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Since I'm taking over for James Walker today as the AFC North blogger, I want to take a moment to introduce myself.

I spent the past 11 years covering the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun. My hometown is Baltimore. But my football home is the AFC North.

Skeptical? Well, I've covered almost as many playoff games involving the Steelers as the Ravens.

I was there when the Steelers hoisted up the Vince Lombardi Trophy in the 2005 and 2008 seasons. I was there in 2005 when Carson Palmer was injured in a wild-card game, abruptly ending the Bengals' Super Bowl aspirations. And I was there in 2002 when Kelly Holcomb threw for 429 yards and three touchdowns in the Browns' last playoff appearance.

I can rattle off the names of disappointing draft picks for the Browns just as easily as the quarterbacks who failed for the Ravens. I can even give you the number of gray hairs on this year's Pittsburgh defense (OK, just kidding).

The AFC North is the division where defenses flex their muscles and offenses run up the gut of teams. Likewise, I'm ready to roll up my sleeves to provide timely news, analysis and opinions on all of the NFL happenings from Lake Erie to the Chesapeake Bay.

I look forward to the interaction with readers. You can also connect with me via Facebook and Twitter. My goal is to keep all discussions lively yet cordial. Let's leave the unnecessary roughness penalties to James Harrison and Terrell Suggs.

Since the AFC North was created during the 2002 realignment, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens have been the biggest bullies within the conference. Those teams have combined for seven division titles in the past nine seasons.

With new eras beginning simultaneously for Ohio's two NFL franchises, young quarterbacks Andy Dalton and Colt McCoy will be aiming to shift the balance of power toward the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns, respectively. Quarterback is the league's most important position, and if Dalton and McCoy turn out to be the long-term solutions, it could go a long way toward potentially turning the AFC North on its head.

The Steelers and Ravens have their answers at quarterback. Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger, 29, already has led his team to three Super Bowls, winning two, and is currently in the prime of his career. Baltimore's Joe Flacco, 26, has led the Ravens to three consecutive playoff appearances and continues to get better.

That puts an immense amount of pressure on Dalton and McCoy to catch up. Their futures directly tie into Cincinnati and Cleveland's ability or inability to close the gap within the division. If both are busts, there might not be an end in sight to the dominance by Pittsburgh and Baltimore. Neither the Bengals nor the Browns have any shot of overcoming these perennial contenders with shoddy quarterback play.

"It's horrible; there's nothing good about [inexperienced quarterbacks] facing the Ravens and Steelers," said Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. "They're not carbon copies of each other, but their philosophy is pretty similar. They're going to take away your running game, and you're not going to outwork them in the trenches or move them. Then you're one-dimensional, and then you're in trouble."

Cleveland has had a number of quarterbacks eaten alive by Baltimore and Pittsburgh since returning to the NFL in 1999. Tim Couch, Kelly Holcomb, Jeff Garcia, Charlie Frye, Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn are just some of the players who were battered, beaten and couldn't maintain long-term success in the AFC North. McCoy is next in line to give it a shot this season.

Last season McCoy showed flashes of promise, but he got off to an inauspicious start against Pittsburgh and Baltimore. He went 0-3 against the Steelers and Ravens, throwing for two touchdowns and eight interceptions in those games. If McCoy has similar performances against Cleveland's biggest rivals in Year 2, he won't hold his starting job very long.

"I think he played like a rookie at times and then he far exceeded my expectations at other times," Browns president Mike Holmgren said recently of McCoy. "It coincided with the games we won and a couple games that we lost. ... Did he exceed expectations from me? I would have to say yes, because I didn't expect him to play. Is there a huge upside and much more to come? I would say yes to that, too, because he is a young man just learning to play the position in our league."

Holmgren echoes the sentiment of Cleveland's coaches and those in the front office, who remain optimistic about McCoy. But Williamson isn't convinced.

Williamson recently ranked the Browns last in his post-draft Power Rankings, leading Scouts Inc. to predict Cleveland will take Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the top pick in the 2012 draft. If this scenario plays out, McCoy's first full season as a starter in 2011 projects to be a disaster.

"I really worry about the guy's arm strength. I just can't get around that," Williamson said. "When the weather gets bad, he's not going to be able to complete passes in Cleveland. I think he's a real good fit in the West Coast offense. I think he has some moxie to him and I like the way he plays. But when it's December and the Steelers and Ravens are in town, you better be able to complete a deep out."

