed field goals, it was clear that the winner of the game would have to be the team that makes the least-critical mistakes. And that was Cincinnati. Making big plays when it mattered most, Andy Dalton got the team in field goal range following Roethlisberger's second of his 2 picks of the game and Brown made up for his missed field goal earlier and kicked the game-winner through the uprights with :04 to play, sending Cincinnati to the postseason.

With the Ravens (9-5, already clinched a playoff berth) facing the 8-6 New York Giants at home, the AFC North division may end up coming down to next week's Baltimore/Cincinnati match-up in Cincinnati next Sunday. Win against the G-Men, and the Ravens win the North. But if the Giants pull out a victory on the road, the North division will come down to the final week of the season. That's what we all want, right? Makes things a bit more exciting during Week 17 games.

As for the Colts, rookie Andrew Luck stole the show this afternoon. Though it took him and Indy's offense all game to finally put the Kansas City Chiefs (2-13) to bed, Luck managed to steal the show in front of the Arrowhead Stadium crowd.

Just one year old, Cam Newton's rookie passing yards record has already been surpassed. Luck's 205 yards against Kansas City's 7th-ranked pass defense was enough to pass Newton's 4,051 yard total from 2011. He's now at 4,183 for the season, and can shatter the record with another 200-300 yards next week against division foe Houston.

The game-deciding touchdown came with just over four minutes to play in the game and culminated with a 7-yard touchdown pass to veteran wideout Reggie Wayne, the 21st TD pass of Luck's season and career. The drive 73 yards on 13 plays and ate up over six minutes of the game clock. Indy's 24th ranked defense forced a 3&out from KC's Brady Quinn the following drive to seal the playoff-clinching victory just one season after the franchise was 2-14 and at the bottom of the league.

A loss from Houston (12-3) and a win from New England (11-4) and a possible win from Denver (11-3 but leading Cleveland 14-3 in the second quarter) could possibly result in a shake-up of the AFC seeds. One thing we do know for sure at the moment, however, is that Indy and Cincy are in the postseason, and Indy will be either a 5th or 6th seed.

The road for Cincinnati will be clearer once the New York/Baltimore match-up is in the books later on this evening...Baltimore currently leads 14-7 at the end of the opening quarter.

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Recapping Week 15: AFC Playoff Picture Experiences Shake-up

Heading into this past weekend, the Baltimore Ravens had a perfect shot at proving they belong with the top dogs in the American Football Conference. Taking on Peyton Manning and the then-10-3 Denver Broncos, a banged up Baltimore defense seemed poised for the challenge.

Needing a victory to clinch the AFC North title, Baltimore struggled early and often against Denver's 5th-ranked overall defense. The firing of Cam Cameron as the team's offensive coordinator earlier that week was supposed to fix the offensive problems, promoting Jim Caldwell as the OC and play-caller. With Ray Rice receiving just 12 carries throughout the entire game, Joe Flacco clearly struggled to get anything going.

If Baltimore wants to make it deep into the postseason, they will need to get Rice the ball early and often. I'm talking, 25-30 carries a game. With an All-Pro playmaker at your disposal, it's hard to understand why coach John Harbaugh has not done anything to address this problem yet.

During Baltimore's current 3-game losing streak, Rice has received just 44 carries (average of 14.6 per game) while Flacco has averaged nearly 32 pass attempts during those games. While Flacco's stat line looks near-perfect in the overtime loss to Washington (16/21, 182 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT, 121.4 rating), in the other two games he completed under 50% of his passes.

The truth is that Flacco has been one of the most inconsistent quarterbacks in the game this season, and has overthrown more receivers than a fifth-year quarterback should be.

There have been five instances in which Flacco had attempted 40 or more passes and Rice had received under 20 carries (at PHI, vs. CLE, at HOU and vs. DEN) this season, and Baltimore went 1-3 over that span while being outscored 117-76.

Need more proof that Ray Rice needs the ball in his hands more and Flacco should be throwing less often? I have one more vital piece of information for you: On six different occasions this season Joe has completed under 60% of his passes, and BAL's record during those six games is 2-4. Flacco has a combined 6 TDs and 6 INTs. During those two wins the defense surrendered just 19 combined points to the Chiefs (2-12) and the Chargers (5-9).

Hopefully, for Baltimore's sake, Caldwell will come to his senses and get Rice the ball early and often. He will need to in order to break Baltimore's current 3-game losing streak this weekend. All Baltimore needs is a victory over the next two games to clinch the AFC North for the third consecutive season. They did, however, manage to back into the postseason this past Sunday with the Dallas Cowboys' victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime.

In other news...

Houston Captures Second Consecutive AFC South Title

With a 29-17 victory over rookie quarterback Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts (9-5), the Houston Texans (12-2) managed to capture its second straight (and second overall) AFC South division title. The victory came in stunning fashion, too, coming off a disappointing 42-14 defeat at the hands of the Patriots (10-4) a week prior, Houston's offense was clicking on all cylinders again.

Arian Foster ran for a season-high 165 yards and quarterback Matt Schaub threw for 261 more. Thanks to 5 total sacks of Luck, the Texans managed to keep its spot as the team with the best record in the AFC. Three of those five sacks were recorded by Defensive Player of the Year favorite J.J. Watt, who managed to tie San Francisco's Aldon Smith for most in the league, with 19.5. With two games to play, both Watt and Smith are just 3.5 sacks away from breaking Michael Strahan's single-season sack record of 22.5, set in 2001.

Luckily for the Colts, they still hold the No. 5 seed in the playoff picture and will get another shot at the Texans in a Week 17 showdown at home. This week against the Chiefs the Colts can clinch a Wild Card spot with a win or a Steelers loss to the Bengals.

Houston can clinch a first round bye and the No. 1 seed with a win over Minnesota or Indianapolis.

Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh: Week 16 Game to Watch

Regardless of what happens in the New York/Baltimore game, all eyes will be on Cincy (8-6) and Pittsburgh (7-7) Heinz Field this Sunday. With only three remaining teams that can clinch the final 2 spots in the AFC playoffs, this is the most important game left in the conference this season.

Cincinnati easily handled the Eagles on Thursday night, pulling away with a 34-13 victory and inching one game closer to Baltimore. Pittsburgh missed out on a huge opportunity with an overtime loss to Tony Romo's Dallas Cowboys. But, luckily for a frustrated Ben Roethlisberger, he can still clinch the sixth seed with wins over the Bengals and Browns these last two weeks.

