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Tedy Bruschi and Eric Mangini discuss John Harbaugh's comments about the New England Patriots.

Here's one way the New England Patriots can get back to the Super Bowl: Sign receiver Mike Wallace, one of the best players in free agency.

The Pittsburgh Steelers' Pro Bowler is a restricted free agent who is ripe for the taking. Pittsburgh has salary-cap issues this offseason and cut many of its veteran players. The team also could not afford to put a franchise tag on Wallace.

A first-round pick and a good contract offer are the only things standing in the way of Wallace joining the reigning AFC champions. New England should be the first team in line to throw caution to the wind and pry Wallace from Pittsburgh next week when free agency begins.

Here are several reasons why this is a smart move for New England:

Reason No. 1: Patriots have plenty of draft picks, cap space

This is the perfect year for the Patriots to pounce. Unlike the Steelers, New England has plenty of cap room and more than enough draft picks to make a solid pitch for Wallace.

The cost for Wallace would be a first-round pick and a contract extension. New England has two first-rounders (No. 27 and No. 31) and two second-rounders. Losing one of those early picks would not hurt the Patriots. New England likely would not get an immediate, Pro Bowl-caliber player at the end of the first round anyway. Wallace would count as part of the Patriots' draft class. New England could add a top-10 receiver in his prime.

New England's best chance is to offer Wallace a front-loaded contract. The key is to provide a high amount of guaranteed money and salary in the first season, which would count against this year's cap. The Patriots have that luxury over Pittsburgh and can use it to their advantage.

The Patriots entered the offseason with more cap space than any team in the AFC East. Receiver Wes Welker's franchise tag would take up some of that, but the Patriots still can offer Wallace more than Pittsburgh. New England may have to eventually work out an extension with Welker, as a result, but the Patriots are considering that option anyway.

Reason No. 2: Patriots need a deep threat

Imagine the possibilities: Tom Brady throwing to Welker and Rob Gronkowski underneath, and Wallace and Aaron Hernandez vertically. That would be a passing attack that is tough to stop.

New England's best deep threat last year was Hernandez, its backup tight end. He was the only player who could consistently get vertical and was a threat for making huge plays.

Wallace's speed would bring a unique element to New England's offense. He is arguably the best deep threat in the NFL and has 23 receptions of 40 yards or more the past three seasons. The Patriots' offense hasn't had that type of big-play capability since Randy Moss.

There are criticisms that Wallace is a "one-trick pony." That’s debatable. But getting deep is really all the Patriots would need from Wallace. New England's other receivers and tight ends will take care of the underneath routes and allow Wallace to focus on what he does best.

Reason No. 3: It hurts a big AFC rival

The Steelers are one of the most well-run and respected franchises in the NFL. The ownership, front office and coaching are all top notch.

Therefore, Pittsburgh consistently poses one of the biggest threats to New England in the AFC. The Steelers and Patriots combined for eight Super Bowl appearances the past 11 years. If Pittsburgh didn't get "Tebowed" by the Denver Broncos in January, the Patriots would've had another tough playoff matchup against Pittsburgh. The Steelers beat New England in the regular season.

Signing Wallace away from Pittsburgh would simultaneously strengthen New England and hurt the Steelers' depth at receiver. The Steelers already released team captain and all-time leading receiver Hines Ward. In terms of leadership, Ward leaves a huge void that is tough to replace. Losing Wallace, Pittsburgh's best receiver, would be another big blow.

Pittsburgh also cut starting linebacker James Farrior, starting guard Chris Kemoeatu and veteran defensive end Aaron Smith. Years of manipulating the cap is finally catching up to the Steelers, and it could cost the team Wallace if New England or another team goes after him.

Reason No. 4: No harm, no foul

Let's say the Steelers find a way to match New England's offer. That could still work in New England's favor.

The Patriots would retain their first-round pick and cap room, while forcing Pittsburgh overpay on a front-loaded contract to keep Wallace. The Steelers, as a result, would have more issues with the cap. For the Patriots, there's no harm in trying.

