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Like all of the Browns' officials, coach Pat Shurmur made it clear in a conference call Thursday that rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden has to beat out Colt McCoy and Seneca Wallace to be the team's starter in 2012.

I understand that the Browns want to make Weeden feel like he has to earn the job. But here's the reality of the situation: it's not his job to win. It's his job to lose.

The Browns will have a major problem if a first-round quarterback can't beat out the 25th-rated quarterback last year (McCoy) or a career backup (Wallace). A team doesn't draft a quarterback with the 22nd overall pick to sit for a season. A team doesn't select a 28-year-old rookie to hold a clipboard for a year.

Still, Shurmur doesn't want to publicly give the job to Weeden yet.

“I’ll decide who the starter’s going to be when we play against Philadelphia,” Shurmur said.

When rookie minicamp begins for the Browns on Friday, Weeden will begin to address the challenges of going from college to the NFL. He will have to adjust to a new offensive system, more complex looks from the defense, and a different viewpoint when the ball is snapped.

At Oklahoma State, Weeden orchestrated a fast-paced, spread attack from the shotgun. With the Browns, he will be expected to take more snaps from under center.

While this doesn't seem like a major transition, Weeden will have to work on his footwork. The advantage is you don't have to take your eyes off the defense under center like you do when you catch the ball in shotgun.

Asked if he was looking forward to seeing Weeden under center, Shurmur said: "Yeah, I am looking forward to him executing as a quarterback, whether we are under center or in the shotgun, all of which happens in the NFL. I am looking forward to watching him operate.”

Every morning, grab a cup of coffee and get your AFC North wake-up call here:

Browns backup quarterback Seneca Wallace said he is willing to mentor first-round draft pick Brandon Weeden a year removed from indicating that he wouldn't do the same for Colt McCoy.

"I know my job going into my 10th season of being in this offense is to prepare Brandon Weeden to get him right and make sure he's ready to go for Day 1," Wallace told a local Cleveland radio station, via the Plain Dealer. "This is a different beast. This is a first-rounder that we drafted, 22nd overall and from a business standpoint you know and everybody else knows and outsiders know that this kid's got to play. My job as a veteran guy is to make sure he's ready to play.''

Wallace said his comments last year that he's "not a mentor'' were specific to the situation he was in. In 2011, he was competing for the job against McCoy, a third-round quarterback.

"Going into 2012 now, with Brandon Weeden coming in, he's a first-round draft pick," Wallace said. "We all know the business side of it and you're going to see that guy play if it's week one or week seven, he's going to be playing.''

Hensley's slant: This comes across as Wallace trying to do everything he can to stay on the team. I still believe the Browns' best option at backup is to keep McCoy. He has the right attitude to be a backup, and the Browns just invested a full season of starts in him last year.

BENGALS: Quarterback Andy Dalton has already reached out to two of his new targets, tight end Orson Charles and wide receiver Mohamed Sanu. Charles wanted to get on a plane after he was drafted Saturday morning to throw with Dalton, but has to wait until the May 11-13 rookie minicamp. "He wanted to know, 'What routes do I need to be working on?' He's definitely trying to do all the right things," Dalton told the team's official website. "I'm happy to see it. Hopefully he'll pick it up quick and help us out." Hensley's slant: Sanu should be in the mix for the wide-open race for the team's No. 2 wide receiver spot. Jordan Shipley is probably the favorite if he recovers from knee surgery in time. Sanu, fifth-round pick, Marvin Jones, Andrew Hawkins, Brandon Tate and Armon Binns will also contend for that job.

RAVENS: Director of player personnel Eric DeCosta revealed some interesting pieces of information in an online chat on the team's website: linebacker Courtney Upshaw was among the team's top-20 rated players, undrafted linebacker Vontaze Burfict drew interest from the Ravens before he signed with the Bengals and center Gino Gradkowski was his favorite pick. "He was a sleeper player for us who was a consensus favorite amongst the scouts and coaches," DeCosta said about Gradkowski. "I think he's smart and tough guy, physical, very good athlete." Hensley's slant: Gradkowski might have to step up as the team's starting center by next season. Matt Birk, who is expected to mentor Gradkowski, turns 36 at the end of July.