It really will be a must-win game for the Steelers on Sunday. A win, and they control their own destiny Week 17, needing just a win over the Browns (they would hold the tiebreaker over the Bengals). But a loss would mean Cincinnati would clinch a Wild Card spot, and the Colts (whether they win or lose against the Chiefs) would capture the final available playoff spot.

Cincinnati is certainly the dark horse to squeeze into the postseason, despite winning 5 of its last 6 games. The victories over that span have come against just one playoff contender (New York Giants, 31-13). The rest of them: Kansas City (2-12), Oakland (4-10), San Diego (5-9) and Philadelphia (4-10) have a combined 15-41 record in 2012. A last-second loss to the Cowboys (8-6) two weeks ago, 20-19, has proven costly for the Bengals and may be the game everyone looks at if they lose to Pittsburgh on Sunday and miss the postseason.

The Bengals are 5-2 on the road this year, but are on a 5-game skid against the Steelers right now and haven't beat them and haven't beaten them on the road since November 15, 2009. Andy Dalton has improved vastly in his second season under center (62.5 comp %, 26 TDs, 14 INTs, 89.4 rating) and is just 86 passing yards away from surpassing his 3,398 rookie performance, but will need solid protection from his offensive line if he plans on recording his first career victory against Pittsburgh (0-3 all-time).

Establishing the run game with BenJarvus Green-Ellis early and often will be key and will allow Cincinnati to set-up the play-action pass and keep Dalton comfortable under center. Pittsburgh, to make up for its depleted defense, will need to play mistake-free football. That's exactly what they were able to do against Dallas prior to Antonio Brown's fumble on a punt return late in the game. If Brown doesn't fumble, Pittsburgh had a great shot at winning the game without going into overtime.

Must-win for both teams, obviously. But even bigger for Pittsburgh, as a loss will eliminate them from playoff contention.

New York Jets Embarrassed on Monday Night; Eliminated from Playoffs

Thanks to a porous performance from the offense (6-8) against the Tennessee Titans on national television, the Jets were officially eliminated from the AFC playoff picture last night. Both offenses, to tell you the truth, looked horrendous. But luckily for Jake Locker's Titans, Mark Sanchez (54.8 comp %, 2,678 yards, 13 TDs, 17 INTs, 67.9 rating) stole the show.

Sanchez's four interceptions and game-ending fumble with under 30 seconds to play led to a disappointing playoff run and basically a disappointing season. Sanchez, who should have been benched for good after 3rd stringer quarterback Greg McElroy led the Jets to a 7-6 win over Arizona two weeks ago, was finally benched by head coach Rex Ryan earlier today.

McElroy (5/7, 29 yards, 1 TD, 118.5 rating in 1 game this season) will make his first career start against the Chargers on Sunday. Long overdue for the second-year quarterback out of Alabama? Yes, I think so. All of New York would agree––well, half of New York anyways, I'm sure Giants fans love watching Sanchez.

The Jets offense had ample opportunities to put points on the board, as the defense managed to stall the Titans offense plenty of times, sacking Jake Locker four times and forcing 10 Tennessee punts. They even managed to limit them to just 12 first downs and, aside from one mistake that allowed Chris Johnson to run for a 94-yard touchdown in the second quarter, the front 7 limited CJ to just 28 yards on his 20 other rushing attempts. No turnovers were forced, but Tennessee committed 14 penalties for 111 yards, giving New York second chances and stalling offensive drives.

With just over two minutes to play, New York had the ball at Tennessee's 23-yard line (down by four points). Sanchez made the decision to lob a pass over the middle to tight end Jeff Cumberland, in triple coverage, as Tennessee's Michael Griffin picked off Sanchez for the fourth time of the game. It appeared to end the Jets' night, but after three Chris Johnson runs managed just four yards, the Jets had forced a 3 & out and set Sanchez up with 1st and 10 on Tennessee's 25-yard line (punter Brett Kern shanked a punt in his own end zone).

What does Sanchez do with this gift from heaven? Fumbles the snap out of shotgun formation on his first play. Game over.

I'm not even near being a Jets fan and we here at All-Out Blitz have gotten very frustrated watching this offense. Despite all of this guaranteed money Sanchez is due, I wouldn't be surprised if New York's front office somehow tried to dispose of him this offseason. Especially if McElroy is able to get something going in these final two games.

Rant over.

AFC Playoff Scenarios

*Texans clinch home-field advantage throughout playoffs with a win over Minnesota OR Denver and New England both lose.

*Broncos clinch first round bye with win over Cleveland AND Jaguars beat the Patriots.

*Ravens clinch AFC North with win over Giants.

*Colts clinch wild card with win over Kansas City OR Bengals beat Steelers

*Bengals clinch wild card with win over Pittsburgh.

*Steelers clinch wild card with wins over Cincinnati and Cleveland.

Up next...Recapping Week 15: NFC Playoff Race Coming Down to Final 2 Weeks

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Week 7: NFL Divisional Matchups - Part II

Analyzing the Week 7 divisional matchups - Part II. Take a look here to see Part I.

AFC EAST

Jets (3-3) at Patriots (3-3): Sunday October 21, 4:25pm EST CBS

The AFC East has a 4-way tie for first with each team, Dolphins, Patriots, Bills and Jets, all at 3-3 (notwithstanding tiebreakers). Even though the Jets had some crucial injuries – shutdown corner Darrelle Revis and veteran wide receiver Santonio Holmes, both out for the season – they still find themselves in the hunt for the division lead. And in spite of a somewhat shaky start with the receiving corps of Jeremy Kerley and Stephen Hill, both now seem to be settling into their respective roles. Along with receiver Chaz Schilens, all three will need to take advantage of the Patriots injury-depleted secondary. Since the Patriots have been good at stopping the run, expect running back Shonn Greene's production to be minimal, forcing quarterback Mark Sanchez and his receivers to exploit the Pats' rookie safeties. The Pats will also have to contend with any sub packages using backup quarterback Tim Tebow.

Tom Brady heads the Patriots high-powered offense and they lead the league in average total yards per game (445) and points per game (31.3). The usually pass-happy Patriots have also added a very effective run game this year. Perhaps the Jets biggest challenge though, will be counteracting the Pats hurry-up, no huddle offense. The Pats have successfully used it in keeping defenses guessing and off-balance, and most of all, exhausted. To keep the game close, the Jets need to contain wide receiver Wes Welker and the always dangerous tight end tandem of Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski. Expect to see safeties Yeremiah Bell and LaRon Landry helping corners Kyle Wilson and Antonio Cromartie cover the tight ends. The Patriots, though, will use this game to re-establish their supremacy in the AFC East.