Former No. 1 overall pick Carson Palmer did have success, which is why Cincinnati is the only team other than Baltimore and Pittsburgh to win the AFC North. The Bengals won division titles in 2005 and 2009.

Palmer, who demanded a trade and threatened to retire this offseason, was particularly tough against the Ravens. He was 9-4 as a starter versus Baltimore, and the Ravens certainly won't miss Palmer if he never plays another down in Cincinnati.

That is where Dalton comes in. Barring an unexpected change of heart by Palmer, Dalton is projected to be the Week 1 starter in Cincinnati after leading TCU to an undefeated season in 2010.

Dalton, like many successful quarterbacks, comes to Cincinnati with confidence and a very competitive attitude.

"Obviously, everyone knows about the current situation with Carson Palmer," Dalton said. "As far as I know, it's open [competition]. We're trying to figure out who will be the guy, and I’m looking forward to it."

Dalton's biggest strengths are his accuracy and leadership, which will be needed in Cincinnati. Dalton recently said he models his game after some of the top quarterbacks in the league.

"Growing up and watching the NFL, I saw what Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have done. They seem to have full control over their team," Dalton explained. "You see how well it's worked out for them. Recently, I watched Aaron Rodgers even before he won the Super Bowl. He's a guy who took advantage of his opportunity when it was his time. I think those are three guys that I've watched and studied. Hopefully I can take something from each of their games."

Neither McCoy nor Dalton was a top draft pick. McCoy was a third-rounder in 2010, and Dalton was taken in the second round last month. Yet both are projected to start very early in their careers and, thus, will carry pressure similar to being a first-round pick.

Time will tell if Dalton and McCoy will eventually lead to a quarterback changing of the guard in the AFC North. But count Williamson among the biggest skeptics.

"They both won a ton of games in college, were wonderful college players, and you want your daughter to marry them," Williamson explained. "But they just don't throw the football as well as they have to be 'The Guy' in that division."

BEREA, Ohio -- It felt as if there was a changing of the guard at the Cleveland Browns' training facility this week. After talking it over with president Mike Holmgren and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, Browns head coach Eric Mangini named rookie quarterback Colt McCoy the starter for the remainder of the 2010 season.

Mangini gushed about McCoy's work ethic, quick learning curve and how the rookie wouldn't accept it when everyone in the organization -- from Holmgren on down -- said they didn't plan for McCoy to see the field this year. Instead, McCoy is projected to play eight games, which is half of the Browns' season.

McCoy landed his initial opportunity through injury, but he's regaining the starting job with solid play in five starts. He threw for 975 yards, completed 63.8 percent of his passes and had an 85.3 passer rating. The rookie proved to be the best quarterback on the roster and essentially forced the team into this decision.

"I wasn't really looking at this as just being the case where we're throwing a young guy in to see whether or not a young guy can do it," Mangini said. "I think Colt really did a good job with the opportunities that he had. I think he's earned the chance to play these three games."

Is McCoy the long-term solution in Cleveland? It's too early to tell.

But the Browns (5-8) and the rest of the NFL are about to learn a lot more about McCoy in the next three games against AFC North opponents. The first test is Sunday, a road game against the Cincinnati Bengals (2-11) and then there's back-to-back home games against the playoff-bound Baltimore Ravens (9-4) and Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3).

The training wheels are officially off for McCoy.

"It's no landmark day," McCoy said Thursday. "Today is the day that I know I'm the starter and I have to go out and play. I have to go out and get better and I have to go out and help us win."

McCoy's play down the stretch will affect a lot with the Browns, starting with the NFL draft. Quarterback is the league's most important position, and Cleveland has lacked stability there since returning to the NFL in 1999.

A lot of quarterbacks have passed through Cleveland's revolving door, including Tim Couch, Kelly Holcomb, Jeff Garcia, Trent Dilfer, Charlie Frye, Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn and now Jake Delhomme. Poor quarterback play is one of the biggest reasons Cleveland has just one playoff appearance in more than a decade.

McCoy showed promise, going 2-3 in five starts. But five games do not make a solid season. Three more contests will provide a half-season's worth of film to evaluate the rookie.

"The No. 1 goal of the Cleveland Browns right now has to be finding out what they have in McCoy," said Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. "They like what they've seen from him, but can he be the guy? Or do the Browns need to draft a guy or bring in a free agent? I think the Browns need to have a clear picture of that going into the offseason."

The Browns also need to find out whether McCoy can play in inclement weather. Garcia, Frye and Quinn didn't have the arm strength to throw against the heavy winds that come off Lake Erie in Browns Stadium during the winter.