STEELERS: Sean Spence will move to inside linebacker for the Steelers (backing up Lawrence Timmons) after playing outside linebacker at Miami in 39 of 40 starts, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh believes his speed and athleticism more than make up for his lack of height (5-foot-11). "A lot of stuff today is misdirection and trying to fool you or outnumber you one way and then give you a different look coming back the other way," linebackers coach Keith Butler said. "A lot of that requires the ability to read from the linebackers nowadays, not so much to get down and stuff a hole. Sometimes you have to do it on the goal line when you have to take on a big running back, but we're taking on Ray Rice, we're not taking on Jerome Bettis anymore." Hensley's slant: Spence is a four-year starter who has an excellent work ethic. He might not have the strength to become a starting linebacker, but he has the makings of being a core special-teams player.

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns officials insist there's "no story" with Colt McCoy a day after they were the ones who said they would discuss trading the now-supplanted quarterback.

"I haven't talked to one person about him," said general manager Tom Heckert, who rolled his eyes after third question regarding McCoy was asked Friday night. "There's nothing to talk about."

Actually, there's a lot to talk about. This is what happens when you use the 22nd overall pick on a quarterback. These are the questions you get when Brandon Weeden is answering questions at a Friday news conference like a mature, composed starter.

Here's my suggestion on what the Browns should do with McCoy -- absolutely nothing. I don't understand why the Browns would trade a quarterback in whom they just invested a full season of starts. If anyone should go, it should be current backup Seneca Wallace. Browns coach Pat Shurmur said last month that Wallace wouldn't be given a chance to compete against McCoy for the starting job, so I'm puzzled on why he should he be the one who stays.

There are instances where it would be a bad situation to keep a starting quarterback who just lost his job. Judging by his personality, McCoy wouldn't create any problems or disruptions.

The Browns are noncommittal on McCoy's future, which isn't a sign that he's sticking around. Asked if McCoy would be here for offseason minicamps, Shurmur said, "I plan on Colt being here on Monday as part of the offseason program. There really is no story right now. There really isn't. We drafted a quarterback to come in and compete with him at this point, and that's where it's at."

The Browns, though, were very strong in denying a report that said they told McCoy they wouldn't draft a quarterback in the first round.

"That's absolutely false," Heckert said.

Shurmur added, "We don't consult our players about what we're doing in the draft. I think it's ridiculous to assume that we would say those things."

It would also be ridiculous to assume the Browns drafted a 28-year-old quarterback to sit. Unless Weeden struggles mightily in training camp, he should be the starter this season. And the best quarterback on this roster to back up Weeden is McCoy.

The Baltimore Ravens are among three teams interested in Steelers free-agent quarterback Dennis Dixon, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The St. Louis Rams and Denver Broncos are also in the running for Dixon, who is not expected to return to Pittsburgh.

The Ravens have been inconsistent in how they've addressed the backup quarterback position recently. In 2010, Baltimore spent $3.8 million on Marc Bulger to have veteran insurance behind Joe Flacco. In 2011, the Ravens went with rookie sixth-round pick Tyrod Taylor.

One reason why the Ravens could go with Bulger in 2010 was the uncapped year, but it's definitely a major philosophical switch to go from a playoff-tested quarterback in Bulger to a raw prospect like Taylor. Of course, Baltimore hasn't needed a backup, because Flacco has never missed a start in his four-year career (64 straight, the third-longest current streak in the NFL). But the Ravens' playoff chances would get decimated if Flacco got hurt, and the team had to turn to Taylor for an extended period.

Dixon, 27, the No. 3 quarterback last season for Pittsburgh, has made three career starts in his four seasons with the Steelers. He has a 2-1 record, with one touchdown and two interceptions. Dixon's first start came against the Ravens in 2009, when his interception in overtime set up the winning field goal.