Prediction: Jets 19 Patriots 41

AFC NORTH

Steelers (2-3) at Bengals (3-3): Sunday October 21, 8:20pm EST NBC

If any team has shown us the folly of making preseason predictions, it is the Pittsburgh Steelers. Currently sitting at 2-3 and 3^rd in the division, the Steelers will undoubtedly take this opportunity to turn their season around. But it will be no easy task as they are 0-3 on the road with all three losses coming after leading in the 4^th quarter. Another factor making their task difficult is the injuries they've suffered to key personnel, especially on defense and their failure in jumpstarting a viable running game. Star running back Rashard Mendenhall has only played in one full game due to injury and backups Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer, who have also suffered injuries, have not taken up the slack. With the Bengals ranking 2^nd in sacks with 20, Big Ben's skill of evading defenders and extending the play will be tested. But if it's a case of an irresistible force meeting an immovable object, my money's on the immovable object, Big Ben.

The Bengals greatest offensive asset is 2^nd year wide receiver A.J. Green. The Dalton-Green connection has contributed to their averaging 282 passing yards per game, good enough for 8^th in the league. However, quarterback Andy Dalton has been vulnerable when pressured, throwing 8 interceptions when blitz pressure is applied. Can the Steelers defensive line keep enough pressure on Dalton to disrupt his flow and force miscues? Both teams are struggling with the run. The Bengals are 21^st averaging 99 yards per game; while the Steelers rank 31^st averaging just 74. The game will be decided by each quarterback's ability to connect with their respective receivers: Dalton with Green and Andrew Hawkins and Big Ben with Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown and Emanuel Sanders. Because of the injuries to key Steelers, and the fact that those who are returning this week may not be playing to full potential, here's my one upset pick of the 6 division matchups this week (if picking the 2^nd place team over the 3^rd place one can even be called an upset).

Prediction: Steelers 17 Bengals 23

Update: QB Ben Roethlisberger left Thursday's practice early after sustaining an ankle injury. We will have to stay tuned to see if this development will impact Sunday's game.

NFC NORTH

Lions (2-3) at Bears (4-1):  Monday October 19, 8:30pm EST on ESPN

To say that the Detroit Lions have gotten off to a slow start is an understatement. Quarterback Matthew Stafford, who threw for over 5,000 yards last year, has only 4 touchdowns to 5 interceptions through 5 games. Wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who led the league in touchdown receptions for WRs last year with 16, only has one so far. They face a stout Chicago defense that is ranked No. 1 in defending the run, only allowing an average of 65 rushing yards per game. The Bears are also No. 1 in points allowed per game with 14.2. The Lions' running game has gotten off to a slow start, though back Mikel Leshoure, who missed the first two games of the season, has given the Lions some spark at the position. Because of their stalled running game, the Lions will rely heavily on the pass.

Bears' running back Matt Forte's big play potential keeps defenses on their heels and opens up the passing game. The Lions will have to keep pressure on quarterback Jay Cutler to disrupt his connection with deep-threat wide receiver Brandon Marshall. The key to the game will be how well the Bears' defense can contain the Lions' receiving arsenal of Calvin Johnson, Nate Burleson, Titus Young, and tight ends Brandon Pettigrew and Tony Scheffler. With the Lions trying to get back in the hunt in the AFC North, this will be a crucial game for both teams.

Prediction: Lions 21 Bears 23

Note: statistics quoted (exc. pts per game) are rounded off for clarity

Photo credit
Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski: Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images North America

Monday Night Preview: Two Division Rivalries Set for ESPN Doubleheader

As if yesterday's slate of action couldn't get any better. Tonight, ESPN will continue its relatively new tradition of airing a double-header on the first Monday night of the season. The best part about that is it will include two division rivalries.

The first game, set to kick-off at 7 p.m. eastern time, will be between the Cincinnati Bengals and my AFC representative in SB XLVII––the Baltimore Ravens. Now, it isn't the fiercest rivalry in the AFC North, that obviously belongs to BAL/PIT, but it still always makes for a great matchup.

Second-year quarterback Andy Dalton will lead his Bengals offense, complete with new starting running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis, into Baltimore to face Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. One of the top defenses in the game, it will be a tough matchup for the Bengals, who ranked 18th in overall offense just last season.

Some "experts" may have Cincinnati in the playoffs this season as a wild card team, but I kind of felt this team was a bit overrated last season. At 9-7 last year, there's no way they'll manage to get in the playoffs this season if they repeat that performance. Of course I'm only previewing tonight's game, not how the two seasons will go for these two teams (that's already been done).

This will be Joe Flacco's first shot at proving he can lead this team to the big one, and I think he'll come through against Cincinnati's defense. Baltimore wins this one tonight, 28-17.

As for the night cap of the doubleheader, set to kick-off at approximately 10:15 p.m. eastern time, is between the Chargers (8-8 last season, just missing the playoffs) and the Raiders (also 8-8 last season). Philip Rivers is another signal caller who is trying to prove he can win the big games when it matters as he leads his Charger offense into Oakland's black hole for primetime.

With San Diego's unproven starting running back Ryan Mathews (broken collarbone) rule out for tonight's game, it will be the veteran Ronnie Brown, a former Dolphin, who will get the start.

I don't see the running game for San Diego having a huge effect on the outcome, but I believe Rivers and his arm will be enough to trump Oakland's Carson Palmer on his own turf. San Diego wins 21-10.

Note: I do not own the above images. No copyright infringement intended.

Bengals/Texans: Battle of the Rookie QBs

In just under an hour the 2011-12 NFL playoffs will kick-off with a very noteworthy match-up in Houston between the Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Texans.

In 10 seasons, this is the Houston Texans' first-ever playoff appearance and the Bengals are seeking its first postseason win since 1990. Something's gotta give, right? The last time a playoff game was played in Houston Joe Montana was in a Kansas City Chief uniform as he defeated the Houston Oilers 28-20 on January 16, 1994.

This match-up also features a showdown between two rookie signal callers for the first time in playoff history, pretty impressive huh?

Both Houston's T.J. Yates and Cincy's Andy Dalton have turned heads with their leadership as rookies, and according to teammates neither have shown weaknesses in allowing the atmosphere of the playoff get to them. This week during practice, anyways. Come game time could be a whole different story.

