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Two days into what had been an impressive draft for the Cincinnati Bengals, ESPN's Tedy Bruschi said, "If there was a year they can win the division, it's this year." Herm Edwards raised expectations even higher, predicting the Bengals would win the AFC North by two games.

Did the Bengals do enough this offseason to surpass the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens? The answer lies with quarterback Andy Dalton.

The Bengals can take the next step only if Dalton does. Over the course of three days in the NFL draft, Cincinnati did everything it could to help the offense and its third-year starting quarterback. In turn, it increased the pressure on Dalton to deliver in the red zone, on third downs and in the playoffs.

It started in the first round when the Bengals passed on drafting a strong safety, the team's most pressing need, in favor of taking Notre Dame's Tyler Eifert, the best tight end in the draft. Before the second round, the Bengals re-signed free-agent right tackle Andre Smith, which brought back all five starters from the NFL's second-best pass-blocking offensive line. Then, with its first pick in the second round, Cincinnati made North Carolina's speedy Giovani Bernard the first running back taken in this year's draft.

Two poor performances in the playoffs have raised questions whether Dalton is a franchise quarterback. The Bengals should be able to determine that this year after adding these playmakers.

Dalton now has another big target inside the 20-yard line with Eifert. He has an exciting checkdown option with Bernard, a luxury that Joe Flacco has enjoyed for years with Ray Rice. This is in addition to throwing to two Pro Bowl players, wide receiver A.J. Green and tight end Jermaine Gresham, and handing the ball off to grind-it-out back BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

There is no reason for this offense to rank 22nd in the NFL or flame out in the playoffs, as it did last year. I'm not the only one saying that, either.

"There shouldn’t be any excuses,” Dalton told reporters this week. “The players we already have and adding these guys is just going to make the offense better. So I expect us to take the next step. I expect us to improve from where we were last year. Time will tell, but we’ve got the right attitude going in and the way we’ve been working. I don’t expect any less.”

Right now, Dalton is a good quarterback, not a great one. He's right in the middle of the pack of NFL starters. Dalton has potential and a lot of qualities that you can't teach quarterbacks. He's smart. He has a feel for reading defenses. He has great anticipation to throw the ball even before his receiver breaks out of his route.

In his first two years, Dalton has done something that hadn't been accomplished in Cincinnati in more than three decades -- lead the Bengals to the playoffs in back-to-back years. He also has thrown 47 touchdowns in 32 career games. The only quarterbacks who have passed for more in their first two seasons in the NFL are Dan Marino (68) and Peyton Manning (52).

But in a division with Ben Roethlisberger and Joe Flacco, two quarterbacks who have combined for 19 playoff wins and three Super Bowl titles, a quarterback is going to be judged by the postseason. Dalton is 0-2 in the playoffs and is a major reason for those defeats. He threw three interceptions in his first playoff game in the 2011 postseason (including a critical pick returned for a touchdown by J.J. Watt) and failed to complete half of his throws in his second postseason game in the 2012 playoffs.

Dalton knows he has to be better than no touchdowns and four interceptions in two playoff games. He knows he has to complete more than 47.5 percent of his passes on third down. He knows the Bengals must improve from being the NFL's 16th-best red zone offense. And he knows he can't commit 20 turnovers (16 interceptions, four fumbles) and have four of them returned for touchdowns as he did last season.

What impresses me the most about Dalton is how he handles criticism. When he was getting bashed for a lack of arm strength last season, he showed swagger that's not often seen in young quarterbacks. Dalton handled the addition of these young playmakers on offense the same way.

“I don’t feel more pressure,” Dalton said. “I expect to be better this year. Regardless if we didn’t get anybody, I would still expect to be better. The more weapons we have, the better I feel.”

I get the feeling that the Bengals want Dalton to feel pressure this year, which is a different approach. Last year, coach Marvin Lewis said he didn't want Dalton to listen to criticism because the team had no doubts in him. But in March, offensive coordinator Jay Gruden set a different tone, saying Dalton has "got a long way to go."

"He’s done some great things for a second-year quarterback, won a lot of games and thrown some good touchdown passes, but we feel like he has not come close to his potential," Gruden said.

It's time for Dalton to live up to that potential. The Bengals return a top-10 defense and added talented young weapons on offense. Everything is set up for the Bengals to go from a playoff team to a Super Bowl contender. All they need is a quarterback to take them there.

Leading up to the start of the NFL draft (it's only 10 days away), the AFC North blog will evaluate each position and where it stands as a need for each division team. Let's start with the quarterbacks, which is an intriguing draft talking point in the AFC North.

