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The AFC North blog is continuing its rankings of each position for the next week. This is a projection on how the group will fare this season. It's not an evaluation based on last year. For Friday, let's look at the offensive line.

1. Cleveland Browns: The Browns have the best lineman in the division, and perhaps the league, in left tackle Joe Thomas. The other star on the line is center Alex Mack. The biggest improvement should be at right tackle, where Mitchell Schwartz starts his second season. The guards are average, especially if John Greco has to replace Jason Pinkston, who is returning from a blood clot in the lung.

2. Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals have the No. 1 tackle combination with Andrew Whitworth on the left side and Andre Smith on the right. By the end of the season, Cincinnati's top lineman will be right guard Kevin Zeitler, who looks like a Pro Bowl player. The question mark -- and the soft spot of this line -- is at center, where Kyle Cook and Trevor Robinson will compete for the starting spot.

3. Baltimore Ravens: The top guard tandem of the division is Marshal Yanda and Kelechi Osemele. Yanda is among the grittiest linemen in the league, and Osemele ranks among the most versatile. It was a smart move to re-sign left tackle Bryant McKinnie because it allows Michael Oher to stay on the right side. Still, there is uncertainty whether McKinnie can hold up for a 16-game schedule and whether Gino Gradkowski can adequately replace Matt Birk at center.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers: This line has the potential to make more strides this season than any other in the division. But, until the unit proves itself, there is more optimism than confidence. Like the Steelers' quarterback position, the key is staying healthy. Pittsburgh has certainly made an investment, using two first-round picks (center Maurkice Pouncey and right guard David DeCastro) and two second-rounders (tackles Mike Adams and Marcus Gilbert) on the offense line. The biggest decision facing the Steelers is determining who will start at left tackle, which happens to be the most important spot on the line.

In case you missed the other AFC North position rankings this week, you can click here for quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers and tight ends.

Offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie signed his two-year, $7 million contract Wednesday and attended a voluntary conditioning workout. It's all part of a deal that led to his return to the Super Bowl champions.

McKinnie agreed to play at a lighter weight, even lower than last year's playing weight of 352 pounds.

"The older you get, the more they want you to lose, but the harder it is. But I’m going to just do it," McKinnie told the Ravens' official website. "I have a gameplan this year, and I have people in place that will help me. I’m really dedicated to do it, because I really want to do it for myself and I just really want to play at that weight and play at a high level."

McKinnie added, “That’s been my goal for the last few seasons of my career, just to play at a real high level and dominate. If that’s what I got to do to play at that weight to do it, then that’s what I’m going to do."

At 6-feet-8, McKinnie is the tallest of the 32 projected starting left tackles in the NFL. At 352 pounds, he's also the heaviest. In fact, it's nine pounds more than the listed weight of any other starting left tackle. Hall of Fame left tackle Jonathan Ogden, who played for the Ravens from 1996 to 2007, was 6-9 and played at 340 pounds.

McKinnie is the minority these days when it comes to his weight class. There are only six starting left tackles who are 325 pounds or more, including just three who are over 340 pounds. The average current weight for left tackles is 320.4 pounds. And most of these tackles are tall like McKinnie. Only four are shorter than 6-5.

Here are the five heaviest left tackles:

McKinnie, Ravens, 352 pounds

Cordy Glenn, Bills, 343 pounds

Jason Peters, Eagles, 340 pounds

Andrew Whitworth, Bengals, 335 pounds

King Dunlap, Chargers, 330 pounds

Here are the five lightest left tackles:

Charles Brown, Saints, 292 pounds

Jordan Gross, Panthers, 305 pounds

Anthony Castonzo, Colts, 305 pounds

Donald Penn, Buccaneers, 305 pounds

Tyron Smith, Cowboys, 308 pounds

Ryan Kalil, Vikings, 308 pounds

Offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie, who re-signed with the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday, is the oldest starting offensive lineman in the AFC North at 33 years old. That led me to break down the ages of the offensive linemen in the division, and I realized that these lines are young but have experience.

McKinnie is just one of three projected starting offensive linemen in this division who are 30 years or older when the 2013 season begins. The others are both Bengals, left tackle Andrew Whitworth (31) and center Kyle Cook (30). Of the 20 starting offensive linemen, half are 25 years or younger.