Here are the backup quarterback situations for the rest of the AFC North:

BENGALS: Cincinnati is set with journeyman Bruce Gradkowski. When Andy Dalton was hurt in last year's season opener, Gradkowski rallied the Bengals to a 27-17 win at Cleveland.

BROWNS: At this point, the Browns are going with Seneca Wallace, the team's backup for the past two seasons. But the depth chart could get moved around if Cleveland drafts a quarterback in the early rounds. If the Browns don't take a quarterback, Wallace won't be competing with Colt McCoy for the starting job, the team said.

STEELERS: Besides Ben Roethlisberger, the only quarterbacks on the roster are Troy Smith and Jerrod Johnson. The Steelers likely will bring back Byron Leftwich or Charlie Batch. The favorite to return is Leftwich, who reportedly drew interest from the Colts.

Gary Horton of Scouts Inc. broke down the top six needs remaining for each of the AFC North teams. You'll need an Insider subscription to view the entire post, but here's a glimpse of the top three needs:

CINCINNATI BENGALS

Horton's top three needs: Cornerback, guard and safety.

Horton on cornerback: The starters in 2011 were Leon Hall, who will be coming off an Achilles injury, and 32-year-old Nate Clements. When Hall went down, Adam Jones filled in, but none of these three make you comfortable in man coverage. Newly acquired free agent Jason Allen will help, but there is a lot of work to be done here.

Hensley's comment: I wouldn't put cornerback as the top need because the Bengals added Allen and re-signed Jones. Allen is an upgrade over Kelly Jennings. Guard is the bigger concern. If the season started today, the Bengals' starting right guard would either be Otis Hudson, Clint Boling or Anthony Collins (who would shift over from tackle).

CLEVELAND BROWNS

Horton's top three needs: Quarterback, wide receiver and running back.

Horton on quarterback: Right now, their options at QB are starter Colt McCoy and veteran backup Seneca Wallace, but nobody expects it to stay that way. With two first-round draft picks, they will almost surely pick a QB with one of them.

Hensley's comment: You could make a strong argument that quarterback, wide receiver or running back should rank as the No. 1 need. My top need for Cleveland is right tackle. The Browns can at least start McCoy, Greg Little, Mohamed Massaquoi and Montario Hardesty at those other positions. Right tackle was a weak spot for the Browns last season with Tony Pashos and Artis Hicks, both of whom are now gone. The Browns' starting right tackle at this point is Oniel Cousins, a third-round bust from Baltimore.

BALTIMORE RAVENS

Horton's three needs: Inside linebacker, left guard and safety.

Horton on inside linebacker: The Ray Lewis era will be ending soon, and the Ravens need to find his replacement. Jameel McClain was re-signed, and he can play inside or outside, but a three-down linebacker who can play solid pass defense is sorely needed.

Hensley's comment: Left guard is the biggest need on the team, and it's not even close. The Ravens couldn't keep Ben Grubbs and failed to sign Evan Mathis. The fallback option is Jah Reid, a backup offensive tackle last season. Going from a Pro Bowl guard (Grubbs) to a converted tackle (Reid) is a major step down.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Horton's top three needs: Offensive tackle/guard, nose tackle and running back.

Horton on offensive tackle/guard: Center Maurkice Pouncey is the only stable starter on this unit. Veteran tackle Max Starks is coming off an ACL injury and T Willie Colon can't stay healthy, though the coaches hope he can get through a full season at RT with young Marcus Gilbert moving from RT to LT. There is also a big hole at left guard. The Steelers need to get at least one, and maybe two, starters up front.

Hensley's comment: You can't really disagree with this assessment. Left guard Doug Legursky is a backup who performed admirably when Chris Kemoeatu was benched. Gilbert has a good chance of succeeding on the left side, but it's hard to depend on Colon at right tackle with his injury history. The Steelers' options are limited because there is no depth. Jonathan Scott, who has struggled mightily, is the top backup at tackle, and there's no reserves at guard with Trai Essex (free agent) and Jamon Meredith (not tendered as a restricted free agent) off on the roster.