The Cleveland Browns are the only AFC North team without an established starter, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see the other division teams use a mid-to-late round pick on a quarterback. While I list the Browns as having the biggest draft need at quarterback, you can make a case for the Bengals, Ravens and Steelers being No. 2.

This is the ranking in terms of needing to draft a quarterback:

1. Cleveland Browns: I don't see Cleveland taking a quarterback with the No. 6 overall pick. The Browns, though, could take one as early as the second round if they trade back in the first round and acquire a pick in the second. Cleveland has taken an up-close look at most of the top quarterbacks, from Geno Smith to Matt Barkley to E.J. Manuel to Ryan Nassib. All of the options are open for the Browns, who can draft a quarterback to compete with Brandon Weeden and Jason Campbell or select one to develop behind them.

2. Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals have Josh Johnson and John Skelton as backups to Andy Dalton. I wouldn't say they are set at quarterback. Johnson and Skelton have a combined 8-14 record as starters. The Bengals have worked out Manuel and Nassib, which shows they're doing their homework on some of the top quarterbacks in the draft. Still, it would be a surprise to see Cincinnati draft a quarterback in the first three rounds. The Bengals may take one in the middle rounds if the right quarterback is there.

3. Baltimore Ravens: This may raise some eyebrows because the Ravens have gone with Tyrod Taylor as the backup to Joe Flacco for the past two seasons. There has been a sense that the Ravens would like to upgrade the backup spot. Baltimore brought in Curtis Painter to compete with Taylor last offseason. Taylor also didn't instill confidence in a sporadic performance in the regular-season finale at Cincinnati. The Ravens have multiple picks in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh rounds. In other words, they have enough to take a flier on a quarterback.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers have been questioned in recent years about when they're going to draft a quarterback to develop behind Ben Roethlisberger. With Roethlisberger turning 31 last month, those questions will only increase. The Steelers created some buzz when they had dinner with quarterback Tyler Bray before attending his pro day. Pittsburgh is set at backup quarterback after signing Bruce Gradkowski this offseason. The Steelers, though, can draft a quarterback to compete with John Parker Wilson for the No. 3 spot.

» NFC Eight in the Box: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Who is one potential breakout player for each AFC North team in 2013?

Baltimore Ravens: Kelechi Osemele. It can be argued that Osemele did, in fact, break out at the end of his rookie season. And it could be argued that the Ravens’ shuffling of their offensive line -- moving Osemele to left guard from right tackle, Michael Oher from left tackle to right tackle and inserting Bryant McKinnie at left tackle -- was the single biggest reason for their spectacular Super Bowl run. But while the argument holds true that Osemele excelled at left guard, I believe he is just scratching the surface and will become a Pro Bowl-caliber player and one of the elite guards in the game. Still new to the position, Osemele is a massive human being with extremely long arms and huge, powerful hands. But unlike some offensive tackles who move inside, leverage and pad level is not a problem for this extremely talented young man.

Cincinnati Bengals: Mohamed Sanu. There wasn’t a Bengals player who jumped up as a breakout candidate, unlike with the other three teams. That isn’t to suggest that Cincinnati has drafted poorly. I view young players Kevin Zeitler and Vontaze Burfict as already having broken out. Last year’s first-round pick, Dre Kirkpatrick, certainly is a candidate, but we haven’t seen enough at the NFL level to judge him. The same is true for Devon Still and Brandon Thompson. That left receivers Sanu and Marvin Jones, who logged about double the snaps as Sanu in 2012. Either could develop into a quality second option opposite the great A.J. Green, but Sanu is the better prospect in my opinion. While he isn’t a perimeter burner like Green, he is a sure-handed, big-bodied wideout who fits well with Andy Dalton, who gets the ball out quickly and allows his receivers to perform after the catch. Like the defensive players mentioned above, there isn’t a lot of film of Sanu to go off. He caught just 16 passes before a Week 12 foot injury ended his rookie season, but he should be penciled in as a starter and see plenty of favorable matchups.