The play of the quarterbacks, in my opinion, will not be the deciding factor in this game however. Rather, it will be the running game (and defense) that makes the difference. Houston has the league's second-best rushing attack, in terms of yardage at least, and Arian Foster is certain to get a huge workload today against Cincy's 10th-ranked run defense.

Houston is top five in overall (4th), pass (3rd) and run (4th) defense and will make for a rough day for Cedric Benson (1,067 yards, 6 TDs, 3.9 Y/A in regular season) and the Bengals' 19th-ranked running game. Without an efficient running attack there will be a lot of pressure on Dalton, and I think Houston's linebacking corps, led by Brian Cushing, will be too much for the young guy.

Houston, in its first playoff game in franchise history, will get the W today and live to play another week.

Photo credit

Cushing: Thomas B. Shea/Getty Images

Bengals, Texans and Broncos Back into AFC Playoffs

Last Sunday three of the six AFC playoff teams lost its matchup. Two of those hadn't even clinched a spot yet, meaning they received help from other teams to get in to the second season.

Houston and Cincinnati, throwing it down one-on-one this weekend (Saturday January 7, 2012 at 4:30 PM ET in Houston), are both currently being led by rookie signal callers. Cincinnati's Andy Dalton was one of two rookie QBs to throw for 3,000 or more yards this season–first time in history that has happened.

As for Houston, rookie T.J. Yates will be making his sixth career start this Saturday, and it's clear that Houston has relied heavily on the run. Yates has thrown for just 949 yards and three touchdowns on 134 pass attempts, but has protected the ball well (just three INTs). But after leaving last week's game against the Titans with an apparent shoulder injury, his status for Saturday is uncertain.

It's been said he's likely to play, but even if he does I have a feeling he wont be 100%. There's no doubt these two rookie quarterbacks will be under the microscope when they go head-to-head in Houston's first-ever playoff game. Cincinnati will be looking to win its first playoff game since 1990.

Both teams have struggled as of late. Cincinnati fell, 24-16, to division rival Baltimore in Week 17 and has gone 2-3 in the last five games. Houston is currently riding a three-game skid, finishing the season 10-6. There's no doubt that this matchup, however, may be one of the most intriguing of the weekend, with Cincy sporting a 5-3 road record and Houston boasting a 5-3 record at home. Houston plays great defense and has the second-best running game in the league.

Backing in or not, these teams have set the stage for a classic AFC playoff battle on Saturday afternoon.

Denver was the third AFC team to "back into the playoffs," clinching the AFC West division despite a 7-3 loss to Kansas City. With the help of San Diego (38-26 win over Oakland) Denver captured the title with an 8-8 record–Oakland and San Diego went 8-8 as well, but Denver holds the tiebreaker.

Tim Tebow, after starting his second professional season with a 7-1 record as starter and five 4th-qtr comebacks, has played three consecutive forgettable games as Denver nearly lost its playoff chances.

Over the three-game span, Tebow, who received much of the credit for Denver's win streak despite great support from the defense and running game, completed 41% of his passes for just one passing touchdown (three on ground) and four interceptions. His defense allowed 40 points on two different occasions (41 vs. NE, 40 vs. Buf), but at the same time he managed just 13.3 points on average in those games.

The truth of the matter in Denver is that it appears as though defenses have cracked the code in stopping the offense designed around Tebow, and losing three straight by such deficits is no way to enter the playoffs, especially against a team of Pittsburgh's caliber.

They do have a couple things going for them against Pittsburgh, however. Not only will they get to host the game at Mile High, but they also have the benefit of playing a banged up Steeler squad. Ben Roethlisberger is likely to start, but there's no way his ankle will be 100%, plus running back Rashard Mendenhall and safety Ryan Clark have both been ruled out of the game.

Denver's No. 1 rushing attack will need to show up to play in order to take the pressure off the struggling Tebow. Though he only got the ball in to the end zone five times in 2011 (four rushing, one receiving), running back Willis McGahee is finally healthy and ready to go. He reached the 1,000-yard mark this season for the first time since 2007, his first season in Baltimore.

Denver is only 4-3 this season in games that the one-time Pro Bowler rushes for over 100 yards, but they are 3-0 in games that he runs for a touchdown. Meaning one thing: get him the ball in red zone and goal-line situations. In Week's 15 and 16 McGahee ran the ball just 22 combined times. I find it rather silly to try and rely so much on Tebow when you have a guy of McGahee's caliber sitting in the backfield waiting to get his hands on the ball.

If Denver wants a shot to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers it would be smart of them to give McGahee the ball early and often. Other than that, Denver will be a one-and-done this postseason.

Photo credit
T.J. Yates: Thomas B. Shea/Getty Images
Willis McGahee: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

The Legacy of Terrell Owens

Yesterday's news of Terrell Owens' surgery to repair a torn ACL brings about questions of whether or not Owens has much left in the tank.

It was revealed earlier today that the surgery had actually taken place back in April and that he is already a couple of months in to recovery. Also today, his agent Drew Rosenhaus stated "the retirement talk is nonsense. There's been no discussion about that, and this injury is not a big deal" according to an Associated Press report.

Well, I highly doubt that knee surgery for a 37-year old NFL wide receiver can easily be considered "no dig deal." Especially when it comes to game-action.

But, nevertheless, Rosenhaus continues to talk Owens up and say he "will be playing at the start of the season." Two of Owen's former Bengal teammates have also said he plans to return, according to this same AP report from earlier this afternoon.

I am not claiming that I don't believe Owens will return for 2011, because if anything I am about 95 percent sure he will suit up in '11. What I am claiming, however, is that it would be a smart move for Owens to retire now, while he's ahead.

With the labor negotiations in full swing, and the 2011 season still up in the air, why not call it quits now? His best chance at a ring was with the Eagles, and there aren't too many teams left that would be willing to give T.O. a shot, let alone a contender.

Owens has always been all about individual accomplishments, and aside from winning a Super Bowl, he has already done his part in reaching the ultimate individual goal in the National Football League: The Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Owens' legacy will always be known as self-centered and spoiled, but there's no doubt that 1,000+ receptions, 15,000+ yards and 153 touchdowns later T.O. has put himself among legends.

Five years after retirement from the game--no matter when that happens to be--Owens will be placed alongside names such as Jerry Rice, Steve Largent, Lance Alworth etc. in Canton, OH.