The NFL owners meetings, which will be attended by every coach, general manager and (not surprisingly) owner, begin in Palm Beach, Fla., on Monday. While I won't be there this year, I will keep track of the happenings and provide my thoughts on any major development.

As always, we begin our day in the division with a much-needed Monday wake-up call:

BENGALS: Bengals coach Marvin Lewis is "jacked" about what the team has done so far in free agency.

While the Bengals lost defensive linemen Frostee Rucker (Browns) and Jonathan Fanene (Patriots), they signed running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis, guard Travelle Wharton and cornerback Jason Allen along with re-signing safety Reggie Nelson and Adam Jones.

"We basically were able to go out and sign pretty much the guys we hoped to sign,” Lewis told Cincinnati reporters (via the Cincinnati Enquirer) upon arriving at the owners meetings.

He is especially excited about the signing of Green-Ellis. The Bengals added Green-Ellis over Michael Bush, who had been considered by league observers as the favorite to land in Cincinnati.

“A month ago if you told me we were going to sign BenJarvus I would have taken it. After meeting him you feel even better,” Lewis said. “His versatility. His ability to catch. To protect. … He does it all. He can be a three-down player if he needs to be.”

Hensley's slant: I wouldn't necessarily be "jacked" about the Bengals' signings. They signed Wharton, not Ben Grubbs. They added Derrick Harvey, not Mario Williams. Still, you have to be pleased with what Cincinnati has done so far. While they didn't make a splash, the Bengals upgraded themselves at running back and left guard and kept their free-agent priority in Nelson.

BROWNS: The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto sees the Browns drafting Brandon Weeden or someone else lower in the draft but believes Colt McCoy is the starter. He doesn't think Seneca Wallace has any chance in a quarterback competition. "He has a 6-15 record as a starter, 1-6 with the Browns. His stats were even worse than McCoy's last year," Pluto wrote. "It makes no sense to start Wallace. In fact, the Browns should ask themselves if he is the right guy as a backup, because he has been unhappy in that role -- and it seems he wasn't exactly a lot of help to McCoy." Hensley's slant: I'm not saying Wallace will win the competition, but you can't dismiss him completely either. He has more experience than McCoy and has never had a shot at winning the job in Cleveland. That being said, I still think McCoy is the season-opening starter for the Browns.

RAVENS: It's unlikely that the Ravens will do any heavy spending in free agency during the owners meetings, according to the Carroll County (Md.) Times. The Ravens were roughly $5 million under the salary cap before signing inside linebacker Jameel McClain, outside linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo, special-teams ace Corey Graham and backup safety Sean Considine. Still, Baltimore hasn't ruled out potential additions. "Further moves are possible," coach John Harbaugh said. "There are some areas, still, that we would like to continue to shore up before the draft, but I don't think we'll say, ‘Hey, we've got to do this, we've got to do that.' You can't make a move unless the player is available and you can actually sign the guy." Hensley's slant: The Ravens should now turn their focus to new contracts for quarterback Joe Flacco and running back Ray Rice. That would free up much-needed cap space for Baltimore to make some of those additional moves. But I don't see Flacco or Rice signing new deals anytime before the draft.

STEELERS: Max Starks isn't expected to talk to the Steelers before making more progress with his surgically repaired knee, the free-agent left tackle told Fox Sports. He tore his ACL in the playoff loss at Denver. Starks, 30, said it's his "intent" to re-sign with the Steelers. "I have the opportunity to go back there, but I know the reality is I’m not going to get a legitimate look until June for my knee when I can actually run off the ACL injury," Starks said. "That will really determine what team I go to.” Hensley's slant: The Steelers will have a better understanding where they are at left tackle in June. By that time, the draft will be long over and the Steelers should have seen Marcus Gilbert at left tackle at offseason minicamps. Starks is a good fallback for a team that is planning to start Willie Colon, who has essentially missed the past two seasons because of injuries, at right tackle.