The young linemen in this division are far from rookies. The only new starting offensive lineman is Ravens center Gino Gradkowski, who is replacing the retired Matt Birk.

Of course, some of the numbers can change because of injuries and training camp battles. Cook could get beaten out by Trevor Robinson, and Bengals left guard Clint Boling could lose his job to Travelle Wharton.

Here are other observations:

• The Ravens have the oldest starting line, averaging 27.2 years of age. The youngest is the Steelers, whose average starting lineman is 24.4 years old. That's about two years younger than the averages for the Browns (26.0) and Bengals (26.8).

• While McKinnie is the oldest lineman, the youngest in the division is Steelers tackle Mike Adams, who is 23. He's two days younger than Bengals right guard Kevin Zeitler.

• If Browns left guard Jason Pinkston can recover from a blood clot in his lung, the Browns will return the same five starters from last year's line. The Bengals are bringing back their line intact after re-signing right tackle Andre Smith during the draft.

• The oldest starting position on the line in the AFC North is left tackle. Assuming Adams starts at left tackle (that spot has yet to be determined by Pittsburgh), the average age is 28.7 years old with McKinnie, Whitworth and the Browns' Joe Thomas. The youngest place on the line is right guard at 24.7 years old. That group is comprised of Zeitler, the Ravens' Marshal Yanda, the Steelers' David DeCastro and the Browns' Shawn Lauvao.

No team has more salary-cap room than the Bengals' estimated $55 million. One reason is their relatively low cap numbers.

The Bengals' highest cap number belongs to cornerback Leon Hall ($8.4 million), one of four players who are over $5 million. In comparison, the Steelers have eight players over $5 million and five players over Hall's cap number.

Here are the top 10 salary-cap numbers on the Bengals:

1. Leon Hall, CB, $8.4 million

2. Andrew Whitworth, OT, $6.75 million

3. A.J. Green, WR, $5.36 million

4. Domata Peko, DT, $5.1 million

5. Reggie Nelson, S, $4.12 million

6. Jason Allen, CB, $3.7 million

7. Travelle Wharton, OL, $3.37 million

8. Kyle Cook, C, $3.34 million

9. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB, $3.25 milllion

10. Jamaal Anderson, DL, $2.7 million

One of the fun parts of the job is you never know what is going to happen in a given day, especially at the Super Bowl. Take yesterday. I never thought I would be typing "deer-antler extract" on the blog. My guess is I'd better get used to using that term for the rest of the week. Here's your wildlife-free wake-up call ...

RAVENS: They texted last week. They talked on Monday. Now, the two most famous brothers in football could be having dinner this week. "There is some talk about a potential dinner at some point in time,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said during Tuesday’s media day. “Maybe Wednesday night -- hopefully. We’ll have to see where we’re at work-wise.” Do you think they'll flip a coin to see who picks up the check?

BENGALS: Offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth plans to have scar tissue removed from his knee, a procedure that will sideline him for spring workouts but will allow him to play pain free in 2013. "It's just a little repair; nothing big," Whitworth told the team's official website. "Everybody in the league deals with something like this. I did it about two years ago and it just wasn't getting any better. Now we've got a chance to get something done with plenty of time to rest." Whitworth expects to be ready for training camp and keep alive his streak of 67 straight starts.

STEELERS: The Steelers have hired Jack Bicknell Jr. to be their offensive line coach, replacing Sean Kugler, who left to become the head coach at UTEP. As The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette points out, Bicknell will oversee a young offensive line that could potentially feature five starters under the age of 25. Bicknell coached the offensive line for the Chiefs last season. “(The Chiefs) played the AFC North, and they ran the ball very well against all the teams in the AFC North,” coach Mike Tomlin told the team's official website. “They ran the ball effectively against us when Jamaal Charles had a 100-yard game. That was attractive to me. The plan they were able to put together, the success they were able to have vs. some people we are going to see quite a bit was a selling feature.”

HOUSTON -- The look on the faces of the Cincinnati Bengals' players entering the locker room Saturday night was telling.

Andy Dalton, A.J. Green and Jermaine Gresham all had a look of disappointment and shock after a game in which they missed many opportunities.

The young Bengals entered Reliant Stadium for the second consecutive year seeking the franchise's first playoff win since January 1991. They were a year older and thought they were a year wiser.