New England also has options. The Patriots could quickly turn its attention to veteran receiver Brandon Lloyd, who is a viable Plan B. Lloyd wants to reunite with new Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and would be happy to join the reigning AFC champs. Instead of the home run (Wallace), New England could settle for a triple (Lloyd).

Going after Wallace in free agency is a win-win for the Patriots, regardless of the result.

QUARTERBACK: Tom Brady fell short of his fourth game-winning touchdown drive in a Super Bowl. He overcame a ragged start to find his groove. He set a Super Bowl record with 16 straight completions, including 15 straight on two touchdown passes. His first touchdown pass, a 4-yarder to Danny Woodhead, showed his patience to wait for the running back to break free of the linebacker. Brady's second one, a 12-yarder, was quicker recognition to find tight end Aaron Hernandez against the middle linebacker. Brady did get hit on his interception (which turned out to be a long punt) and seemed to hurt his already banged-up left shoulder. He started off the scoring but not the way he intended. His intentional grounding penalty on the Patriots' first play led to a safety, a strange mistake for a quarterback known for such great awareness. Grade: B-plus.

OFFENSE: The Patriots' receivers let Brady down in the fourth quarter with drops from Wes Welker, Deion Branch and Hernandez. The passing game was limited with tight end Rob Gronkowski less than full strength with a high-ankle sprain. He didn't get a catch until three minutes left in the first half. Hernandez picked up the slack with a 12-yard touchdown grab in the third quarter. The offensive line held up quite well against a Giants pass rush that recorded five sacks of Brady in the last Super Bowl matchup. Welker was a hot target in the passing game, although he couldn't pull down a key reception late in the fourth quarter. Grade: C.

DEFENSE: The Patriots' much-maligned defense came up big in the biggest game of the season. Playing both safeties deep to defend against the deep pass, the Patriots made it tough for Eli Manning and forced him to throw into tight windows. The New England run defense got pushed around early (70 yards rushing allowed in the first half), but fared better in the second half. The Patriots played more physical after they were sparked by Patrick Chung's hit on Hakeem Nicks along the sideline. The Patriots then allowed Ahmad Bradshaw to score a 6-yard touchdown with 40 seconds left, so they could get the ball back into the hands of Brady. Grade: B-minus.

COACHING: Bill Belichick lost his second straight Super Bowl. The Patriots had a great game plan defensively and were running an efficient offense. But it was questionable to throw on second-and-11 in the fourth quarter — which resulted in an incompletion to Welker and stopped the clock with four minutes left in the game. Then, the challenge on the Mario Manningham catch on the Giants' final drive cost the Patriots a timeout. Belichick prides himself on precision and discipline, which is why having 12 men on the field for defense was so surprising. That penalty negated a recovered fumble for the New England defense and led to the Giants' first touchdown (a Victor Cruz 2-yard catch in the first quarter). Grade: B.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 29-yard field goal. The kickoff coverage team allowed a 34-yard return early in the third quarter. The Patriots' return game was virtually non-existent. Punter Zoltan Mesko was outplayed by Steve Weatherford, averaging 38 yards per punt. Grade: C.

INDIANAPOLIS -- If the pregame predictions are any indication, this will be a very, very closely contested Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and New York Giants.

In the SportsNation poll, it's split right down the middle -- 50 percent say the Giants and 50 percent say the Patriots. This poll has included votes from 760,000 fans and comes an hour before kickoff.

It's almost as close on the predictions on ESPN.com: 39 picked the Giants and 32 went with the Patriots.

This is a tough one to call because both teams are confident and are on a hot streak. The Patriots have won 10 straight games (their last loss came Nov. 6 against the Giants). The Giants' winning streak is only at five games, but New York defeated the top two seeds in the NFC to reach the Super Bowl.

INDIANAPOLIS — I posted a video roundtable from the Super Bowl. How does that fit into the AFC North blog? Well, it features myself and former AFC North blogger James Walker, who shifted to the AFC East this season. The roundtable is hosted by NFC East blogger Dan Graziano. Hope you enjoy.

In order for the Ravens to reach the Super Bowl, Joe Flacco has to take them there.