The Cleveland Browns' "aggressive" pursuit -- as team president Mike Holmgren described it -- to move up to get Robert Griffin III suggests Cleveland isn't comfortable with its current quarterbacks.

So, after failing to get RG3, what's Plan B? Based on what Holmgren is saying, the Browns will turn to the same quarterbacks who received a vote of no confidence after Holmgren detailed how they attempted to trade three first-round picks for RG3. While the Browns could still draft a quarterback, it seems like there is a good chance that the Browns' 2012 quarterback battle will be between Colt McCoy and Seneca Wallace.

"The next step is the draft pick that we were going to use to move up there, now we have again," Holmgren said in a conference call with Browns season-ticket holders. "So the other plan we had talked about was to use those picks to make our football team better immediately this year, get starters with those draft picks at other positions this year and to help our quarterbacks who are now existing on the team -- or anybody else who would come onto the team -- better because we’ve surrounded that [quarterback] position with better players.”

For all of those McCoy supporters who want to see what he can do with a stronger supporting cast, you might get your wish. That is, if he beats out Wallace. Or a rookie taken in this year's draft.

Asked by a season-ticket holder if McCoy can become a franchise quarterback, general manager Tom Heckert said, “We do think Colt has a big ceiling. Obviously, it’s my job to get him better players surrounding him.”

It's important to remember that the Browns aren't going to give the job to McCoy like last season. Wallace will have as good of a shot at starting as McCoy.

"I think it's a little bit unfair to write those guys off right now," Holmgren said, "and I'm not willing to do that."

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

QUARTERBACKS

1. STEELERS: Ben Roethlisberger remains the best quarterback in the division, and it's still not even close. Despite three injuries (sprained foot, broken right thumb and high ankle sprain), he threw 400 more yards than any other quarterback in the AFC North. Roethlisberger's highlights were throwing five touchdowns against Tennessee, out-dueling Tom Brady and beating Cleveland in the first meeting on one leg. He was the true most valuable player on the Steelers, even though Antonio Brown was named that by his teammates. When Roethlisberger hurt his ankle in early December, the Steelers offense was never the same. With a healthy Roethlisberger, the Steelers don't lose at Denver in the playoffs. In Charlie Batch's only start, the 37-year-old backup completed 15 of 22 passes for 208 yards against the Rams. What could change: The Steelers have to make a decision at backup quarterback. Batch, Byron Leftwich and Dennis Dixon are all unrestricted free agents. Leftwich is the favorite to get the No. 2 job.

2. RAVENS: The biggest frustration for the Ravens is that Joe Flacco can look like a championship quarterback one week and a confused one the next. Another uneven season included four games with 300 or more yards passing and seven with less than 200 yards passing. When Flacco was at his best, he threw three touchdowns in the first quarter at St. Louis, delivered a last-minute comeback at Pittsburgh and completed 79 percent of his passes in the regular-season finale at Cincinnati. His biggest moment came in the AFC championship game in New England where he threw the winning touchdown that sent the Ravens to the Super Bowl ... until the ball was stripped from Lee Evans. Rookie backup Tyrod Taylor threw one pass. What could change: The size of Flacco's contract. The Ravens have made it a priority to sign Flacco, who is entering the final year of his contract, to an extension. It should get done before the end of August because both sides don't want this issue to hang over their heads entering the regular season.

3. BENGALS: Andy Dalton was the best rookie quarterback in the AFC and would've been the top one in the NFL if not for that quarterback named Cam. A second-round pick in 2011, Dalton became the only rookie in NFL history to throw for 20 or more touchdowns passes while winning eight or more games as a starting quarterback. The most impressive part of Dalton's game is his anticipation. He gets rid of the ball before the wide receiver gets out of his break, which is quite a feat for a first-year passer. His biggest challenge is overcoming the best defenses in the division. In four games against Pittsburgh and Baltimore, Dalton had an 0-4 record with four touchdowns and five interceptions. Against the rest of the NFL, he was 9-3 with 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Backup Bruce Gradkowski replaced an injured Dalton in the season opener and led two fourth-quarter touchdown drives in rallying the Bengals to a 27-17 victory at Cleveland. What could change: The playbook is set to expand for Dalton in his second season. Dalton will progress as long as the Bengals improve his supporting cast. They need to upgrade the No. 2 wide receiver spot and find a more consistent starting running back.