Terrell Owens' career was full of ups and downs, whether it be his feuds with former quarterbacks Jeff Garcia, Donovan McNabb, Tony Romo, or his numerous flamboyant touchdown celebrations. You can call him the ultimate scumbag of the NFL, but no matter what you think of his character on-and-off the field, he came out of the tunnel every Sunday afternoon and produced.

The fact that he never won a ring is obviously not all his fault--football is the ultimate team game. No one player can make that great a difference, whether it be positive or negative.

What I would like to think about when I think of Terrell Owens, is how gifted he was. Not that he never won it all, or that he demanded attention from his peers and fans, or that he caused a ruckus in the locker room.

Only the extraordinarily gifted professional football players get inducted in to Canton. And that is exactly what Terrell Owens was. An extraordinarily gifted wide receiver.

Photo credit

1) Andy Lyons/Getty Images

2) gacksports.com

To Play or not to Play? That is the Million Dollar Question in Cincy

Amidst all of the lockout talks in the National Football League, the biggest question mark surrounding the 2011 season in Cincinnati isn't whether there will be a season or not. Rather, will Carson Palmer be suiting up in a uniform?

Fellow Bengal Chad Ochocinco (soon to be back to Chad Johnson) has made recent news by deciding to tryout for Sporting Kansas City--an MLS soccer team based in, of course, Kansas City, MO.

But, despite this recent publicity stunt by the All Pro receiver, the Carson Palmer situation continues to be the center of attention for Cincinnati and its fans.

Palmer has shown obvious frustration with the team and in particular the front office of the franchise. He has threatened to retire if the team does not choose to trade him. At this point it seems Palmer just wants to start winning games, this obviously isn't about money.

Bengals' owner Mike Brown has continually stated, and even reiterated it again as recently as yesterday, that the team does not plan to deal Palmer, no matter how badly he wants out.

If Palmer is serious about the retirement, then I don't believe the Bengals will have the Pro Bowl quarterback next season. But, if this is just an attempt to force a trade, then it appears as though he will remain a Bengal in 2011.

If you want my honest opinion on the entire situation, I do not think he will be dealt (or see a Palmer retirement for that matter) and Palmer will reluctantly be back in an orange and black uniform. But, this is obviously a situation to keep an eye on. If Palmer decides to retire before another team makes a move on Philadelphia's Kevin Kolb, should Cincinnati make a move? That is definitely worth a first round pick in my eyes.

The Eagles seemed hesitant to deal Kolb at first because they weren't receiving the right offers. But now that Sports Illustrated's Peter King broke the news of a team possibly offering Philadelphia a first round pick for the 26-year old, I really don't think Kolb will be an Eagle for much longer.

If this lockout ends sometime in the near future, we could see Kolb switch teams rather quickly. As for Palmer? He isn't going anywhere.

Photo: No copyright infringement intended

Pats, Jets Improve to 9-2; Saints Edge 'Boys on Turkey Day

What am I thankful for? Thanksgiving football, of course!

And my family and friends as well, can't forget them.

But, the big news today is that both the New York Jets and New England Patriots survived their respective Turkey Day matchups. What exactly does this mean? Well, it means that next Monday we will be witnessing a heavy-weight AFC East showdown between the 9-2 Patriots and 9-2 Jets. As if that isn't already incentive enough to tune in, it's a primetime game and will be played in Gillette Stadium. December games in Massachusetts always means there's a pretty good chance that snowfall may play a role as well.

Scarily enough, Tom Brady looked nearly flawless, passing for 341 yards and four touchdowns. New England got off to a slow start, struggling with stopping Shaun Hill's short passing game and former Seattle Seahawk Maurice Morris, who was a threat both on the ground and through the air.

Detroit simply didn't show up for all 60 minutes of the ball game, blowing its 17-10 halftime lead as the two teams were in a 24-24 deadlock at the end of the third quarter of play. That was when Tom Brady really turned up the heat on Detroit's pass defense, throwing two touchdown passes (22-yarder to Deion Branch and 16-yarder to Wes Welker) in the final quarter of play. Ben Jarvus Green-Ellis capped off the 21-point fourth quarter with a one-yard touchdown run just before the two minute warning.

Branch, Welker and Green-Ellis all had two touchdowns each as the Pats put up 45 points at Ford Field.

Phil Simms' (CBS) All-Iron Award winner: Tom Brady--21/27, 341 yards, 4 TDs, 158.3 QB rating

Game two of the full, three-game slate was much more anticipated back in April when the schedules came out. Now that the Cowboys got off to a slow, 2-8 start which brought about the firing of Wade Phillips, this matchup may not have been seen as much of a heavy-weight battle. But much like the early game, the ending was well worth the ugly first half of play.

New Orleans' took control early as the Cowboys struggled to hold on to the ball and convert first downs. Dallas failed to convert a fourth down inside the red zone early in the game, which may have come back to haunt them. New Orleans went in to the locker room at the half with a 20-6 lead after Dallas' kicker David Buehler kicked a career-high 53-yard field goal as the time on the game clock expired.

Dallas came out ready to play in the second half, cutting the lead to 20-13 just one minute in to the third quarter as WR Miles Austin took an end around 60 yards for the score. A Garrett Hartley field goal (28 yards) was the only points of the quarter for New Orleans as the 'Boys put up another seven when Marion Barber III capped a scoring drive with a one-yard run, putting Dallas within three.

Another one-yard run in the final quarter, Tashard Choice this time, gave Dallas a four-point lead with about six minutes to play. Dallas had the chance to put the game away but on a long 47-yard catch and run by receiver Roy Williams, New Orleans cornerback Malcolm Jenkins stripped Williams of the ball, giving the Saints another shot. Drew Brees wasted no time, hitting Lance Moore in stride just five plays later. The 12-yard touchdown strike put the Saints up 30-27. Jon Kitna led a strong, 9-play drive in an attempt to get the lead back, but David Buehler's missed 59-yard field goal spoiled the Cowboys' comeback bid.

New Orleans improved to 8-3 which, for the moment, puts them in second place in the NFC South, ahead of the 7-3 Buccaneers and just behind the 8-2 Falcons. Dallas falls to 3-8, still last place in the NFC East.

Fox's Galloping Gobbler winner: Drew Brees--23/39, 352 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 86.7 QB rating

Carson Palmer continues to show why he is one of the most overrated quarterbacks in the league. He has numerous weapons to get the ball to yet hasn't been able to win games (2-9 on the season). His inability to stay healthy also gets some blame, but it's mainly just because of the fact that he has been erratic with the football in his hands.

