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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.

The AFC North is running a series where every position will be ranked and what could change at that position.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

1. STEELERS: Pittsburgh had the top-ranked pass defense, and it wasn't all about the pass rush this time. Actually, the pass rush was extremely inconsistent this season, so that No. 1 ranking is more of a reflection of the Steelers' secondary. Cornerback Ike Taylor and free safety Ryan Clark had career years. Taylor's season, though, was marred by a late-season decline that ended with him getting stiffed-armed by the Broncos' Demaryius Thomas on the touchdown that ended the Steelers' season. Clark had the best season of any safety in the division, which is saying a lot when Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed are in the AFC North. He finished second in the division with 100 tackles. Polamalu was solid, but didn't play up to his usual spectacular level. William Gay was a pleasant surprise, taking back the starting cornerback job that he lost in 2010. What could change: Gay is an unrestricted free agent, but it shouldn't take much to retain him. Look for rookie cornerbacks Cortez Allen and Curtis Brown to make more of an impact in their second seasons.

2. RAVENS: This group exceeded expectations, and did so in a surprising manner. Instead of starting Domonique Foxworth and Chris Carr at cornerback, the Ravens finished fourth in pass defense with Lardarius Webb and Cary Williams. Webb was the division's top cornerback, recording five interceptions and breaking up 20 passes (and that doesn't include three interceptions in the playoffs). Williams was a physical presence at corner. The biggest disappointment was Reed, who intercepted three passes -- his fewest in a season where he played more than 12 games. The Ravens' other safety, hard-hitting Bernard Pollard, provided more of an impact than Reed. First-round pick Jimmy Smith endured an up-and-down rookie season. What could change: Smith should take over for Williams as a starting cornerback this season. Foxworth is expected to get cut, and the same could happen to Carr. Both backup safeties, Tom Zbikowski and Haruki Nakamura, are free agents, but I suspect Nakamura will get re-signed.

3. BROWNS: Joe Haden showed signs of being a shutdown corner, even though he failed to make an interception. He held his own against some of the best receivers in the NFL, from Larry Fitzgerald to Brandon Marshall. His worst games came against Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green. While Haden is among the division's best cornerbacks, Sheldon Brown was the worst starting corner in the AFC North. Brown's biggest asset is the experience he provides to a young secondary. The defensive backfield was hurt by the loss of strong safety T.J. Ward, who missed the final 10 games with a foot injury. Teams took advantage of Ward's replacement, Usama Young. Free safety Mike Adams beat out Young for a starting job in training camp. Dimitri Patterson was a reliable nickelback, breaking up a dozen passes. What could change: The Browns might replace Adams, who is a free agent, and they could give rookie seventh-round pick Eric Hagg a shot at doing so. Cleveland is very interested in bringing Patterson back. It wouldn't be a surprise if Patterson starts in place of Brown.

PITTSBURGH -- The lack of a first-round bye hurts the banged-up Steelers, who haven't been in this situation too many times.

This marks only the fourth time that the Steelers have played a wild-card game on the road but their first since 2005. Their previous trips were at Houston (1989), Kansas City (1993) and Cincinnati (2005). Pittsburgh has a 2-1 record away from home in the wild-card round.

In 2005, the Steelers became the first No. 6 seed in NFL history to win the Super Bowl. Since then, two other wild-card teams have done so (New York Giants in 2005 and Green Bay last year).

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' 38-17 win against the Tennessee Titans:

What it means: The early demise of the Steelers has been greatly exaggerated. After getting pushed around by Houston last week, Pittsburgh was the bully on the field against a Titans team that had convincing wins over two AFC North teams (Baltimore and Cleveland). It didn't matter that four starters were sidelined (nose tackle Casey Hampton, linebacker James Harrison, defensive end Aaron Smith and left guard Chris Kemoeatu), their starting running back (Rashard Mendenhall) didn't get on the field because of a hamstring injury and their starting quarterback (Ben Roethlisberger) played with a sprained foot.