However, Cincinnati repeated many of the same mistakes in a 19-13 loss to the Houston Texans. Houston advances to play the New England Patriots in the divisional round, while the Bengals enter another offseason wondering what it will take to get over the playoff hump.

"Experiences like this -- you keep knocking at the wall, and eventually you will knock it down," said veteran offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth. "To keep getting in the playoffs is an accomplishment. The young guys need to realize that and take what the positives are.

"But we also need to find what we need to do better."

Cincinnati ended the regular season as one of the hottest teams in the NFL, winning seven of its last eight. But unfulfilled potential in the playoffs haunts the Bengals.

Whitworth, 31, has been in the league for seven years, all with the Bengals, and knows about the offseason pressure his younger teammates will endure after another failed postseason.

"Put it on me," Whitworth said sternly. "Put it on me to push [the young players] harder and get them further. I will be sure to do that."

Cincinnati can only go as far as its young core takes it. As Whitworth pointed out, these Bengals still have a lot of growing up to do.

The team's youth showed Saturday. Dropped passes, missed assignments and poor execution on third down prevented the Bengals from putting anything together. Cincinnati's ineptitude on offense is best summarized by its failure to make a single third-down conversion on nine attempts.

The only time Cincinnati led Houston was after cornerback Leon Hall returned an interception 21 yards for a touchdown to give the Bengals a 7-6 lead in the second quarter. It was the only time the Bengals reached the end zone.

Dalton failed to get Cincinnati's offense going and has yet to throw a touchdown in two playoff games. He completed just 14 of 30 passes for 127 yards and an interception. The same goes for Green, who didn't touch the ball in the first half and missed at least two big plays that could have changed the game.

Third-year tight end Gresham also had a tough day. The Bengals wanted to get him involved in the offense early and often because they liked the mismatch with Houston’s safeties and nickel corners. However, Gresham had more drops (three) than receptions (two). He finished with seven yards.

Despite the ugliness for more than three quarters, the Bengals had one last shot to win. Dalton got the ball at Cincinnati's 20-yard line trailing by six points with 6:15 remaining. If there was ever a time for the Bengals to show progress, that was it.

“I was confident and telling everybody we’re going to drive down and we’re going to win this game,” Dalton said. “Everybody felt that, but we came up a little short.”

Dalton and the Bengals stalled again. He barely overthrew Green in the end zone on a play that pretty much summed up their latest playoff experience.

“This [year] is definitely more difficult,” Green said of the two postseason losses. “We felt like, even though it’s one of the worst football games we’ve played, we still had a chance to win the game. We didn’t pull it out.”

At some point, the Bengals will not be a young team, and inexperience will no longer be an excuse. Talented players such as Dalton, Green and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Geno Atkins have come in and raised the bar in Cincinnati. One-and-done postseasons are no longer acceptable for this talented group.

“We all need to get better. Obviously we’re not good enough,” said Bengals tailback BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who played in last year's Super Bowl with the Patriots. “Whatever we thought was good enough obviously wasn’t. We need to go back to the drawing board and win these games that we lost. It’s very disappointing.”

The foundation is set in Cincinnati. It took 30 years for the Bengals to put together back-to-back winning seasons. The next step is proving to be most difficult.

The Bengals got one streak off their back when they clinched back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since 1981-82. Now they're looking to end another mark of postseason futility.

Cincinnati hasn't won a playoff game since Jan. 6, 1991. The 22 seasons without a postseason victory is the longest drought in the NFL. (The Lions have gone 21 seasons without one.)

The last time the Bengals won a playoff game, gas cost $1.19 per gallon, "Home Alone" was the highest-grossing movie of that week and "Justify My Love" by Madonna was No. 1 on the Billboard charts. If that doesn't put it in perspective, wide receiver A.J. Green was 2 years old at the time.

The current Bengals players say they don't feel a burden to end this streak.

“It doesn’t have anything to do with us," offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth said. "What we did in 2006, ’07 or ’08 doesn’t have anything to do with this football team. What we did 20 years ago certainly doesn’t. This team is the last two years. Last year, we did what it took to get into the playoffs when a lot of people predicted us to be 0-16. This year, we got back in to the playoffs when a lot of people didn’t think we could. We’re here. The next step is winning a playoff game. Hopefully, we can let that be a chip on our shoulder.”