He has to strong-arm Baltimore to victory over New England in Sunday's AFC Championship Game because that's how you beat the Patriots this season. New England has lost three games, and every time, the quarterback has been the deciding factor. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning exploited the AFC's worst defense by throwing for 984 yards (an average of 328 yards passing) and a total of six touchdowns.

So it's time for Flacco to step up in the playoffs. It's time for Flacco to prove he deserves that new contract. It's time for Flacco to quash his critics, as well as a critical teammate.

A feisty Flacco entered the playoffs saying if the Ravens win the Super Bowl, "I'll have nothing to do with why we won, according to you guys."

On Sunday, let's take the chip off the shoulder and put the team on his back -- because that's exactly how this game will play out.

Tom Brady and the Patriots are averaging 32.8 points per game. That means scoring three points in the final three quarters won't cut it in this playoff game.

New England will direct its focus on stopping running back Ray Rice, especially after Bill Belichick plays that 83-yard touchdown run from two years ago about 100 times this week. That means the Patriots are going to force Flacco to beat them.

"We're going to have to make sure we prepare well all week and bring our A-game up there," Flacco said.

There's no question that Flacco is a winner. His 44 victories are the most ever by an NFL starting quarterback in his first four seasons. He's also the only quarterback in NFL history to win a playoff game in each of his first four years.

But there have been very few "A-games" when it comes to the postseason. In eight playoff games, Flacco has completed 53 percent of passes and has averaged 153.3 yards passing. He's thrown six touchdowns and seven interceptions for a quarterback rating of 31.5.

In last Sunday's 20-13 victory over Houston, Flacco completed 14 of 27 passes (51.9 percent) for 176 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. It wasn't just the media that criticized Flacco after this performance. Ravens safety Ed Reed said Flacco "was kind of rattled a little bit" Sunday.



“They had a lot of guys in the box on him and they were giving it to him. I think a couple of times he needed to get rid of the ball. It just didn’t look like he had a hold on the offense,” Reed told SiriusXM satellite radio Monday. “I don’t know how much of [that was] the play calling … but it just didn’t look like he had a hold on the offense, you know, of times past."

Reed added, "It was just kind of like they [were] telling him [what] to do -- throw the ball or get it here, you know, get it to certain guys.”

Reed believes Flacco needs to improve his play for the Ravens to win at New England.

“He can’t play like that,” Reed said.

It's never a good sign when a teammate is talking about his quarterback this way. Just ask Mark Sanchez.

The Ravens are entering a crucial time, and this goes beyond the current postseason. Baltimore is going to have to make a decision on its level of commitment to Flacco. Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said last March that he expects to sign Flacco to a long-term contract extension sometime in 2012. Flacco later responded that he doesn’t think he should have to wait that long.

The problem is, Flacco's statistics say he regressed this season. He completed a career-worst 57.6 percent of his passes. His touchdowns went down, from 25 in 2010 to 20 this season. His interceptions went up, from 10 to 12.

Asked whether it's difficult to measure Flacco's impact by statistics, coach John Harbaugh said: "I've done that many times, and I don't really feel like running down all those things right now. I can just tell you in this last game, he won, and his quarterback rating was 97. That's a winning performance, and Joe -– I told him [Sunday] night -– I thought he played very, very well. In a lot of situations in this game when he was under duress, he handled himself really well. There were plenty of things he'd like to have back and could have done better, and he'd be the first to tell you that. So, you just try to get better, you try to improve and you try to play winning football, no matter what position you play. And that's what we value around here."

The path to this season's playoffs wasn't an easy one for Flacco, who finished 15th in QBR for a reason. He played 12 games against defenses ranked in the top 10, throwing 14 touchdowns and six interceptions in those games.

There's no such excuse when it comes to taking on the Patriots' defense. New England ranked 31st in yards allowed in the regular season and gave up the most passing yards in the AFC.

"A quarterback has to do what his team needs him to do to win, and Joe has done that," Belichick said. "I don’t know how to improve much on 11-5 and 12-4, and they just keep doing it. He's been a solid guy since his rookie year in terms of managing the game and using the clock and making good decisions and those types of things."

A game manager isn't going to get the Ravens past the Patriots on Sunday. Baltimore needs Flacco to play like Brady, not like Trent Dilfer.