Cleveland Browns: Jordan Cameron. There were easier choices for the Browns than Cameron, namely on the offensive side of the ball, from their impressive rookie class from a year ago. Trent Richardson, Josh Gordon and even Mitchell Schwartz all have extremely promising young careers after impressing as rookies. I expect all three to drastically improve and for Richardson to be one of the top running backs in the league in 2013. But I went with Cameron, a relatively unknown tight end, because of his abilities, the coaching and a major increase of snaps. Cameron is the typical athletic former basketball player with the long frame to really excel against safety and linebacker coverage. But why do I really expect this breakout? Look no further than Cleveland’s new head coach, Rob Chudzinski. Going back to his days as the tight ends coach at the University of Miami, Chudzinski has a spectacular track record for developing great talent into great production at this position. Cameron is his latest project; expect it to go very well.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Cortez Allen. Recent first-round selections David DeCastro and Cameron Heyward crossed my mind for this honor, but I went with Allen over those linemen. Allen fits the mold of what Pittsburgh does at cornerback to a T. On a regular basis, the Steelers draft big, developmental cornerbacks in the middle rounds. Those players tend to have nondescript rookie seasons while making their bones on special teams and learning “The Steeler Way” in Dick LeBeau’s defense. In Year 2, these cornerbacks often take a step forward, playing in sub packages and filling in for injured starters. And if that development goes well, as it did for last year’s starting cornerbacks, Ike Taylor and Keenan Lewis, they take over a starting position. It’s Allen’s turn to do exactly that. The Steelers allowed Lewis to leave for New Orleans, showing they have all the faith in the world in Allen. They did sign William Gay -- another corner they once drafted and who fits this mold -- but Gay is a depth player who is obviously familiar with the system and franchise. Allen gets the opportunity to step up. Expect big things.

Baltimore Ravens

Do the Ravens view Clemson receiver DeAndre Hopkins as the next Anquan Boldin? Indeed, those are big shoes to fill. But the Ravens appear to be intrigued by Hopkins, and met with him at the NFL scouting combine in February. The Baltimore Sun reports that the team has "maintained interest" since that meeting.

Ravens receiver Jacoby Jones said he's struggled with the foxtrot in preparing for a "Dancing with the Stars" routine. But that hasn't gotten him down. After all, Jones is coming off a 2012 that he called the best year of his life.

Perhaps you've heard that Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is going to portray Johnny Unitas in football scenes for an upcoming movie called "Unitas We Stand." And perhaps you've also heard that there's a Unitas family feud brewing over the selection of Flacco. Unitas' son, Joe, wrote a letter to the Baltimore Sun about the situation.

Cincinnati Bengals

Former Cowboys running back Felix Jones had a tryout with the Bengals on Monday.

The Cincinnati Enquirer continues its series on potential Bengals NFL draft prospects with a look at Ohio State offensive lineman Reid Fragel.

With Andy Dalton and the Bengals set to begin offseason workouts next Monday, the quarterback tells the Enquirer that his squad has "all the potential in the world."

Cleveland Browns

The Browns are willing to take a chance on receiver David Nelson, who is coming off an ACL injury that ended his 2012 season in the opening week. Nelson, who signed a one-year deal with the Browns on Monday, was second on the Bills in receptions in 2010 and 2011.

The Browns are playing host to some of the NFL draft's top prospects this week.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Kendall Simmons, the Steelers' No. 1 pick in 2002 out of Auburn, shares his memories of draft day with the team's website.

Mike Stanger of Bleacher Report gives his thoughts as to why the Steelers will not draft former star Georgia linebacker Alec Ogletree.

Also from Bleacher Report, the latest Steelers draft buzz.

The Cincinnati Bengals had the most salary-cap room in the NFL when free agency started, and they still have a huge amount now. The Bengals showed no interest in signing wide receiver Wes Welker or safety Dashon Goldson.

The knee-jerk reaction is that the Bengals missed an opportunity to get a step ahead of the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers because Cincinnati didn't add players at a time when those teams were losing players.

If you talk to Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, nearly everything has gone according to plan. What exactly is that plan? The Bengals are looking to beat the Ravens and Steelers at their own game, which means building a team through the draft instead of buying one in March.

You can accuse the Bengals of being cheap. You can criticize them for not being aggressive in free agency. You just can’t knock their process, because it’s working.

The Bengals have been to the postseason in three of the past four seasons -- which is more times than Pittsburgh over that span -- and they’re doing it with homegrown players.

Cincinnati may start as many as 12 players this season who came from the previous four drafts alone (if offensive tackle Andre Smith is re-signed and cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick beats out Terence Newman). That doesn’t include linebacker Vontaze Burfict, who joined the Bengals after going undrafted last year.

The fingerprints of recent drafts are almost as pronounced as those stripes on the Bengals' helmets. Their quarterback (Andy Dalton) and leading receiver (A.J. Green) were drafted two years ago. Their sacks leader (defensive tackle Geno Atkins) was taken in the fourth round in 2010. Their franchise player (defensive end Michael Johnson) was picked in the third round in 2009.

If you were waiting for the Bengals to make noise this offseason, it’s going to come later this month. That’s when the Bengals have three of the first 53 picks in the draft.