4. BROWNS: No one questions Colt McCoy's leadership or toughness. It's his arm strength, accuracy, recognition of blitzes and ability to make plays in the pocket that are the question marks. You can argue that he doesn't have playmakers in the passing game and the Browns receivers were tied for the NFL lead in dropped passes. While all of that is correct, it's also true that McCoy is limited as a quarterback no matter who the Browns put around him. In his first full season as a starter, McCoy ranked 27th in completion percentage (57.2), 25th in passing yards per game (210.2), 33rd in yards per attempt (5.9), 27th in passer rating (74.6) and 25th in QBR (39.8). His season ended with a concussion that resulted in a vicious hit by Steelers linebacker James Harrison. Backup Seneca Wallace isn't the answer. He is 1-6 in seven starts for the Browns. Wallace didn't look like an experienced backup with his poor clock management at the end of the first half in Baltimore. What could change: The Browns need to find a franchise quarterback, whether it's signing Matt Flynn in free agency or trading up to draft Robert Griffin III, which is what I endorse. The fallback option is keeping McCoy as the starter for another season.

Feb. 20: Special teams; Feb. 21: Defensive line; Feb. 23: Linebackers; Feb. 24: Defensive backs; Feb. 27: Offensive line; Feb. 28: Wide receivers; Feb. 29: Tight ends; March 1: Running backs.

A look at how the quarterbacks around the division fared Sunday:

Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals

Stats: 22-of-44 for 232 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions..

Sunday vs. Ravens: While the wind didn't help Dalton, the weather had no effect on the rookie being out of sync with his receivers. His biggest miss was overthrowing tight end Donald Lee on a third-down pass in the red zone. There were a couple of times when Dalton should have been picked off, but the Ravens dropped the ball. That allowed Dalton to finish the last six games with just one interception. Dalton nearly rallied the Bengals back from a two-touchdown deficit, throwing for 107 yards in the fourth quarter.

QBR: 39.9 (18th among quarterbacks this week)

Grade: C

Seneca Wallace, Cleveland Browns

Stats: 16-of-41 for 177 yards, no touchdowns and one interception.

Sunday vs. Steelers: Wallace said after the game that he wants a chance at the starting job in 2012. Well, he'd better burn this game film. Poor throws and head-shaking drops resulted in another frustrating day in rough weather conditions. His third-quarter interception in Browns territory led to the game's only touchdown. Two of Wallace's best plays were scrambles (27 and 20 yards) that set up field goals.

QBR: 28.3 (19th)

Grade: D

Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens

Stats: 15-of-19 for 130 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.

Sunday at Bengals: This game had a strange feel for Flacco. He was held to a season-low in passing yards but he finished with his second-highest passer rating of the season (112.7). He only had four incompletions for the game but he managed six passing yards in the third quarter. With Ray Rice running wild, Flacco had to become more of a game manager and a clutch passer at the end of the first half. His 9-yard touchdown pass to Dennis Pitta in the back corner of the end zone was perfectly thrown.

QBR: 61.5 (11th)

Grade: B

Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

Stats: 23-of-40 for 221 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions.

Sunday at Browns: Roethlisberger is visibly limited with the high ankle sprain. He can't step into his throws because he can't put any weight on that left leg. While he isn't efficient, Roethlisberger is making enough big plays to lead Pittsburgh to victory. His 221 yards passing is even more impressive when you factor in the wind.

QBR: 55.3 (13th)

Grade: B

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

FALLING

1. Cedric Benson's ball security: The Bengals running back had been one of the most reliable players in the NFL this season when it came to holding onto the ball. That was until Benson lost his first two fumbles of the season Saturday. And both came at a costly time -- in the fourth quarter. Fumbling has been a disturbing trend lately for Benson, who has put the ball on the ground five times in the past two weeks. Benson hadn't fumbled in his first 12 games this season, which totaled 222 carries.