Jets' cornerback Darrelle Revis was able to contain future Hall of Famer Terrell Owens (3 rec., 17 yards) and New York's fifth-best run defense shut down Cedric Benson, therefore limiting Palmer's pass attack even more. Mark Sanchez threw for just 166 yards and one touchdown, but he really didn't have to do much other than just managing the game, especially with his run game--and defense--working so well.

Wide receiver Brad Smith's 53-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter, giving New York a 10-7 lead, proved to be the game-winner. But, he wasn't done there. After Cincinnati's Aaron Pettrey kicked a 28-yarder between the uprights to put the Bengals within a touchdown early in the fourth, Smith sealed the deal with an 89-yard kickoff return for the touchdown.

A Trevor Pryce sack, and safety, of Carson Palmer capped off the Jets' 26-point performance and finally put any hope the Bengals had to bed. The loss was Cincinnati's eighth-straight as New York captured its fourth straight victory and a 4-2 record at home.

NFL Network's Pudding Pie winners: Darrelle Revis--limited T.O. to 3 rec., 17 yards; Brad Smith--two touchdowns (53-yard run, 89-yard KO return)

Photo Credit

Wes Welker: AP Photo

Drew Brees: AP Photo/Mike Fuentes

Antonio Cromartie: AP Photo/Mike Koustroun

Why Terrell Owens is slowly, but surely, stealing Ochocinco's spotlight

Yes, his convincing efforts in tonight's six-point loss to the 6-2 Steelers turned out to be all for nothing, but Terrell Owens' 10 receptions for 141 yards and two touchdowns has surely caught the attention of the general public.

Not only did Owens' first touchdown of the night put the Bengals back in the game, but it also just so happened to be his 150th career touchdown reception, making him just the third player to reach such a milestone (joining the likes of Jerry Rice and Randy Moss).

His second of two touchdowns, again, gave the Bengals offense some confidence and allowed them to make a great attempt at a comeback. But, by the fourth quarter there was some tension not only on the sidelines, but on the field between two certain players.

Those two players, not surprisingly (to me anyways), happened to be a quarterback and a wide receiver. A frustrated Chad Ochocinco, who caught just one pass for 15 yards all game, lashed out against Palmer--in the middle of the field in between plays, of all places! This was quite an embarrassment for Cincinnati fans, if you ask me. Palmer, who targeted Chad seven times throughout the game, had overthrown him, which did not make Ocho a happy camper.

To make matters worse, Ocho's good buddy, the guy Chad lobbied to bring in to Cincinnati, stole the spotlight as he was targeted an astonishing 14 times during the game.

So, while Chad attracts all the defenders and negative attention, Terrell gets all the touches and touchdowns. Hmmm, for some reason this looks a bit familiar. I knew this wouldn't last forever. It seems as though the Palmer/Ochocinco/T.O. trio could have it's days numbered already.

If there's one thing fans have picked up on by now, it's that Chad doesn't let go of things very often, so if Cincinnati continues to struggle, I don't expect this problem to go away anytime soon. Get ready for more drama in Cincinnati, people!

Photo Credit

Owens/Ocho: AP Photo/David Kohl

MNF Live Blog/Game Notes: Pittsburgh Travels to Cincinnati

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals face off in this fierce AFC North division battle. The 5-2 Steelers are looking to join the 6-2 Baltimore Ravens atop the division while Carson Palmer and his 2-5 Bengals are just trying to stay in the playoff hunt.

*Cincinnati fumbles the opening kickoff, forced by rookie wideout Emmanuel Sanders, and the Steelers take advantage of the short field as Rashard Mendenhall takes it in from one yard out.

*Less than ten minutes later veteran kicker Jeff Reed extends the early lead to 10 with a 25-yard field goal.

*Fast fact: Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is 11-2 in his career in Ohio (6-1, 5-1 @ Browns/Bengals).

*Update after opening quarter: Cincinnati has run the ball with Benson nine times already (41 yards), with only four pass attempts from Carson Palmer. Good to see the Bengals are not panicking despite the slow start.

*Special team miscues are the only difference in this game so far, but they may have made up for those as they just downed a punt inside Pittsburgh's two-yard line.

*Isaac Redman, Pittsburgh's short yardage back, starts this drive off with a run up the middle. Interesting stat from coach Jon Gruden: Cincinnati has allowed the most scoring drives of 80-plus yards this season.

*Something to watch out for throughout the remainder of the game is Terrell Owens, who was rolled up on while blocking during Cincinnati's last offensive drive. He looks to be a little shaken but stayed in the game. Not too serious, but no reason why you shouldn't keep an eye out.

*Despite his costly fumble last Sunday night against the Saints, tight end Heath Miller has been very reliable throughout his career and may be one of Roethlisberger's most underrated targets coming off the line.

*Another injury to Pittsburgh's offensive line, it's rookie center Maurkice Pouncey this time as we take another injury timeout. Big Ben has already had to shake off quite a few defenders to avoid any and all sack opportunities for Cincy's defense. This could prove costly for the Steelers' offensive attack.

*Any more injuries to the Steelers' line and they may have to use a backup defensive lineman as Big Ben's center.

*Hines Ward's streak of games with a reception has been extended to 186, just four behind Marvin Harrison's 190, and almost a hundred behind Jerry Rice's 274.

*Costly fumble for the Steelers, giving Cincinnati it's first scoring opportunity. This will be important for the Bengals. If they don't take advantage they may be in for some trouble later on.

*Palmer-T.O. connection cuts the Steelers lead to just three, 10-7 after the extra point. Both touchdowns have been the result of costly turnovers...Terrell Owens now has three receptions for 49 yards and a score in about a quarter and a half of play. The touchdown is No. 150 for Owens, just three shy of Randy Moss's 153.

*With eight minutes remaining in the second quarter, both Pouncey and Chris Kemoeatu continue to be out of the game. Pouncey had to go to the locker room while Kemoeatu is sitting on the sideline attempting to get taped up. Stay tuned for more injury updates when I get them.

*Owens has quickly become Palmer's go-to guy this season as he makes yet another catch, his fourth of the evening. Ochocinco has attracted more defenders, giving Owens, the future Hall of Famer, plenty of open looks thus far.

*Palmer looking like a rookie out there with that interception, throwing in to triple coverage on third down. That now gives Pittsburgh two first half turnovers and Big Ben gets the ball at about midfield with plenty of time to work with to try and add to the lead before the half.