“There has been plenty of history in the National Football League of teams going out and spending a lot of cap dollars on other people’s players and then not really fitting together,” Lewis told ESPN.com this week. “So let’s look at the ones that are successful year after year, because those are the ones we want to model ourselves after."

The teams that the Bengals are modeling themselves after are the Ravens and Steelers. Lewis believes he wouldn't have been considered for the Bengals' head-coaching job a decade ago if he hadn't worked for the Steelers (linebackers coach 1992-95) and Ravens (defensive coordinator 1996-2001).

Now, Lewis and the Bengals have closed the draft gap. In 2010, when the Ravens' top two picks were linebacker Sergio Kindle and nose tackle Terrence Cody, the Bengals selected tight end Jermaine Gresham and defensive end Carlos Dunlap before taking Atkins with the 120th overall pick. The Bengals' previous two draft classes have totaled 112 starts compared to the Steelers' 38 starts (although that number is smaller because of injuries to guard David DeCastro and tackle Marcus Gilbert).

These successful drafts are a reflection of the relationship between Lewis and owner Mike Brown, who has the final say on draft day.

"Mike and I’ve been doing this for so long now, I think he has a much better feel for the guy that I feel best about," Lewis said.

There are a couple of good reasons the Bengals don't spend much on other teams' free agents. In 2010, Cincinnati got burned after bringing in wide receivers Antonio Bryant and Terrell Owens. The other factor is the Bengals' desire to keep their own players, who they drafted and developed.

The Bengals used more than $30 million in salary-cap space this offseason to retain their own free agents, including four starters as well as kicker Mike Nugent and punter Kevin Huber. The team also placed an $11.1 million franchise tag on Johnson, which isn't really thrifty.

"If you think about bringing in someone from the outside, either he has to play to your scheme or you have to be ready to adjust to him," Lewis said. "There is going to be a time lapse until he gets comfortable."

Even before free agency started, Lewis repeatedly said the goal was to keep the Bengals' own free agents. The Bengals were never going to be the next Philadelphia Eagles or Washington Redskins.

When Lewis sat down with ownership, he said, there was only one free agent from another team who interested him. Although he declined to name the player, the educated guess is running back Reggie Bush, who signed with the Detroit Lions.

"We reached out and he wasn't willing to compete and share time," Lewis said of the targeted free agent.

By focusing on their own free agents, the Bengals probably will return all but two starters from last season's No. 6 defense. Cincinnati could bring back every starter on offense if it can re-sign Smith.

The Bengals need to resolve the situation with Smith over the next couple of weeks or prepare to draft his replacement. Smith was reportedly seeking a contract that averaged $9 million per season, but he won't come close to that now.

"I think it will get done here in short order," Lewis said. "Expectations were set higher and now things need to be where they are. Unfortunately, sometimes things don't work out in ways people planned it out. So there's got to be a come to reality. Now it's time to go to work. He's still a young enough guy that there's going to be a next time around for him."

Whether or not the Bengals sign Smith, they're still in an enviable position. Cincinnati has the 21st overall pick and two picks in the second round (37th and 53rd overall). The additional pick came from the Raiders in the Carson Palmer trade, and Oakland has dealt Palmer before the Bengals even get to use the pick .

The Bengals can take several different directions early in the draft: strong safety, speedy running back, wide receiver or outside linebacker. All Lewis knows is that the Bengals will add three starter-caliber players, which will get them closer to reaching the same championship level as the Ravens and Steelers.

"Our goal is to go beyond just making the playoffs. Our goal is to be world champions," Lewis said. "In my time frame here, we've got three teams that have done that out of our division. So the bar is high and we've got to keep working hard to achieve that."

*CORRECTION: The quotes attributed to Marvin Lewis were directed at linebacker Rey Maualuga, not Andy Dalton. These quotes from CBS Sports had Lewis speaking about Dalton. But the transcripts I received from the owners meeting indicated Lewis was talking about Maualuga. I apologize for the error.

As I've written previously on the blog, this is a big season for the Bengals' Andy Dalton to prove he's a franchise quarterback. He's led Cincinnati to back-to-back trips to the playoffs, but he's flopped in both postseason games.

According to coach Marvin Lewis, Dalton doesn't need to silence his critics. Lewis' advice to Dalton is to stop listening to everyone outside the organization.

"He is his own worst enemy," Lewis said at the NFL owners meetings Tuesday, via CBS Sports. "He listens too much to what people say. For being such a big, tough guy he's too concerned about people liking him."