2. Browns' football intelligence: The low point of coach Pat Shumur's rookie season came Saturday in Baltimore, where the Browns looked more like a Pop Warner team than an NFL one with mental gaffes at the end of the first half and at the end of the game. Veteran backup QB Seneca Wallace cost Cleveland three points when he decided to run the ball in the red zone with 11 seconds left in the first half and no timeouts. Then, rookie first-round pick Phil Taylor jumped offside on fourth down with two minutes left when it was obvious the Ravens were looking to draw the Browns offside.

3. Ravens coverage teams: Special teams is supposed to be the expertise of coach John Harbaugh, but the Ravens have been struggling in that area all season. The latest lapse came when the Ravens allowed the Browns' Josh Cribbs to return a punt 84 yards for a touchdown. It jumpstarted Cleveland's second-half rally and underscored Baltimore's problems in covering kicks. This marked the third time this season the Ravens have given up a return for a touchdown (two on punts and one on a kickoff). The Ravens hadn't allowed multiple touchdowns off punt returns since 2002.

RISING

1. Ravens' dominance in the AFC North: A week after finishing perfect at home for the first time in franchise history, the Ravens are looking to go undefeated in the division for the first time in their existence. Baltimore, which is 5-0 in the division, is looking for the third AFC North title in team history when it wraps up the regular season at Cincinnati. Since realignment in 2002, only three teams have finished undefeated in AFC North play: the 2002 Steelers, 2008 Steelers and 2009 Bengals.

2. Steelers' pass defense: Pittsburgh roughed up Rams quarterback Kellen Clemens, who was held to 91 yards passing on nine completions. While crushing Clemens won't impress many, the Steelers have been shutting down quarterbacks for the past two months. The NFL's top-ranked pass defense has given up two touchdown passes in the past six games. The Steelers haven't allowed a quarterback to record a passer rating over 87 since Tom Brady on Oct. 30. The amazing part is pass-rushers James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley haven't played a full game together since Sept. 25 at Indianapolis.

3. Bengals' pass rush: Few defenses have pressured quarterbacks like Cincinnati recently. Over the past three games, the Bengals have recorded 13 sacks and 29 quarterback hits. The problem for offenses is that you can't shut down the pass rush by shutting down one player. During this three-game span, 11 players have recorded at least a half sack. The only player with more than 1.5 sacks is defensive end Jonathan Fanene (three sacks). The Bengals rank third in the NFL in sacks with 44.

A look at how the quarterbacks around the division fared Saturday:

Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals

Stats: 18-for-31 for 154 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Saturday vs. Cardinals: Dalton had one of his best starts this year, completing 15 of 22 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. But he couldn't carry that over in what became one of his least productive finishes this year. In the second half, Dalton was 3 of 9 for 18 yards. It marked the fourth game in five weeks that he didn't throw an interception.

QBR: 70.9 (No. 8 among quarterbacks this week)

Grade: B-minus

Seneca Wallace, Cleveland Browns

Stats: 19-for-33 for 147 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Saturday at Ravens: Wallace proved why he is a career backup in the NFL. A poor third-down pass in Ravens territory cost Cleveland a field goal in the first quarter. Wallace then called a running play in the red zone with 11 seconds left in the first half and no timeouts. That cost the Browns another field goal. Those were two huge mistakes considering the Browns lost by six points.

QBR: 34.9 (25th)

Grade: D

Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens

Stats: 11-for-24 for 132 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Saturday vs. Browns: Flacco made two great throws in the first half, both of which resulted in touchdowns. He put the ball in the right spot on a 5-yard pass in the end zone to Ed Dickson and showed good touch when he dropped the ball into the hands of Ray Rice on a 42-yard touchdown. Three drops in the second half hurt Flacco's overall numbers. He also had a 33-yard scramble.