New England gave up the most 20-yard passes in the NFL this season: 79, which was eight more than any other defense. Patriots cornerback Devin McCourty has allowed 1,115 yards and six touchdowns this season (according to Stats LLC), and cornerback Kyle Arrington has given up 827 yards and five touchdowns.

It's clear that Flacco has to attack a vulnerable Patriots secondary and help out a Ravens defense facing Brady, Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski.

The stage is yours, Joe Flacco.

History says the AFC Championship Game between the Ravens and the Patriots will be a close one. Three of the past four meetings between these two teams have been decided by six points or less.

In a game that could go down to the final minute, who is the Ravens' X-factor in Sunday's game?

• Starting quarterback Joe Flacco has had a major effect on games. The Ravens are 30-3 (including playoffs) when he posts a passer rating of 95 or better.
• Free safety Ed Reed remains a top playmaker on defense and could have had three interceptions in last Sunday's playoff game (he dropped two of them). His eight career postseason interceptions lead all active players.
• Running back Ray Rice has been the centerpiece of the offense this season. Of the past eight games, he has received at least 20 carries in seven -- all victories.
• Outside linebacker Terrell Suggs is a strong candidate for NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He led the AFC with a career-high 14 sacks and set a franchise record with seven forced fumbles.

So, who is the Ravens' X-factor against the Patriots? Go ahead and register your vote or let me know what you think in the comments section below. I'll follow up by the end of the week.

The Ravens have never played host to an AFC Championship Game, and it won't happen this year.

The AFC Championship Game will be played at New England's Gillette Stadium after the top-seeded Patriots routed the Denver Broncos, 45-10, on Saturday night. New England will play the winner of Sunday's Texans-Ravens game on Jan. 22 at 3 p.m.

The AFC title game would have been played in Baltimore if the Patriots had lost and the second-seeded Ravens had won.

Home field has truly been an advantage in this year's NFL playoffs. Teams are 6-0 when playing on their home turf.

In a SportsNation poll of over 7,300, the favorites to take the top two seeds in the AFC are the New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens.

An overwhelming 70 percent of voters chose the Patriots and Ravens, both of whom could clinch a first-round bye and a home playoff game Saturday. The Patriots have to beat the Miami Dolphins at home. The Ravens need to defeat the Cleveland Browns in addition to a Pittsburgh Steelers loss to the St. Louis Rams.

If the Ravens lose at least one game and the Steelers win out, Pittsburgh would claim a top-two seed.

Here are the results of the poll ...

Who will be the top two seeds in the AFC?

Patriots and Ravens: 70 percent

Patriots and Steelers: 25 percent

Ravens and Texans: 3 percent

Steelers and Texans: 2 percent

PITTSBURGH -- Thoughts on the Pittsburgh Steelers' 25-17 win over the New England Patriots at Heinz Field:

What it means: The Steelers ended the dominance of the Patriots and Tom Brady and made the statement that they're the team to beat in the AFC. Pittsburgh won its fourth straight game but this was its first against a legitimate playoff contender. The Steelers improved to 6-2 to maintain their slim first-place lead over the Ravens and Bengals (both 5-2).

Roethlisberger outshines Brady: Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has had success against New England in the past, but this time it was different because he was the best quarterback on the field for that day. Roethlisberger out-dueled Brady in Brady-like fashion, spreading out the Patriots and flinging the ball around out of the shotgun. He completed 36 of 50 passes for 365 yards and two touchdowns. His biggest mistake was a first-half interception, which set up the Patriots' first touchdown.

Thumbs up: Steelers wide receivers. Pittsburgh didn't need Hines Ward, who was out with an ankle sprain. Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders were quick and elusive, getting open on a consistent basis. Each had at least five catches for over 65 yards. Call it catch by committee.

Swat team: Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel secured the win by stripping Brady in the final seconds, which led to the safety. This came after Keisel had jumped up to knock down a Brady pass earlier in the game.