The Bengals, who play at the Houston Texans on Saturday, got their last playoff win against Houston. Of course, it was the Houston Oilers, not Texans. Boomer Esiason threw two touchdowns, and Ickey Woods ran for another.

Beating the Texans would also mark another couple of firsts for the Bengals. Cincinnati is 0-5 all time on the road in the playoffs, tied with the Saints for the worst road record in NFL postseason history, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Head coach Marvin Lewis is 0-3 all time in the playoffs. The only coach with more postseason losses without a win is Jim Mora, who went 0-6 with the Saints and Colts.

"It’ll mean the world to this locker room. It would mean a lot to this city, since it’s been so long," Bengals cornerback Leon Hall said of a playoff win. "We try to not look at it too big. Obviously, it’s a playoff game. It’s a big game. If we do what we’ve been doing, we should be all right.”

Revisiting the Cincinnati Bengals' 34-13 win at the Philadelphia Eagles:

The Bengals' suddenly hot running game took a hit in Philadelphia, where fullback Chris Pressley suffered a potential season-ending knee injury.

Pressley left the game with less than four minutes remaining in the first quarter and was immediately ruled out for the rest of the game. He left the stadium on crutches.

Asked how significant the injury is, coach Marvin Lewis said, "A little bit but I don't like to speculate."

Rookie tight end Orson Charles filled in at fullback in Pressley’s absence. The Bengals struggled with the run in the second quarter, but BenJarvus Green-Ellis gained 51 yards in the second half. Green-Ellis has gained over 100 yards in four of his past five games.

Another injury concern is left tackle Andrew Whitworth, who was being evaluated for a concussion. It's unknown whether Whitworth will be ready to play against the Steelers but he'll get 10 days to recover because of the Thursday night game.

STAT THAT STICKS: 10 -- Wins in 15 road games over the past two seasons. That's a .667 winning percentage. This comes after the Bengals were 1-7 away from home in 2010.

OVERHEARD: "Coming out in the second half, in some of the defensive huddles, we were just asking who was going to make the big play that we need. That's the kind of defense we have here, even with the penalties or our performance not being great. We are able to come back and regroup and get the win." -- Bengals cornerback Leon Hall

WHAT'S NEXT: The Bengals (8-6) play at Pittsburgh, where they have lost by a combined score of 58-14 the past two seasons.

Welcome to "Who Dey" Day here on the AFC North blog. The Bengals look to stay in the playoff hunt when they play at the Eagles on Thursday night. I will be making the drive up to Philadelphia this afternoon and post a column after the game. Now, here's your wake-up call ...

RAVENS: Quarterback Joe Flacco said he was "definitely stunned" by the firing of offensive coordinator Cam Cameron this week and characterized the reported friction between him and Cameron as overblown. “Listen, Cam has done so much for my career," Flacco said, via The Baltimore Sun. "He brought me here and trusted to bring me here, first of all. He’s just helped me every year I’ve been here, so I’ll never forget that. He’s been great for me." But the more telling comment came from left tackle Michael Oher, who said Flacco “seems like he’s happy about [the change]. I’ve seen him smiling. I’m pretty sure he’s OK with everything.”

STEELERS: Coach Mike Tomlin addressed Rashard Mendenhall's one-game suspension for the first time since disciplining the running back. "Last Sunday, he was not at the game," Tomlin said, via The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I deemed those actions a detriment to our efforts. I stated as such when I met with him, and there were going to be repercussions of it. We had a good visit, he accepted it. He looks forward to coming back and rejoining this team on Monday and being a positive contribution to our efforts the rest of the way." According to the Post-Gazette, Mendenhall told teammates he did not know he had to be there.

BENGALS: One reason why the Bengals have won four of their past five games is their ability to get off to fast starts. In the first quarter of the last five games, Cincinnati has outscored opponents 52-9. The Bengals lead the NFL in first-quarter scoring differential (plus-61), according to CBS Sports. “I think the mentality is we have a little bit of a killer instinct in the sense that we are trying to come out and win football games outright,” offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth said. “We feel like we can't lose a game. We put ourselves in the situation, we understand that. That's really the attitude we have.”

BROWNS: With the Browns playing their last two games on the road, Sunday could be Josh Cribbs' final appearance in a Browns uniform at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Cribbs is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and hasn't had negotiations with the team on a new contract. Does Cribbs think this will be his final home game in Cleveland? "I've put a lot of thought into it," Cribbs told The Plain Dealer. "I'm going to give a little something extra special and try to put on a show."