Thumbs up: The Steelers' maligned offensive line. Pittsburgh opened up big holes for its backup running backs, including an especially big one that sprung Jonathan Dwyer for 76 yards. The line also protected its hurt quarterback, even though Roethlisberger did get the ball away quicker Sunday. On the touchdown pass to Heath Miller, Roethlisberger had time to pump and look to his left before finding the tight end over the middle.

Delivering some pain: Despite playing with specialized footwear for his sprained left foot, Roethlisberger had one of the best games of his career, throwing five touchdowns. It marked the fourth time in Roethlisberger's career that he had at least four touchdown passes in a game. He had only three touchdown passes in the four games before the injury.

Capitalizing on "special" play early: A 52-yard kickoff return from Antonio Brown set up the Steelers' first touchdown, and a 33-yard pass from punter Daniel Sepulveda on a fake at midfield led to Pittsburgh's second touchdown. But the Steelers' special teams tried to give that lead back in the second half after failing to recover an onside kick and getting a punt blocked.

Timely takeaway: Speaking of that onside kick, the Steelers' defense didn't let the Titans keep the momentum. On the next play, Brett Keisel deflected Matt Hasselbeck's pass with his right hand and LaMarr Woodley made the interception. It was just the second turnover forced by the Steelers this season.

What's next: The Steelers stay at home to face the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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

• The Pittsburgh Steelers have given the nod to rookie Marcus Gilbert to replace the injured Willie Colon at right tackle.

Morning take: Gilbert is the next man up for Pittsburgh. The Steelers invested a second-round pick in the Florida alum and needs a quick return on their investment.

• Baltimore Ravens receiver Lee Evans made an impact against Pittsburgh without a reception.

Morning take: Evans' speed kept the Steelers honest. Pittsburgh wasn't able to stack up against the run and more routes were open underneath.

• Can the Cleveland Browns (0-1) beat the Peyton Manning-less Colts (0-1)?

Morning take: I don't think either team is that good. But it's a winnable game for both sides. The loser is in for a long season.

• The Denver Broncos are hurting entering their Week 2 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Morning take: Cincinnati may catch a break with Denver coming off a short week. The status of cornerback Champ Bailey, running back Knowshon Moreno and receiver Brandon Lloyd are all up in the air.

Here are the latest happenings around the AFC North:

• Can the Cincinnati Bengals (1-0) take advantage of the Denver Broncos (0-1) coming off a short week?
• Is left tackle Bryant McKinnie the biggest surprise for the Baltimore Ravens?
• The Cleveland Browns (0-1) reportedly signed punter Brad Maynard to replace Richmond McGee.
• Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Willie Colon was put on injured reserve and will be out for the season.

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

FALLING

1. Cleveland Browns: The Browns finished the preseason with optimism and were favorites to beat the rebuilding Bengals at home. But Cleveland continued its longstanding trend of playing poorly in regular-season openers. The Browns fell to 1-12 in Week 1 since returning to the NFL in 1999. Cleveland had too many penalties (11) and some odd, unexplainable mental errors. The Browns have another winnable game Sunday against the Manning-less Colts. If Cleveland blows this one and falls to 0-2, it's going to be a rough season.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers' defense: Pittsburgh's defense has been too good for too long to write off. But the Steelers did look old and two steps slow on that side of the football in Sunday's loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Pittsburgh's defense has eight starters over 30. The unit had a poor game against the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl and struggled again in Week 1. That is a concern. Baltimore had surprising success running and passing against the Steelers. We will see in Week 2 how Pittsburgh's proud unit bounces back against Seattle.

3. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers quarterback: Roethlisberger had a great preseason but accounted for five turnovers in Week 1. He threw three interceptions and lost two fumbles. The Steelers can't win when Roethlisberger is this careless with the football. The offensive line certainly didn't help. Pittsburgh allowed four sacks.