Woodley's streak: A year after the Steelers failed to sack Brady, LaMarr Woodley took the Patriots quarterback down twice. It's the third straight game that Woodley has recorded at least two sacks. He's really stepped up since James Harrison went down with an eye injury. But Woodley is now injured, too, leaving the game with a left hamstring injury.

What's next: After redeeming themselves against Brady and the Patriots, the Steelers look to avenge a season-opening loss to the Ravens next Sunday. Pittsburgh hosts its AFC North rival in prime time Sunday night.

The Cincinnati Bengals added depth to their young group of receivers Sunday. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports Cincinnati claimed former New England Patriots receiver Brandon Tate off waivers.

Cincinnati is going young at the position and Tate, 23, fits the description. He was productive as New England's third receiver last season, catching 24 passes for 432 yards three touchdowns.

I'm curious to see where Tate fits in Cincinnati.

The Bengals already have a good No. 3 receiver in Jordan Shipley, who caught 52 passes primarily from the slot in 2010. First-round pick A.J. Green is the team's No. 1 threat, and Tate would have to beat out Jerome Simpson to crack the starting lineup. Otherwise, Tate enters the regular season as the No. 4 or No. 5 receiver on Cincinnati's depth chart, next to Andre Caldwell.

The 2011 predictions are in.

ESPN.com provided its crystal ball by launching its NFL season previews. The Pittsburgh Steelers are the pick to repeat as AFC North champions this year. Out of a five-person panel, three picked Pittsburgh. Adam Schefter and I picked the Baltimore Ravens.

Just one person picked an AFC North team to win the Super Bowl. ESPN.com columnist Ashley Fox likes the Steelers to win it all this year. The consensus pick was the New England Patriots over the Green Bay Packers.

Do you agree or disagree with our picks?

Feel free to vote on our SportsNation poll and share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Various preseason games and traveling to training camps prevented me from putting together a recent mailbag. Therefore, we never posted our latest "Homer of the Week."

This week's award goes to a Cleveland Browns fan.

• Cory Hart from Shelby, Ohio, writes: After watching the first two preseason games I'm going to make a prediction: The Browns will go 10-6 this season and be the sixth seed in the playoffs. They will then beat the New England Patriots in the first round but will ultimately lose to the Houston Texans, who will go to the Super Bowl but will lose to the Atlanta Falcons. Colt McCoy will throw for 3,800 yards and 28 TDs with 9 INTs and Peyton Hillis will rush for 1,500 yards with 13 TDs and catch for 700 yards with 7 TDs. That is how I see this year for my team.

Walker: Wow, Cory. I don't know if I'm more shocked you think the Browns will beat the Patriots in the playoffs or the Houston Texans are going to the Super Bowl. And McCoy and Hillis should be first-round picks in fantasy drafts with these projections. Be careful not to overrate the preseason, Cory. Congrats on being our "Homer of the Week."

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

• Should the New England Patriots be favored over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC?

Morning take: Quarterback Tom Brady and New England have Pittsburgh’s number. The Patriots deserve to be the AFC preseason favorites. But eventually everything will be settled on the field.

• Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis is happy to have safety Taylor Mays.

Morning take: The Bengals were high on Mays in last year’s NFL draft but took tight end Jermaine Gresham instead. Now, Cincinnati has a chance to work with Mays one year later.

• How big a gamble is new Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie?

Morning take: Work ethic and conditioning are major concerns. But the Ravens need McKinnie’s talent on the offensive line. They are counting on Baltimore's solid locker room to keep McKinnie focused.

• New Browns head coach Pat Shurmur's West Coast offense is bringing excitement to Cleveland.

Morning take: I think Browns fans would take any offense over what they saw last season. Shurmur's group looks sharp so far, which provides hope for the regular season.

ESPN.com's Hot Button feature always sparks a good debate. This week's topic centers on the top AFC team in 2011.

ESPN.com senior writer John Clayton likes the New England Patriots, who were 14-2 last season and added receiver Chad Ochocinco and defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. ESPN.com columnist Ashley Fox picks the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are the reigning AFC champs.

Which AFC team do you like to make it to Indianapolis in February? Patriots? Steelers? Someone else?

Visit our Hot Button piece to cast your vote. You can also share your thoughts here in the comments section below.