*Hines Ward's 83 career touchdown (second on franchise's all-time list behind HOFer Franco Harris) comes with just over two minutes remaining. Despite recent struggles in the red zone this season, Roethlisberger finds Mr. Reliable for a short 8-yard touchdown to extend the lead back to 10 points.

*Mike Wallace has made a couple of nice grabs tonight, but that last drop was very costly. Pittsburgh is forced to attempt a 53-yard field goal. Jeff Reed, a pretty reliable veteran kicker, drills it, tying his career-high.

*Halftime score: Steelers 20, Bengals 7. Pittsburgh will receive the ball to start the second half, coming up in about 10 minutes.

**Cincinnati's pressure finally gets to Roethlisberger as he tries to avoid the rush. Robert Geathers records Cincy's first sack of the night as they force the 3&out on the opening drive of the second half.

**Relatively quiet so far tonight (five tackles, two for loss), James Harrison is shaken up on the field, forcing another injury timeout. When the game resumes Cincinnati will be facing fourth down, giving Pittsburgh the ball back.

**Both teams have exchanged punts throughout the third quarter, with the defenses dominated on both sides of the ball. About two and a half minutes to play in the quarter and the score is still 20-7. For Pittsburgh, James Farrior, James Harrison and Lamarr Woodley have all recorded sacks on Palmer as Pittsburgh gets the ball back once again.

**If Mendenhall can put the ball in the end zone during this drive, they could put the game away despite having a full quarter left to play. Terrell Owens seems to be the only Bengal still playing hard. Even Carson seems to have given up all hope...this game is a must-win for Cincy and it doesn't look like they want it at all. Shameful, really.

**End of quarter three, scoreless quarter. Just two penalties apiece throughout the game, and almost all of the statistical categories (except the score, of course) seem to be relatively even. If Cincinnati can get a defensive stop and get their heads back in the game they could turn it around. They have to want it for this to work, though.

**You can erase that whole last statement. Pittsburgh uses trickery (WR option pass from Randle El to Mike Wallace) for a long 39-yard touchdown pass, taking advantage of the injury to Cincy's Chris Crocker, who came out of the game after suffering an injury in the third quarter. 27-7 Pittsburgh, 14:50 remaining in the game.

**Owens is putting on a clinic for Pittsburgh's secondary as he makes his second touchdown catch of the night (151st of his prolonged career), which also happened to be his eighth catch of the game, giving him 118 yards through the air. Pittsburgh needs to establish the run game this drive in order to run out some clock...27-14 with just over 13 minutes to play.

**Another opportunity for Cincinnati to take advantage of as safety Roy Williams picks off Roethlisberger after an errant misses tight end Heath Miller. And, to top it all off, there was yet another injury timeout for Isaac Redman (turns out he's ok) and a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Flozell Adams. Palmer has a shot at turning this thing around.

**Oh my, a late pass interference call made against Ike Taylor as he was covering Owens in the end zone. Cincinnati gets the ball at the one. Looks like I spoke too soon with the "not many penalties" statement.

**Benson punches it in from one yard out, Newgent kicks the extra point throught the uprights...27-21 with under 10 to play. Boy have the tables turned in the past four minutes of play. Looks for a fantastic finish in this game.

**Looks like one of my above statements was jinxed once again. The "usually pretty reliable veteran" kicker Jeff Reed missed from 46 yards out and his 2010 struggles continue (sixth miss this season, most of which have come at very bad times).

**The missed field goal gives Cincinnati solid field position to start as we hit the two minute warning..

**Cincinnati put together a solid-looking drive, but it sputtered a bit with a 10-yard holding penalty and a couple of dropped passes. Pittsburgh's defense held up in the end as Cincinnati turned the ball over on downs and Roethlisberger kneeled the ball a couple of times.

---Pittsburgh survives late scare to improve to 6-2, tied with Baltimore atop division (Baltimore holds head-to-head tiebreaker), while Cincinnati drops to 2-6. Hope you enjoyed following the action here on my blog. Come back next week for more live blog action!

News and Notes from the First Football Game of the Season

With seven new players being inducted in to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH on Saturday, and the 2010 preseason kicking off on Sunday, this weekend was a huge success for football fans everywhere.

You no longer have to watch countless hours of football on Hulu, or even resort to watching baseball games, to pass the time until the season kicks off in September: the preseason is here.

The Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals faced off in Canton's Fawcett Stadium for the annual "Hall of Fame Game."

The biggest headline was, of course, seeing Terrell Owens in a Bengals uniform for the first time. Not all that surprising, quarterback Carson Palmer seemed to be favoring Owens over Cincy's No. 1 wideout Chad Ochocinco.

Owens caught two passes in the first two series on offense, and was thrown to a couple of other times. Ochocinco didn't catch any passes in his only quarter of play. I doubt anyone really thought this was a big deal at all, because it really isn't. But if this is a sign of things to come then we may run in to some problems later on down the road.

Other news from Cincinnati is that Adam "Formerly Pacman" Jones played very well in his debut, making two tackles and playing solid coverage on the opposing receivers.

Despite seeing an impressive performance from rookie linebacker Brandon Sharpe (6-yard interception returned for a touchdown in fourth quarter), and the Cowboys' 16-7 victory, not all was well in Dallas. Second-year tight end John Phillips, who caught four passes for 60 yards in the game, suffered a season-ending ACL tear in his right knee.

Luckily, with that being the only big blow for Dallas, head coach Wade Phillips can be relatively happy with his team's performance. We all got to see impressive performances from Tashard Choice, Stephen McGee and the defensive reserves, who sacked the quarterback four times and intercepted three passes.

All in all, great first preseason performances from many guys looking to impress the coaches.

One Player From All 32 Teams Who Must Step up this Season (Part I: AFC North)

American football is the ultimate team game.

If all 11 players on the field do their job, one team can dominate the rest of the league each and every week. But, at the same time, there are certain players who make a bigger impact than others.

Here are four players, one from each of the teams in the AFC North, who will have to bring their A games this season if they want his respective team to go all the way this season.

Baltimore: Tom Zbikowski

With All Pro safety Ed Reed likely out for at least the first six weeks of the season, Baltimore's defensive success will hinge on the performance of the secondary. Baltimore's defensive backfield suffered a second huge blow with the news that cornerback Domonique Foxworth will miss the entire season with a torn ACL which he suffered in camp.

In four starts for the Ravens last season, Zbikowski recorded 14 tackles and intercepted two passes. This is his chance to prove himself as he is entering his third NFL season.