RISING

1. Ravens' defense: Baltimore tied a team record with seven turnovers against Pittsburgh. I thought about breaking down the accolades individually in this "Stock Watch," but there were too many good performances. Defensive end Terrell Suggs had three sacks and became Baltimore's all-time sack leader with 70.5. Pro Bowl defensive tackle Haloti Ngata had four tackles, caused a fumble and tipped the ball at the line for a Ray Lewis interception. And Ed Reed had two picks off Roethlisberger for another multi-interception game.

2. Joe Flacco, Ravens quarterback: Flacco finally got over the hump of beating Pittsburgh with Roethlisberger under center. Now, he can move on with the rest of his season. Few quarterbacks have faced more offseason scrutiny than Flacco. He responded with 224 yards and three touchdowns against Pittsburgh. The pass protection was good and Flacco took advantage. He looks ready to make a jump in Season 4.

3. Cincinnati Bengals: The inexperienced Bengals showed some moxie with a come-from-behind road win over the Browns. Cincinnati scored 14 unanswered in the fourth quarter and did it without their starting quarterback, Andy Dalton, who was out with a forearm injury. Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis has said numerous times that he likes this young group.

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

• Cincinnati Bengals rookie quarterback Andy Dalton (arm) most likely will play Sunday against the Denver Broncos.

Morning take: Dalton was having a decent game before his forearm injury. The Bengals picked up the slack without him. But they need him healthy against Denver.

• Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Willie Colon is out indefinitely with a triceps injury.

Morning take: This has to be tough for Colon, who just returned from last year's Achilles injury. Pittsburgh doesn't have much depth on the offensive line. Rookie Marcus Gilbert or Chris Scott are potential replacements.

• Baltimore Ravens first-round draft pick Jimmy Smith with miss a few weeks with an ankle injury.

Morning take: Smith was hurt on the opening kickoff, which has to be frustrating for the rookie. Backup cornerback Lardarius Webb filled in well against Pittsburgh.

• The Cleveland Browns may be looking for a new punter after Richmond McGee's shaky debut.

Morning take: McGee wasn't an issue in training camp or the preseason. But you never know how players respond when the lights come on. He cost the Browns a lot of field position against Cincinnati.

Week 1 is in the books for the AFC North. Therefore, expect some significant changes in our next NFL Power Rankings.

Here is how things could look on Tuesday:

Baltimore Ravens

Last week's vote: No. 8

Projected vote: No. 4-7

Analysis: I voted the Ravens the highest last week at No. 5. I believe they're the best team in the AFC North this season. Baltimore thoroughly outplayed the Steelers to add confirmation to that prediction. If the offensive line continues to protect the way it did against Pittsburgh, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco could make major strides this year.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Last week’s vote: No. 3

Projected vote: No. 8-11

Analysis: The Steelers were one of the NFL's most surprising teams in Week 1 -- and not in a good way. Pittsburgh was dominated by Baltimore and looked like a shell of last year's team. Most likely Sunday's showing was just a horrible outing. But you wonder if Pittsburgh is getting old fast. I expect the Steelers to get back on track. But they could have one of the biggest drops this week.

Cincinnati Bengals

Last week’s vote: No. 32

Projected vote: No. 26-29

Analysis: The Bengals pulled off a mild upset by beating the rebuilding Browns on the road. Both teams were ranked near the bottom of our Power Rankings. Therefore, don't expect a huge jump. Cincinnati showed guts by staging a fourth-quarter comeback on the road with its backup quarterback (Bruce Gradkowski). Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis seems to like his young team.

Cleveland Browns

Last week’s vote: No. 29

Projected vote: No. 30-32

Analysis: Are the Browns as bad as they showed in Week 1? Penalties and mental and physical errors killed Cleveland. The Browns were expected to be a better and smarter football team than last season but didn't show it against the Bengals. They have another winnable game next week against the Peyton Manning-less Colts. If Cleveland blows this one, it could be a very long season.

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

• After injuring his arm, Cincinnati Bengals rookie quarterback Andy Dalton is hopeful to return next week against the Denver Broncos.