While some might construe this as Lewis wanting Dalton to be mentally tougher, I think Lewis is just trying to get Dalton to have more of an edge. Dalton is a nice guy. Probably too nice at times.

This is the same problem the Bengals have with their other leader, linebacker Rey Maualuga. Dalton and Maualuga worry too much about making their family, coaches and fans happy. The Bengals need leaders who have more of a swagger, and that's what Lewis is trying to get from them.

Lewis suggested that the first step for Dalton is to get off Twitter. Asked why Bengals fans are overly critical of Dalton, Lewis said, "Because they look at some dumbass website."

It's easy to pass the blame off on the media. But let's not forget that offensive coordinator Jay Gruden has been critical of Dalton this offseason, saying he needs to improve in every phase. "He’s got a long way to go," Gruden told WLW Radio in Cincinnati earlier this month.

Lewis' focus shouldn't be on the media. It should be on why Dalton's play changes so drastically from the regular season to the postseason. Dalton has thrown 47 touchdown passes in 31 career games. The only quarterbacks who have passed for more in their first two seasons in the NFL are Dan Marino (68) and Peyton Manning (52). But Dalton has struggled mightily in the postseason, throwing zero touchdowns and four interceptions in two playoff games.

"Andy just needs to keep being Andy," Lewis said. "He just needs to keep playing and doing his thing. It's not his fault."

The Tennessee Titans released Matt Hasselbeck and it's no surprise that half of the AFC North is interested in the 15-year veteran. The Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals are among a growing list of teams looking at Hasselbeck, according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen.

The Bengals need a backup to Andy Dalton after Bruce Gradkowski signed with the Steelers. Hasselbeck would be the ideal tutor for Dalton, but he would also put more pressure on Dalton because he's had much more success as a starter than Gradkowski.

Hasselbeck would have a better opportunity to play in Cleveland. The Browns want to bring in competition for Brandon Weeden and have yet to do so, watching the likes of Alex Smith and Matt Moore sign elsewhere.

Hasselbeck, 37, went 2-3 last year as a starter for the Titans, throwing five touchdowns and three interceptions. In 2011, he started every game for Tennessee, throwing for 3,571 yards with 18 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

He was cut Monday after the sides couldn't work out a deal to reduce his $5.5 million salary. Hasselbeck has been to three Pro Bowls and directed the Seahawks to the Super Bowl in 2005.

Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden wanted Andy Dalton to be his quarterback, handpicking him in the 2011 draft. This year, Gruden wants Dalton to make a big jump in 2013.

Gruden told WLW Radio in Cincinnati that Dalton needs to improve in every phase and specifically named his deep accuracy and touch.

"He’s got a long way to go," Gruden told WLW Radio in Cincinnati, via sportsradiointerviews.com. "He’s done some great things for a second-year quarterback, won a lot of games and thrown some good touchdown passes, but we feel like he has not come close to his potential. That’s our job to get it out of him. And he knows he’s gotta play better, and we all do.”

Last season, Dalton completed 62.3 percent of his throws for 3,669 yards with 27 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Arm strength has been a popular criticism of Dalton, who took it personally at times last season.

Statistically, the Bengals' deep passing game relied on Dalton just heaving it to A.J. Green. Last season, Dalton ranked near the bottom of the league in passes over 20 yards (37) but tied strong-armed Joe Flacco in completions over 40 yards (12).

» NFC Eight in the Box: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Welcome to Eight in the Box, an NFL Nation feature that will appear each Friday during the offseason. This week’s topic: How each AFC North team needs to address the quarterback position.

Baltimore Ravens: The biggest issue with Baltimore is whether it will reach a long-term deal with Joe Flacco by Monday or use the franchise tag on him to keep him off the free-agent market. If the Ravens use the tag, it will likely be the exclusive one to stop Flacco from negotiating with other teams. It's safe to say the Super Bowl MVP will remain the Ravens' starter in 2013. There is more uncertainty with the backup spot. Tyrod Taylor has been Flacco's backup the past two seasons, but there was a sense that Baltimore tried to upgrade the spot when it signed Curtis Painter last offseason. It wouldn't be a surprise if the Ravens used a late-round pick on a quarterback or signed a veteran free agent to compete with Taylor again. The backup quarterback position hasn't been an important spot for the Ravens because Flacco hasn't missed a game in five NFL seasons. UPDATE: The Ravens and Flacco agreed to a long-term deal Friday night.

Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals can't be happy that Andy Dalton had four interceptions returned for touchdowns last season and flopped in the playoffs for a second consecutive year. But Cincinnati still has confidence in Dalton and isn't expected to bring in anyone who will threaten his hold on the starting job. There is a decision to be made at the No. 2 spot because Bruce Gradkowski is a free agent. The Bengals will probably look to re-sign Gradkowski, who is familiar with Jay Gruden's offense. If the team decides to go in a different direction, the Bengals could add another veteran backup (which has been head coach Marvin Lewis' preference) or use a late-round pick on a quarterback.

Cleveland Browns: This is the one starting quarterback job that is up in the air in the division. The Browns' new regime will have a competition in training camp, but Brandon Weeden is still considered the favorite to remain the starter. There's a chance that the Browns will trade for Patriots backup Ryan Mallett, a rumored favorite of vice president of player personnel Mike Lombardi. Cleveland, though, would prefer not to give up a draft pick after using a second-round one on wide receiver Josh Gordon in last year's supplemental draft. And it doesn't sound as though the Browns intend to draft a quarterback like Geno Smith with the No. 6 overall pick. The Browns can provide some competition for Weeden by signing the Dolphins' Matt Moore or the Saints' Chase Daniel out of a weak free-agent class.

Pittsburgh Steelers: As long as Ben Roethlisberger stays healthy, there's no question that he's the starting quarterback. Roethlisberger, though, hasn't played a full season since 2008, which puts more emphasis on the backup position. This could be the year when the Steelers look for a younger quarterback in the mid-to-late rounds to develop. Zac Dysert, a Miami (Ohio) quarterback like Roethlisberger, is expected to go in the fourth or fifth round. The Steelers went with more experienced backups last season in Charlie Batch and Byron Leftwich, both of whom are free agents and whose returns are uncertain. Batch is 38 years old, and Leftwich is not durable. Even if there was a better free-agent backup available, Pittsburgh doesn't have the cap room to sign him.

It's media day at the Super Bowl, and I'll be covering this crazy event at the Superdome so you don't have to do so. Unfortunately, this conflicts with the introductory news conference for Browns defensive coordinator Ray Horton. I will post something off of that as soon as I can, but it could be later in the afternoon. Now that you have the game plan, here's your wake-up call ...

RAVENS: Safety Ed Reed agrees with President Obama that football needs to be made safer. "I have a son. I am not forcing football on my son," he said. "If he wants to play it ... I can't make decisions for him. All I can do is say, 'Son, I played it so you don't have to.'" Reed, who has been playing with a nerve impingement in his neck, believes the league can do more to improve the health of players. "Every medical training room should be upgraded; training rooms can be a lot better," he said. "When you've got the president talking about it, you got something."

BENGALS: The 49ers' Colin Kaepernick is the first quarterback of the 2011 draft to reach the Super Bowl. Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, who was drafted one spot ahead of Kaepernick in the second round that year, met him for the first time at the Manning passing camp in 2010. “He’s a little more quiet but he had one of the strongest arms in the camp,” Dalton told The Cincinnati Enquirer. “He can run well and can really read the zone schemes and different things.”

STEELERS: The Steelers have received permission from the Redskins to interview special teams coach and Pittsburgh native Danny Smith, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He has coached the Redskins' special teams since 2004. The Steelers have a vacancy there because Mike Tomlin fired Al Everest in the preseason last year and assistant Amos Jones left to become the special teams coach for the Arizona Cardinals.

BROWNS: If the Browns want Colt McCoy to remain their backup quarterback, the cost to keep him has risen. McCoy's playing time and performance from his first two seasons have increased his 2013 base salary from the league minimum to $2.325 million, according to Yahoo! Sports. McCoy, who lost his starting job to Brandon Weeden in 2012, earned the league minimum $540,000 last season.

Just a heads up, you can expect to see more posts this week on the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns than the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals. That's just the reality of the situation. The Ravens are in the playoffs and the Browns are in a coaching search. Once the offseason gets in full swing, namely free agency and the draft, there will be more balance in terms of posts. Thanks for understanding. Here's your wake-up call ...

RAVENS: Baltimore moved quarterback Joe Flacco out of the pocket more against the Indianapolis Colts, which is why he was only sacked once and hit twice. It's a strategy that they might use against a Denver Broncos team that sacked Flacco three times last month. "Whenever you have great edge pass rushers, you need to move the pocket," coach John Harbaugh said, via The Baltimore Sun. "They have been working hard on that, whether it's stepping up in the pocket making plays or stepping outside and making plays when the pass rushers lose contain and then keeping the play alive and trying to make some throws while he's doing that. Joe can run. He's faster than people think." The Ravens also released linebacker Sergio Kindle, their top pick in the 2010 draft, off their practice squad.