Mike Holmgren is leaving the Browns. David DeCastro is back on the Steelers' active roster. And there's a chance that Ray Lewis could return to practice Thursday. Just another quiet start to the week in the AFC North. Read all about it in your wake-up call ...

RAVENS: Many believed Ray Lewis' season was over when he tore his triceps, but coach John Harbaugh now thinks Lewis will play in the regular season. "That's a best guess," Harbaugh said, via The Baltimore Sun. "He's working hard to do that. We'll see." Harbaugh wouldn't say whether Lewis would practice this week, but the former two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year can return to the practice field as early as Thursday. Lewis, who tore his triceps on Oct. 14, would be eligible to play in the Dec. 16 game against Denver. "[J]ust talking to Ray, it sounds like things have gone well," Harbaugh said. "There have been no setbacks. So there's a possibility."

STEELERS: Rookie first-round pick David DeCastro could make his NFL debut Sunday at Baltimore after being activated off injured reserve-designated to return list, according to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. DeCastro, who injured his knee in the third preseason game, began practicing last week. The Steelers placed Marcus Gilbert, who started five games at right tackle this season, on injured reserve. He hadn't played since he injured his ankle on Oct. 11 in Tennessee. With Mike Adams (ankle) injured, DeCastro might start at right guard and Ramon Foster would shift to right tackle.

BENGALS: Coach Marvin Lewis doesn't expect the NFL to suspend Andrew Whitworth after the Bengals left tackle was involved in a fight that led to his ejection Sunday against the Raiders, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer. Whitworth confronted Lamarr Houston after the Oakland defensive end threw Andy Dalton to the ground after the play had been blown dead due to a false start penalty. Lewis disagreed with the notion that Whitworth reacted as an offensive lineman should in that situation. “He did something we can’t have happen,” Lewis said. “We can’t have that. No way around it.” Whitworth is expected to get fined.

BROWNS: Announcing he will depart the organization Friday, Mike Holmgren said he didn't feel the need to finish out the season as outgoing president after having "passed the baton" to Joe Banner. He has been linked to the Cowboys head-coaching job should Jason Garrett get fired in Dallas. Holmgren, who last coached for Seattle in 2008, insists he isn't close to making a decision on a return to coaching. "As of right now, I really haven't given it much thought other than the fact there are no plans right now," he said. Banner confirmed there's nothing in Holmgren's settlement with the Browns that stops him from taking a coaching job elsewhere.

Revisiting the Cincinnati Bengals' 34-10 win over the visiting Oakland Raiders:

In beating their former franchise quarterback Sunday, the Bengals also made it clear you can't beat up on their current one.

After Raiders defensive end Lamarr Houston threw Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton to the ground following a false start, an angry offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth immediately confronted Houston before they banged facemasks and teammates swarmed to the fight.

“I’ve got two contracts in my life,” Whitworth told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “One, with my wife because we’re married. And, two, I’ve got a contract to protect Andy Dalton. I’ll do both of those to the best of my ability.”

Whitworth and Houston were ejected, and Raiders defensive tackle Tommy Kelly was also ejected for coming off the sideline to join in the fight.

The NFL is expected to fine the players ( $26,250 fine for a first offense and $52,500 for a second offense), but it's unknown whether the league will suspend anyone.

"They were probably looking for a fight because they weren't doing much on the field," Whitworth said.

STAT THAT STICKS: 3 -- Straight games that rookie third-round pick Mohamed Sanu has caught a touchdown pass. During that streak, he has had 19 receptions and four touchdowns.

OVERHEARD: “Well I think our guys had some emotions. I think it’s over now. It’s done, it’s over, everybody can move on. We are where we are, Carson’s where he is. He’s a fine, fine football player, but we’re all in different spots now.” -- Bengals coach Marvin Lewis on the return of Carson Palmer

WHAT'S NEXT: The Bengals (6-5) play at the Chargers (4-7), who do not have a win over a team other than the one-win Chiefs since Week 2.