Morning take: You never want to see a rookie get injured in his NFL debut. But the Bengals beat the Browns with backup Bruce Gradkowski and look prepared if Dalton can't return.

• Meanwhile, the Browns' offense is dealing with its disappearing act down the stretch.

Morning take: I've said for months Cleveland's offense lacks game-breakers. Someone has to make a big play in the fourth quarter and no one stepped up.

• Ravens defensive end Terrell Suggs (three sacks) was dominant against the Steelers.

Morning take: Suggs plays big in big games, especially against Pittsburgh. He is now the team's all-time sack leader with 70.5 career sacks.

• Steelers linebacker James Farrior is disappointed after being subbed for backup Larry Foote.

Morning take: Farrior is a team leader and longtime starter. I didn't understand the switching of series in the first game. But Pittsburgh's defense is searching for answers.

BALTIMORE -- It may go down as the most unpopular prediction in AFC North blog history. But after Sunday's game, it's also the most accurate.

The Baltimore Ravens are the new favorites in the AFC North. I wrote it in July -- to the shock and chagrin of many -- and I’m saying it again. After Baltimore's 35-7 blowout win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, it's especially true.

I didn't have a good feeling about the Steelers this offseason. I trust my gut on these things. Pittsburgh struggles after Super Bowls (trend alert) and had too much bad news outside of football (focus alert). The Steelers also are a year older and a year slower. Father Time is undefeated in athletics.

Meanwhile, the Ravens quietly closed the small gap on their biggest rival in the offseason, getting better, younger and faster. All those facets were on display during one of the most lopsided games in this rivalry.

The victory was a measure of revenge for the Ravens, who were knocked out of the playoffs by Pittsburgh last season. Baltimore finally -- and convincingly -- cleared the Steelers' hurdle.

"It's a new year," Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis said. "2010 and all the other years are way behind us. ... New pieces, new faces."

Ravens tailback Ray Rice described the win as a "physical, executed beatdown."

"It was domination," Ravens Pro Bowl linebacker-defensive end Terrell Suggs said.

Both statements are accurate.

With the exception of a fake extra point, the Ravens didn't trick their way to victory. They lined up and pounded Pittsburgh. By midway through the third quarter, the Steelers had no answers other than a lot of pushing and shoving.

Pittsburgh committed seven turnovers. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had one of his worst games. He threw for 280 yards and a touchdown but also had three interceptions and two lost fumbles. The Ravens also dominated in the trenches.

Rice (107 yards) ran wild. Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco (224 yards, three touchdowns) had good pass protection and was masterful. The Steelers were two steps behind the Ravens the entire game.

"That's pretty easy to assess, ladies and gentlemen. We got handled in all three phases today," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "We accept responsibility for the plays that we made and didn’t make."

The Ravens will go as far as Flacco takes them. The early signs are positive, as Flacco played his best game (117.6 passer rating) against the Steelers.

Flacco was poised and made several of the best throws of his career. A 27-yard touchdown pass to receiver Anquan Boldin against tight coverage in the first quarter displayed Flacco's natural ability. He has seen enough of the Steelers' coverages that he should be more familiar with them than most quarterbacks.

In his fourth season, Flacco was criticized heavily this offseason by media and opposing players, including Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley. The monkey is off Flacco's back for now. He turned the Steelers into believers while staying even-keeled about his performance.

"There's always going to be critics," Flacco said. "Turn around, 10 weeks down the road and something might happen. Then, OK, [the criticism] is back again."

Pittsburgh looked slow on defense. That's probably the Steelers' biggest concern.

There were signs of cracks in the defense late last season when the Green Bay Packers ripped the Steelers for 288 yards passing in Super Bowl XLV. Pittsburgh brought back the same group this year, and the unit didn't get any younger or faster. Eight of Pittsburgh's 11 starters on defense are 30 or older. At some point age will catch up to the Steelers. Perhaps we are seeing the start of it in Week 1.