Cincinnati: Cedric Benson

Benson ran in to more trouble this offseason, but will not be suspended by commissioner Roger Goodell, fortunately for him. Despite the addition of future Hall of Fame wideout Terrell Owens, I think Benson is one of the most important pieces of this offense. Palmer has weapons with Owens and Ochocinco, but that just means defenses are going to adjust their gameplan to stop the two All Pros, in my opinion. Cincinnati is going to have to keep the offense as balanced as possible, so Benson will still get his carries and will need to put up numbers much like his 2009 campaign if the Bengals want to be able to wrap games up late in the fourth quarter.

They can finish the regular season with a great record just by having Palmer air it out to Ochocinco and T.O., but if they expect to play well in the playoffs, the success of Benson is extremely important.

Cleveland: Shaun Rogers

Cleveland's defense ranked 29th against the pass and 28th against the run last season. In my opinion this was because Cleveland's 3-4 scheme lacked a consistent nose tackle hold the front seven together. The 350 pound tackle missed five games, recording just 27 tackles and two sacks this past season. When healthy, Rogers can really do some damage to an offensive and wreak some havoc in the backfield.

He looks to be close to his regular self so far, meaning we could see another 2007 or 2008-esque campaign (played all 32 possible games in those two seasons while making a combined 87 solo tackles and 11.5 sacks).

Pittsburgh: whoever wins the quarterback battle in camp

It's likely that Ben Roethlisberger's suspension will be downgraded to four games instead of the original six, but Pittsburgh's quarterback for the first four weeks will need to play mistake-free ball in order to put Roethlisberger in a good position once he does return. Right now it looks as though the battle is between Dennis Dixon and Byron Leftwich.

Next: AFC East

Bengals, Terrell Owens Agree on 1-year, $2 million Deal

Yes, you heard correctly. The Cincinnati Bengals and the former 49ers/Eagles/Cowboys/Bills wide receiver, reality TV star and full-time diva Terrell Owens agreed on a contract earlier today.

This not only means that Carson Palmer will get to put up with Chad Ochocinco's drama, but he obviously now has to put up T.O.'s as well. Oh so much fun.

Over the past several months it has become very obvious that the two are close friends, and both have back-to-back reality television shows on VH1. Personally, I thought this deal was almost inevitable. Ochocinco seems to have quite a bit of things to say within the organization, and the front office must have heard his plea to sign the 36-year old, despite his diminishing speed.

When you mix all that in with the fact that the Bengals are lacking depth in the receiving position, it seems as though this was the right move. Although at the same time I really don't see this working out. Owens' reputation remains the same as it has his entire NFL career, and may not ever change.

This surely will be a sight to see this season. If it doesn't work out, I am almost positive that this will be the end of the line for Terrell's Hall of Fame-worthy career.

Getcha popcorn ready!

Early Outlook: AFC North

There is still a lot of things that will need to be--and will be--settled when training camp is in full swing in the first part of August.

But until then, the speculation surrounded certain teams will continue to spread around the league. Here are the early favorites, darkhorses, storylines, etc. that litter the AFC North division.

Favorite: Baltimore Ravens

With another year under young Joe Flacco's belt, plus the addition of a couple play-making receivers (YAC pro Anquan Boldin and deap threat Donte' Stallworth), Baltimore's offense seems to be exactly where head coach Jim Harbaugh wants it to be. Ray Rice will get his fair share of carries and continue to be a threat out of the backfield as well. The biggest question mark surrounding this team is, believe it or not, on defense.

There's a rather large possibility that All-Pro free safety Ed Reed will miss the first six weeks, maybe even more. With that said, Baltimore's secondary will surely be lacking. The affect of the gaping hole in the lineup could be equivalent to the Polamalu injury of last year (in Pittsburgh). However, the Ray Lewis-led front seven will be intact and the Reed injury may not be all that bad considering the improvements made on the other side of the ball.

With or without Reed, Baltimore is still the favorite up North.

Darkhorse: Cleveland Browns

Mike Holmgren has completely rebuilt the Browns this offseason. Getting rid of quarterbacks Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn and signing veteran Jake Delhomme, who was in dire need of a change in scenery. If the offensive line can keep Delhomme off his back, Cleveland's offense may have a shot at scoring some points as long as he limits the turnovers. Young Cleveland wideouts such as Mohamed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie will get their chance to shine with a proven quarterback under center.

It will be interesting to see how Jerome Harrison adapts to being the new No. 1 running back, although he will receive help from James Davis and rookie Montario Hardesty.

On defense, Cleveland boosted its secondary by drafting cornerback Joe Haden in the first round. Cleveland will hopefully be able to improve on the overall defense, which was ranked 29th against the pass, and 28th against the run (31st overall in yards allowed; 22nd in points allowed). If they can get a healthy Shaun Rogers (NT) and D'Qwell Jackson (ILB) back in the lineup, that would help plug running lanes and hopefully open up the pass a bit more.

Offensive MVP: Ray Rice
Defensive MVP: Troy Polamalu
Best Quarterback: Ben Roethlisberger (despite 4-6 game suspension)
Best Running Back: Ray Rice
Best Receiver: Anquan Boldin
Best Tight End: Heath Miller
Best Offensive Lineman: Joe Thomas
Best Defensive Lineman: Haloti Ngata
Best Linebacker: Ray Lewis
Best Defensive Back: Troy Polamalu
Best Special Teamer: Josh Cribbs
Best Head Coach: Mike Tomlin

Rookie of the Year: Montario Hardesty
Comeback Player of the Year: Troy Polamalu

The Other Two:

Steelers...Big Ben's 4-6 game suspension is the only thing holding Pittsburgh back this season. Dennis Dixon isn't quite the same player as Ben, and may struggle a bit early on. The loss of Super Bowl XLIII MVP Santonio Holmes may end up being devastating if Mike Wallace doesn't live up to his expectations. Troy Polamalu's return is the headline on the other side of the ball and may turn this team around. The reason for Pittsburgh's 9-7 record last year is because of the loss of Polamalu in the secondary. Once Roethlisberger returns, Pittsburgh should turn things around for the good.

Bengals...A healthy Carson Palmer will be a huge plus, but I have my doubts about the offense as a whole. Ochocinco has certainly seen better days and seems to be focused on other, non-football activities (such as his MTV show). Cedric Benson, the big surprise of last year, has run in to more off-field troubles this offseason and his days may be numbered. With this offense in a wreck, I would have to say that Cincinnati may find themselves in third, maybe even last place behind the rebuilding Browns.