This is a later edition of your wake-up call because of the late post about Rashard Mendenhall remaining the Steelers' starting running back when healthy. Injuries seem to be a trend in the division today. The Ravens had five starters sidelined for practice. The Browns are hoping rookie running back Trent Richardson will heal up during the bye. The Steelers have been pleasantly surprised by the play of safety Will Allen, who has filled in for the injured Troy Polamalu. And the Bengals are dealing with some hurt feelings in their four-game losing streak. Here's the wake-up call ...

RAVENS: Five starters, including three Pro Bowl players, didn't practice Wednesday: safety Ed Reed (shoulder and knee), defensive tackle Haloti Ngata (shoulder), guard Marshal Yanda (ankle), defensive end Pernell McPhee (thigh) and guard Bobbie Williams (ankle). Yanda, who missed five plays last Sunday to have his knee examined before returning, isn't concerned about the injury. "Yep, it's fine," Yanda told The Baltimore Sun. "I'll be good to go. I just got rolled up a little bit. It was just the knee." Yanda proved his toughness last season in Cleveland, where he had calf surgery on the same night he was injured. He didn't miss a game and started the next game.

STEELERS: When Polamalu aggravated his calf injury, the Steelers replaced him with Ryan Mundy. When Mundy struggled, Pittsburgh turned to Allen, who has provided a boost to the secondary. With Allen starting, the Steelers are 3-1 and have held Andy Dalton, Robert Griffin III and Eli Manning to under 178 yards passing in each game. “I am getting more comfortable, and I’m starting to understand what guys need and what is expected of me,” Allen told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “I’m having a lot of fun running around hitting guys. Coach (Dick) LeBeau has involved us (defensive backs) in the run game a lot. We pride ourselves on making tackles.”

BENGALS: Offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth is tired of the blame game in Cincinnati and wants less finger-pointing. “It seems like every week we are saying that this person needs to do this and that person needs to do this,” Whitworth told The Cincinnati Enquirer. “What needs to happen is we need to win a football game. I’ve heard Marvin (Lewis), I’ve heard Jay (Gruden), I’ve heard all these people trying to point to people needing to do things. We just need win a football game and stop worrying about who needs to do something and start worrying about the team going out winning a game.” It doesn't sound like Whitworth, one of the top leaders on the team, was happy with Lewis singling out quarterback Dalton and linebacker Rey Maualuga last week.

BROWNS: Richardson is looking to use the bye week to heal up. Richardson missed nearly all of training camp after having arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and has played the past three games with a rib injury. "I haven't been at 100 percent yet, so I'm waiting for that moment," Richardson told The Plain Dealer. "Whenever my ribs do heal, it's going to make a big difference having this bye week. When they heal 100 percent . . . it's going to be a whole other Trent." There should be an unofficial rule in the NFL that you have to at least get voted into multiple Pro Bowls before you start referring to yourself in the third person. If this happens again, Jamison is not going to be happy.

Revisiting the Cincinnati Bengals' 31-23 loss to the Denver Broncos at Paul Brown Stadium:

The Bengals aren't officially eliminated from the playoffs and they haven't conceded anything. In losing four straight, Cincinnati (3-5) is two games out of a postseason spot.

What hurts the Bengals is falling to 2-5 in the AFC. Conference records is among the first playoff tiebreakers.

“We’re definitely in a tough spot, and the schedule doesn’t get any easier,” cornerback Leon Hall told the Columbus Dispatch.

The Bengals play the defending Super Bowl champion Giants at home next week before playing five straight games against teams that don't have winning records: at Kansas City, home against Oakland, at San Diego, home against Dallas and at Philadelphia. Cincinnati finishes the season at Pittsburgh and home against Baltimore.

“It’s a tough road ahead of us and we have to hit it hard,” coach Marvin Lewis said. “The teams ahead of us play each other, and we get a chance to play some of them. We just have to go. But we’ve dug a hole, no question about it."

The Bengals haven't put together back-to-back winning seasons since 1981-82.

STAT THAT STICKS: 2 -- Number of minutes that the Bengals have led out of the 480 minutes played against Peyton Manning, according to Cincinnati reporter Kevin Goheen.

OVERHEARD: "This is the NFL. One touchdown, one field goal separates NFL games every season. That's why it's just absurd when people say stuff about Alabama and Oregon and them being able to play NFL football. They wouldn't stand a chance. They'd get beat by 50." Offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth told the team's official website.

WHAT'S NEXT: After losing to Peyton Manning for the eight straight time, the Bengals (3-5) play host to the Giants (6-3) and Eli Manning, who has a 1-1 record against Cincinnati.