BENGALS: Andy Dalton isn't worried about the criticism after a second straight poor performance in the playoffs. “Not that we’re satisfied where we’re at, but we went to the playoffs in my first two years that I was here. That’s something that hasn’t happened in 30 years," Dalton said, via The Cincinnati Enquirer. “To go from 4-12 before I got here to 9-7 and now 10-6, we’re getting better and going to be better next year.” As I wrote Monday, it's valid to question whether Dalton is a franchise quarterback. The 2013 season is shaping up to be a big one for Dalton.

STEELERS: The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Alan Robinson offers 10 ways to fix the Steelers. High on his list is to find a way to stay healthier. Some suggestions include making sure safety Troy Polamalu stays slimmer in the offseason and getting linebacker LaMarr Woodley's hamstrings in shape. “I think winning eight games with all the injuries they had is almost mind-boggling, to do as good as they do,” former Redskins and Texans general manager Charley Casserly told the paper. “To me, the No. 1 issue with this team was being decimated by injuries.”

BROWNS: The Plain Dealer reported that it's unclear whether the Browns will go after big-name coaches like Alabama's Nick Saban in the team's rebooted search. According to the paper, no sources close to the search have scoffed at speculation that the Browns will go after Saban, who led Alabama to their third national championship in four seasons. The Browns are reportedly set to interview Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians and CFL coach Marc Trestman. The Browns' meeting with Trestman will happen at some point, but it didn't occur Monday as previously reported by ESPN Radio in Cleveland.

The Cincinnati Bengals don't need to draft a quarterback in the first round this year. They don't need to sign a free agent to replace quarterback Andy Dalton.

What the Bengals need to do is figure out whether Dalton is a franchise quarterback by the end of the 2013 season. That's a valid question after Dalton flopped for a second straight season in the playoffs and took a step back in his second NFL season.

At this point, you can't say with any confidence that Dalton should be the team's quarterback for the next five to six years. He threw three interceptions in his first playoff game last season (including a critical pick returned for a touchdown by J.J. Watt) and failed to complete half of his throws in his second postseason game Sunday.

The frustrating part for the Bengals is their defense played well enough to win Sunday. In fact, the Cincinnati defense scored the team's only touchdown. The Bengals managed minus-6 yards passing in the first half. Dalton didn't receive much help from Jermaine Gresham's drops and poor pass protection. But that doesn't make up for the fact that Dalton was his own worst enemy.

He didn't throw to A.J. Green in the first half (that should only be the case if Green is quadruple-teamed) and he missed his Pro Bowl wide receiver on a touchdown late in the game. Dalton failed to convert a third down and threw a fourth-down pass that was five yards short of the first-down marker.

The reason you can't write off Dalton completely is because he has potential. He has taken the Bengals to the playoffs the past two years, something that hasn't been accomplished since 1981-82. He has thrown 46 touchdown passes in 31 career games. The only quarterbacks who have passed for more in their first two seasons in the NFL are Dan Marino (68) and Peyton Manning (52).

But the Bengals need Dalton to be better than no touchdowns and four interceptions in two playoff games. They need Dalton to be better than a 47.5 completion rate on third downs. They need Dalton to be better than getting four interceptions returned for touchdowns.

This is a division where Ben Roethlisberger has a couple of Super Bowl rings and Joe Flacco has six playoff wins. Is Dalton the quarterback who can take the Bengals deep in the playoffs? They need to have that answer by the end of next season.

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.

My thoughts on the Cincinnati Bengals' 19-13 loss at the Houston Texans:

What it means: The drought continues. The Bengals extended their streak to 22 seasons without a playoff win, the longest streak in the NFL. In order for the Bengals to get the respect they want, they're going to have to win in the postseason. Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis is now 0-4 in the playoffs, which is the second-worst record in league history. This is the second straight season Cincinnati's season has ended with a playoff loss at Houston. This didn't look like the Bengals team that had won seven of its final eight regular-season games.

Coming up short: The Bengals had a chance to win the game on their final drive, getting as far as the Texans' 36-yard line. But quarterback Andy Dalton couldn't hit wide receiver A.J. Green in the end zone on third down. (Green was open but it was a tight window.) And, on fourth-and-11, Dalton's pass to Marvin Jones was caught but he ended up 3 yards short.

Dalton was awful: Dalton delivered one of his worst performances of the season. There were some drops (tight end Jermaine Gresham was terrible), but Dalton was severely off his game. He never got comfortable in the pocket because of the pass rush, and finished 14-of-30 for 127 yards and one interception. Dalton also failed to lead a touchdown drive. It was a disappointing effort because the Bengals' defense played well enough to win.