"I'm not ready to judge it from a speed standpoint," Tomlin said when asked about the defense. "We didn't turn around enough ball carriers. We didn't get off well enough on third down. We didn't create turnovers. Usually speed is a part of that equation, but I'm not ready to say that at this juncture."

Pittsburgh need not push the panic button yet. Yes, the Ravens are division favorites, but that doesn't mean the Steelers are out of the hunt. Barring injuries, both teams will make the playoffs, but the teams' roles have clearly reversed. Pittsburgh must catch up to the Ravens in the division for the first time in a long time.

The Steelers, who play host to the Ravens on Nov. 6, will try to avoid an 0-2 start next week at home against the Seattle Seahawks. Pittsburgh is too tough and too talented to go away.

"One game doesn’t knock anybody out of the playoffs," said Ravens safety Ed Reed, who had two interceptions. "We've seen that year in and year out. Those guys improve at the latter part of the season always. We know for a fact Pittsburgh will bounce back."

A few thoughts on the Baltimore Ravens' convincing 35-7 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers:

What it means: Baltimore finally beat Pittsburgh in a big game -- and it wasn't even close. It has been years since the Ravens overcame Ben Roethlisberger & Co. when it mattered. Pittsburgh knocked Baltimore out of the playoffs two of the past three years. It was also Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco’s first win over the Steelers when Roethlisberger was under center.

Turning point I: The first drive set the tone for Baltimore. The play calling was sterling, and the Ravens marched 66 yards on three plays. Flacco threw this best pass of the day -- a 27-yard throw in tight coverage to Anquan Boldin. Baltimore’s offense was a couple of steps ahead of Pittsburgh the entire game.

Turning point II: The first drive of the second half went even better for the Ravens. Pro Bowl defensive tackle Haloti Ngata crushed Steelers tailback Rashard Mendenhall on the first play after intermission. Mendnenhall fumbled, and it was recovered by Ngata. That set up a touchdown catch by Ravens tight end Ed Dickson. The Ravens, who never trailed, led 29-7.

Turnover city: The Ravens forced seven turnovers, tying a team record. The Steelers were sloppy and outplayed in every area. Roethlisberger had two fumbles and three interceptions. Ravens safety Ed Reed (two) and linebacker Ray Lewis (one) intercepted Roethlisberger.

What happened to the Steelers' run defense? I don't know whether I've seen Pittsburgh's run defense play this poorly in a long time. The Steelers were No. 1 against the run last season, and their D is usually air-tight. But the lanes were open from the beginning when Ravens tailback Ray Rice took the first carry 36 yards. Rice finished with 107 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

What’s next: The Ravens will try to improve to 2-0 with a road game against the Tennessee Titans. The Steelers will look to pick up the pieces and avoid an 0-2 start next week at home against the Seattle Seahawks.

BALTIMORE, Md. -- The Baltimore Ravens lead the Pittsburgh Steelers 21-7 at halftime.

Here are some notes at intermission:

• Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is ready for this game. He made some of the best throws in the first half that I've seen from him in four seasons. The first was a 27-yard touchdown pass to Anquan Boldin against good coverage by Steelers cornerback Bryant McFadden. The other was a throw down the seam to tight end Ed Dickson, although it was called back because of a holding penalty. Flacco completed his first six passes in the game and looks in control.
• Baltimore is bringing a lot of extra linebackers and defensive backs on the blitz. The Steelers are countering with delayed runs and draws that are working. Pittsburgh tailback Rashard Mendenhall has 44 yards on eight carries.
• Ravens running back Ray Rice has fresh legs and is running well. Rice usually struggles against Pittsburgh but has 89 rushing yards and two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving) in the first half. His first run of 36 yards up the left sideline was started by a good kickout block by offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie.
• Ravens rookie cornerback Jimmy Smith injured his ankle on the opening kickoff and didn't return in the first half. His return is questionable. Steelers middle linebacker James Farrior also is sidelined. But no injury was reported. Farrior started the game and it’s unknown if it was a coach's decision or injury to sub him for Larry Foote.