Revisiting the Cincinnati Bengals' 34-24 loss at the Cleveland Browns:

During the Bengals' three-game winning streak, the offense was sizzling, averaging 33 points per game. During Cincinnati's two game losing streak, the offense has been sloppy.

There was the delay of game in the second half which turned a third-and-8 into a third-and-13. There were the two drops by tight end Jermaine Gresham. And there was the lag in between the first and second snaps at the end of the first half which ultimately cost the Bengals a chance at a field goal.

The biggest mistakes have been turnovers. The Bengals have given the ball away 14 times this season (nine interceptions and five fumbles), and teams have converted them into 48 points. That represents nearly 30 percent of the points allowed by Cincinnati this season.

"We're very disappointed in the last two games. We're better than that. We're a better offense than that," offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth told the team's official website. "We've got to stop putting ourselves in situations where you have to make hero-type plays to try and win games. It has to be every guy putting it on their shoulders and carrying it on their back. The truth is, as much as this is a team game, it's an individual game. Each of us has to go out individually and make plays."

STAT THAT STICKS: 628 -- A.J. Green's receiving yards, which currently lead the NFL. He is on pace for 1,674 yards receiving this season. In comparison, Calvin Johnson had 1,681 yards receiving last season. His six touchdown catches rank second in the league.

OVERHEARD: "We have got to play nastier, we need to play tougher, we need to have more of a killer instinct than what we are playing with, and that’s what we need to have. We’re almost too nice at times and we’ve got to have more of a killer instinct, get going, and keep making plays, and keep scoring and keep stopping them and not have a hiccup, a sigh of a relaxation play.” -- Head coach Marvin Lewis on the Bengals losing two straight games.

WHAT'S NEXT: The Bengals (3-3) play at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers (2-3), who have lost all three of their games on the road this season.

Injuries, suspensions and even contract disputes (the Ravens' Bryant McKinnie) have taken over the headlines in the AFC North leading up to the season opener. If you're anything like me, you're always kind of "questionable" in terms of getting out of bed. Well, I hope today's wake-up call will get you on the right track ...

BENGALS: As expected, the Bengals placed center Kyle Cook (high ankle sprain) on the new injured reserve-recall list. Under that designation, Cook will be eligible to return to practice as early as Week 7 and will be eligible to play as early as Week 9. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Cook had started the last 50 regular-season and postseason games, which had been tied with left tackle Andrew Whitworth for the team's longest current streak. The Bengals recently signed Jeff Faine to fill in for Cook, who hasn't disclosed a timetable to return.

BROWNS: While cornerback Joe Haden awaits word on his suspension, there is a chance that linebacker Scott Fujita could be removed from the suspended list this week. The NFL Players Association has asked a federal judge for a temporary restraining order that would allow players suspended in connection with the NFL's bounty investigation to rejoin their teams in time to play regular season openers. Fujita has been suspended for three games for his alleged role in the Saints' bounty scandal.

RAVENS: Injuries to Terrell Suggs (Achilles) and Courtney Upshaw (sprained shoulder) played a role in Sergio Kindle making the season-opening roster. “Sergio’s potential as a pass rusher is something that’s really important,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said, via The Baltimore Sun. Kindle, the team's top pick in the 2010 draft, has yet to show the same potential since he fell down two flights of stairs before his rookie training camp. “He’s got some talent, obviously," Harbaugh said. "He’s still probably on his way back from a really bad brain injury. It’s remarkable how far he’s come, and we’re not ready to give up on him. We never would ‘give up on him’ -- that’s probably a bad choice of words -- but we’re still looking at him as a pass-rusher and a physical edge-setter as an outside linebacker.”

STEELERS: Linebacker James Harrison has never been known as a conversationalist. That's why it wasn't surprising to hear how he communicated the status of his knee. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Harrison, who wasn't wearing a brace on his knee, gave the "A-OK" sign when he was asked how it reacted to treatment. "I know that if it's within his power to be there and perform and, particularly for his teammates, he will be," coach Mike Tomlin said. "I have had no reservations about him in that regard. The issue is just whether or not he gets a clean bill of health from our medical staff. He has to this point in terms of being able to practice. We'll see how his body responds to that work and let that be a determinant about how we move forward."