Bad play calling: Not sure what offensive coordinator Jay Gruden was thinking with this game plan. The Bengals didn't get the ball to Green until 10 minutes remained in the third quarter. Green finished with 80 yards on five catches. The most effective part of the Bengals' offense was running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis. But he finished with 11 carries despite averaging 5.7 yards per carry. Gruden won't be taking this tape to any interviews for a head-coaching job.

Couldn't stop the run: Just like in last season's playoff game, the Bengals failed to slow down running back Arian Foster, who gained more than 100 yards rushing again. Cincinnati was the 12th-ranked run defense in 2012 but didn't look like that in Houston. Foster finished with 140 yards on 32 carries.

Nose for the end zone: The only touchdown in the first half was scored by the Bengals' defense, which isn't surprising. Leon Hall's 21-yard interception return for a touchdown marked the fourth straight game in which the Bengals' defense reached the end zone. Hall, who had one touchdown in his first four seasons, now has scored twice in the past three weeks. This was only the second interception brought back for a touchdown in Bengals playoff history.

Ugly first half: The Bengals' offense struggled mightily in the first half. Cincinnati was outgained 250 yards to 53. The Bengals managed four first downs and crossed midfield just once in the first two quarters. With minus-6 passing yards in the first half, the Bengals became the first team since 2007 (the Chiefs) to have negative passing yards in the first half of a playoff game.

Disappearing act: The Bengals didn't throw one pass in the direction of Green in the first half. This marked the first time Green went an entire first half without a target.

What's next: The season is over but the future is bright for the Bengals. This is a young team that went to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. Still, with this awful playoff performance, there are going to be questions about whether Dalton is really a franchise quarterback.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North » AFC: North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about the AFC wild-card playoffs:

Return of Ray: Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, who announced that he will retire at the end of the season, will play in his first game since tearing his triceps Oct. 14. The Ravens have been better against the run this season with Lewis on the field but worse against the pass, according to ESPN Stats & Information. With Lewis, Baltimore has allowed 3.8 yards per rush and 7.6 yards per pass attempt. Without Lewis, the Ravens have given up 4.1 yards per carry and 6.6 yards per throw. This will mark Lewis' 18th playoff game of his career. In the postseason, Lewis has recorded 185 tackles (an average of 10.8 per game), 13 passes defensed, six forced fumbles, two interceptions, two sacks and one touchdown.

Fearsome foursome: What makes the Bengals' defense so effective is its ability to generate a pass rush without having to blitz. The Bengals harass quarterbacks with a front four that includes defensive tackle Geno Atkins and defensive ends Michael Johnson and Carlos Dunlap. Cincinnati had an NFL-high 37 sacks with a four-man rush and and allowed only eight touchdown passes on such pressure, which was tied for second fewest in the league. The Bengals have to get pressure on Texans quarterback Matt Schaub, who has had success against Cincinnati in the past. Schaub is 2-0 against the Bengals with seven touchdowns and one interception. Of the 16 teams he has faced more than once since 2008, Schaub’s Total QBR of 89.4 against the Bengals is his best against any team.

Different coordinator, different quarterback: Joe Flacco has been a different quarterback in three games under new Ravens offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell. The average distance of Flacco's passes under Caldwell has been 7.6 yards downfield, according to ESPN Stats & Information. That's down from his average of 9.8 yards downfield in the first 13 games under Cam Cameron this season. Flacco had the worst completion percentage (40.1) on throws more than 10 yards downfield through Week 14. But, by throwing downfield less often, Flacco's efficiency has improved.

Beware of the tip: Andy Dalton becomes the fourth quarterback in NFL history to start a road playoff game in each of his first two seasons, joining Flacco, Mark Sanchez and Shaun King. It's a return postseason trip for Dalton to Houston, where he was undone by a batted pass at the line of scrimmage. Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt picked off Dalton's pass and returned it for a touchdown, the key moment in yet another playoff loss for Cincinnati. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Dalton has had 32 passes batted down or tipped since entering the NFL, which is third most in the NFL. Five of those batted-down passes have come in two games against the Texans' defense.

Postseason panache: Quarterbacks are always aware of where Ed Reed is on the field. Colts rookie quarterback Andrew Luck should really be wary of the Ravens safety because he steps up in the playoffs. Reed has eight interceptions in 11 playoff games, which ranks as the most among active NFL players and is one shy of tying the all-time mark. Luck finished the regular season with 18 interceptions, one shy of league leaders Tony Romo and Drew Brees. However, Luck had seven potential interceptions dropped by defenders, most in the NFL.