McCoy's biggest asset is his accuracy, not arm strength, which raised some red flags when the Browns drafted the University of Texas product in the third round. McCoy didn't see a lot of bad weather as a four-year starter in the Big 12.

"I've played in the snow and wind in Kansas a couple times. I've played in Nebraska," McCoy explained. "We had some real wet games back home [in Austin]."

McCoy believes playing in bad weather is more mental than physical. But when he was pressed by the media this week regarding his arm strength, a confident McCoy fired back.

"I guess we'll find out, won't we?" McCoy scoffed.

Running the carousel in the AFC North also will be a great learning tool for McCoy. If Cleveland is to turn the franchise around and make a run at the postseason, it first has to win within the division.

The past three seasons the Browns are just 3-12 against AFC North opponents. It's a major reason former head coach Romeo Crennel was fired in Cleveland and Mangini is currently on the hot seat. If McCoy can get hot and pick up two or three wins against Cleveland's biggest rivals, everyone in the organization looks better heading into the offseason.

It's obvious the Browns have a lot riding on McCoy's performance in these final three games.

BEREA, Ohio -- Veteran quarterback Jake Delhomme made no secret about his intentions this year with the Cleveland Browns.

"I play this game for one reason and one reason only -- to win," Delhomme said. "That's what this game is about. There's something about walking into a locker room after a game with those 10 minutes when it's just the coaches and the players. There's nothing greater than seeing a mission accomplished for the work you put in."

The Browns are hopeful they finally have a proven starting quarterback this year. Since returning to the NFL in 1999, Cleveland has had a plethora of rotating quarterbacks that included Tim Couch, Kelly Holcomb, Trent Dilfer, Charlie Frye, Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson.

Delhomme looked good in Wednesday's practice that was open to the media. He hit receivers Brian Robiskie and Chansi Stuckey for a pair of diving touchdown receptions to the outside. Delhomme also was accurate and in command of the huddle throughout Wednesday's organized team activities.

"The things that we have heard about his leadership and our research is definitely showing up since he's been here," said Cleveland head coach Eric Mangini.

The Browns have a quiet confidence about Delhomme.

Expectations are fairly low, because Delhomme is 35 and coming off the worst season of his NFL career. Last year Delhomme threw for 2,015 yards, eight touchdowns and 18 interceptions before being benched by the Carolina Panthers.

"I love six of the seven years I had in Carolina," Delhomme said. "I'll be perfectly honest. Everything was great, [but] last season just wasn’t a lot of fun."

Much of Cleveland's success rest on Delhomme's shoulders. If he has a bounce-back year, the Browns have a good chance to improve on last year's 5-11 record. If Delhomme has another disastrous year, Cleveland could be in major trouble.

» NFC Big Question: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Will the Cleveland Browns have enough patience to successfully groom rookie quarterback Colt McCoy?

When it comes to quarterbacks, patience certainly is not a virtue in Cleveland.

It's a city that is desperate for a championship and a franchise quarterback to call its own. It's been 17 years since Bernie Kosar last donned a Browns uniform. Cleveland fans have been quick to anoint the Browns' next franchise quarterback, only to be disappointed.

Often the Browns' organization followed suit by rushing quarterbacks onto the field and usually without much of a supporting cast.

For example, Tim Couch was a No. 1 overall pick after the Browns returned to the NFL in 1999. He played 15 games his rookie year and spent that season -- and most of his career -- taking a pounding for an expansion franchise. Thus, Couch never had the chance to fully blossom as an NFL quarterback thanks to various injuries he suffered.

Kelly Holcomb, Charlie Frye, Derek Anderson and most recently Brady Quinn all followed and were among the young players who were shuffled in and out of Cleveland’s revolving door at quarterback. The team never established a consistent direction at the league's most important position.

This brings us to McCoy -- this year's highly publicized third-round pick. He is the next young quarterback to generate hope and a significant buzz in northeast Ohio.

Ideally, Browns president Mike Holmgren wants to wait a year, maybe two, before McCoy sees the field. But the second veteran starter Jake Delhomme struggles with a multi-interception game, there will be pressure in Cleveland to see what McCoy can do. Yet Seneca Wallace, not McCoy, is currently No. 2 on the depth chart if Delhomme falters.

In the past decade, few NFL franchises have failed more at grooming a long-term solution at quarterback than the Browns. That is why it's important for the team to stick to its plan and let McCoy learn from the sidelines in 2010 -- no matter what happens with the quarterbacks in front of him.

I had my say Wednesday about Derek Anderson's comments and the way quarterbacks are treated with the Cleveland Browns. Now it's the Dawgpound's turn.

Here are several responses we received from Browns fans in our AFC North inbox:

Ty from Atlanta, Ga., writes: We need to re-examine how the fans treat QBs? Tell us when we had a consistent starter to cheer for in the first place. You also didn't mention how miserable the QB situation has been since the Browns returned. You usually write pretty accurate stuff but you are way off base on this. I bet if you had interviewed this frustrated fan base you would know why we look to the guy with the clipboard. Maybe it's because the starter is either always hurt or the starter is never consistent. That's a front-office thing not a fan thing.

Tony from Rootstown, Ohio, writes: Come on, James. Do you really blame us for coveting the official clipboard holder? The poor level of play we have been subjected to the last 10 years is mind numbing. Most Browns fans are embarrassed that the minority booed Derek that day he laid hurt. Most of us don’t wish to see these men hurt, let alone enjoy it. If the players don’t consider 10 years of sellout crowds, $4 hot dogs, $8 beer and hundreds, if not thousands, for tickets a sign of support, what should we do as fans? We are frustrated. Take a look at what we have endured as fans, the team redefines inept with every season and Sunday. Yeah, its the fans fault.

Kovacs from Santa Monica writes: I get your point JW, but Browns fans aren't changing their ways. We are dyed in the wool, stubborn maniacs. Should we have cheered when DA got hurt? No. Was it all his fault? No. Frustration is the word. How can a franchise with such a proud history at QB be left with the garbage that we've had since rejoining the league? Our two best seasons of QB play during that period came from flash in the pan one-year wonders (Kelly Holcomb and DA). Other than that the position has been absolutely garbage. So I say again, we probably shouldn't have cheered when the guy got hurt.

Doug Kitts from Ravenna, Ohio, writes: Cleveland is a brutal town for QBs, yes. But can't some of the blame be laid at the feet of the coaching staffs that have been here. Ever since the Holcomb/Tim Couch debate began with Butch Davis there hasn't been a single coaching staff that has completely backed a QB. If you combine that sort of wishy-washy front with a very frustrated and reactionary fan base it's no wonder the fans so quickly turn. Look, fans should have never cheered for any player to be injured. I don't, by any stretch, condone it. But there comes a point in time that maybe it's not just a cynical group of fans. Maybe it's their reaction to complete and utter ineptitude since this "franchise" was brought back to Cleveland. The front office and coaching staff can do a lot to "set the tone" for a fan base.

Bruce Hicks from Indianapolis, Ind., writes: I enjoy your writing but was blown away by your latest blog. D. Anderson has every right to his opinion and I don't think he needed to apologize. However, except in maybe four NFL towns, the backup QB is always popular and Cleveland IS frustrated. What NFL city wouldn't be that's hoping for one decent starter? And, with Quinn and Anderson we have zero.

Justin from Cleveland writes: I understand why DA would feel so strongly about the fans here. But seriously, he threw away so many games in 2007. I watched most of the games and if he could have connected on short routes and really been the reason we won 10 games, then we would love him. It just remains that he was awful. He was never a good personality, preferring golf over football constantly. If he could have gotten it together and tried AT ALL he could have been ok. But he threw so many bad passes that he played himself out of our favor.

Josh from Atlanta, Ga., writes: You said the backup QB is the most popular in Cleveland. Well, that's only because the starter has been so bad since Couch was here. Even in Anderson's Pro Bowl season his numbers against winning teams were TERRIBLE. How [former GM] Phil Savage didn't see that is beyond me.

Free-agent quarterback Derek Anderson lashed out at Cleveland Browns fans after he was released by the team Tuesday.

Anderson later apologized for his comments. But don't think for one second the former Pro Bowl quarterback didn't mean what he said.

Frustration had been mounting with Anderson ever since the end of the 2007 season. He had the finest year of his career, which included 3,787 yards and 29 touchdowns, but it never seemed to matter. It is a fact that he was cheered by Browns fans while injured, and things only got worse when his level of play dropped.

Living in Ohio for the past seven years, I will offer you two truths about Browns fans: First, it is an extremely frustrated group. Second, the backup quarterback usually is the most popular player in town.

Browns fans have an odd infatuation with players holding a clipboard. Somehow, standing on the sideline long enough creates legendary status in Cleveland.

It happened to Kelly Holcomb. It happened to Charlie Frye. And in Anderson's case, it most recently happened to Brady Quinn. All of these former backups were fan favorites until they also faltered, leaving Browns fans to seamlessly move on to the next target.

Should Anderson have made those comments publicly? No, especially since it was a parting shot on his way out the door.

But it's true that Cleveland is not a quarterback-friendly city, and perhaps Anderson's comments will provide Browns fans a chance to re-examine how they treat the NFL's most important position.

Posted by ESPN.com’s James Walker

Here is an amazing stat: The Cleveland Browns are the only NFL team to open their season at home every year since 1999.

Here is another amazing stat: Cleveland is 1-9 in those games.

Slow Out Of The Gate The Cleveland Browns are 1-9 in their past 10 home openers: Year Opp. Result Starting QB 2008 Dallas L, 28-10 Derek Anderson 2007 Pittsburgh L, 34-7 Charlie Frye 2006 New Orleans L, 19-14 Frye 2005 Cincinnati L, 27-13 Trent Dilfer 2004 Baltimore W, 20-3 Jeff Garcia 2003 Indianapolis L, 9-6 Kelly Holcomb 2002 Kansas City L, 40-39 Holcomb 2001 Seattle L, 9-6 Tim Couch 2000 Jacksonville L, 27-7 Couch 1999 Pittsburgh L, 43-0 Ty Detmer Source: ESPN Stats and Information

For the 11th consecutive season, the Dawgpound will host a season opener Sunday when the Browns face Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings.

Cleveland’s had the benefit of being granted a decade’s worth of home openers by the NFL but has done very little with it. The team’s only win came in 2004 against the Baltimore Ravens (20-3).

The Browns have been outscored 256-105 in their last 10 openers. And according to ESPN Stats & Information, Cleveland hasn’t scored one first-quarter touchdown in Week 1 since its return to the league in 1999.

This is also a major reason the Browns have just one playoff appearance in that same span. Cleveland rarely gets off to a fast start, where a season-opening loss usually contributes to an uphill climb the rest of the year.

The Browns are hoping for better success this week under new head coach Eric Mangini. He had some first-year magic with the New York Jets in leading them to the playoffs as a rookie coach in 2006. But few expect similar results in Cleveland.

Mangini still hasn’t named his starting quarterback but has an idea of who it’s going to be. Most expect it to be Brady Quinn, who would be the eighth Week 1 starting quarterback in the past 11 seasons. That list also includes Ty Detmer, Tim Couch, Kelly Holcomb, Trent Dilfer and Charlie Frye.

Can Mangini and (possibly) Quinn buck the trend?

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

Here are the most interesting stories Wednesday in the AFC North:

• The NFL approved the "Hines Ward rule," preventing contact to the head on blindside blocks, at the owners' meeting Tuesday.

Morning take: Welcome to the NFFL: The National Flag Football League.

• Cleveland Browns coach Eric Mangini says expect another quarterback competition this summer between Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn.

Morning take: This is an annual pastime for the Browns. Throw this latest installment in with other classic competitions such as Tim Couch vs. Kelly Holcomb and Charlie Frye vs. Anderson.

• The Cincinnati Bengals are looking to get back to the deep ball with the return of quarterback Carson Palmer and receivers Chad Ocho Cinco and Laveranues Coles.

Morning take: They better get protection for Palmer in the draft first, or he will be on his back before the receivers finish their routes.

• Should the Baltimore Ravens be wary of signing offensive tackle Orlando Pace?

Morning take: Absolutely. His namesake and legacy are solid. But Pace has to be able to stay healthy to make a difference next season.

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

Here is your one-stop shopping around the AFC North:

• Chick Ludwig of the Dayton Daily News is a fan of Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Johnson's latest Reebok commercial. It shows Johnson hitchhiking on a dirt road in an effort to get to training camp.

Morning take: If Johnson had his druthers, that car would take him somewhere other than Georgetown, Ky.

• As you can read here and here, reports out of Baltimore state that training camp this year under Ravens rookie head coach John Harbaugh will be much different than the easy-going Brian Billick.

Morning take: In one year, the Ravens went from a summer country-club setting to running a boot camp. Ouch!

• Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal says an annual staple is missing from Cleveland Browns training camp this year: a quarterback controversy.

Morning take: Not if it were up to Browns fans. But debating the merits of Derek Anderson versus Brady Quinn is a vast improvement of the days of Tim Couch vs. Kelly Holcomb or Trent Dilfer vs. Charlie Frye.