QBR: 75.2 (6th)

Grade: B

Charlie Batch, Pittsburgh Steelers

Stats: 15-for-22 for 208 yards, no touchdowns and one interception.

Saturday vs. Rams: Batch exceeded expectations in his first start since October 2010. He nearly had a 47-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace until it got overturned by replay (it resulted in a 46-yard pass to the 1-yard line). Batch, who wasn't sacked, showed some elusiveness for a 37-year-old backup when he escaped two rushes to complete passes. His one interception came when wide receiver Antonio Brown slipped.

QBR: 51.9 (15th)

Grade: B-plus

Upon Further Review will be combined for all teams today:

CINCINNATI BENGALS

Thumbs up: Pass rush. While wide receiver Jerome Simpson made the highlight of the year with his flip into the end zone, it was the Bengals' pressure up front that made the biggest impact. The Bengals sacked Cardinals quarterback John Skelton five times. This pressure played a factor in Skelton throwing three interceptions.

Overheard: “We started off really strong but they really came on there at the end. But we have some guys here that are hungry for the playoffs, and we were able to settle down and stop them at the end.” Defensive tackle Domata Peko on the Bengals winning 23-16 after holding onto a 23-point lead.

CLEVELAND BROWNS

Thumbs up: Peyton Hillis. The Browns running back is playing like many envisioned entering this season. Hillis powered his way in between the tackles for 112 yards rushing against the Ravens and the NFL's second-ranked run defense.

Thumbs down: Seneca Wallace. The veteran backup looked more like a rookie when he decided to run the ball with 11 seconds remaining in the first half instead of throwing it or spiking the ball to stop the clock. The Browns, who were at the Ravens' 5-yard line and without timeouts, watched the final seconds tick off the clock and went into halftime without any points.

Overheard: "In this game, sometimes you go through learning curves that you don't want to go through. Unfortunately, it happened." Browns cornerback Sheldon Brown on the Browns' 20-14 loss at Baltimore.

BALTIMORE RAVENS

Thumbs up: Ray Rice. The Ravens running back continued his success against the Browns with 135 total yards. His 42-yard touchdown catch -- he beat D'Qwell Jackson on a wheel route -- showed he can be a threat as a receiver outside of catching dump-off passes.

Thumbs down: Dropped passes. Tight end Ed Dickson bobbled two passes from Joe Flacco and wide receiver Torrey Smith couldn't hold onto a third-down pass in the fourth quarter, all of which allowed the Browns to mount a second-half comeback. Dickson and Smith are faster than the veterans they replaced (Todd Heap and Derrick Mason) but they lack the same consistency.

Overheard: "I've never been perfect at home in 16 years of football, and that's amazing because as good of teams as we've had here, we've always found a way to lose one or two, here or there. But I think this year, we really made our focus on taking care of home. This is the result of it: being able to go 8-0 and sitting where you want to sit at the end of the day." Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis after the 20-14 win over the Browns.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Thumbs up: Rashard Mendenhall. The Steelers running back picked up his game in Ben Roethlisberger's absence, finishing with 116 yards rushing on 18 carries. He also had a 35-yard catch-and-run in the first quarter to set up a field goal.

Thumbs down: Marcus Gilbert. The rookie right tackle provided the only smudge in a dominating 27-0 rout of the Rams. He was benched at the start of the game by coach Mike Tomlin for missing a meeting during the week. Other than this mistake, Gilbert has developed into a reliable starter in his first NFL season.

Overheard: "Had we had six or seven days, we probably wouldn't have played him in San Francisco. The collateral damage coming out of a game like Monday night, on a short week, we made the decision pretty early that we weren't even going to attempt to try to work him in." Steelers coach Mike Tomlin on why he rested Roethlisberger (high-ankle sprain) and started Charlie Batch last Sunday.

BALTIMORE -- The Cleveland Browns are making this way too easy for the Baltimore Ravens, who lead 17-0 at halftime.

Already down by 17 points, the Browns made a head-scratcher of a decision to end the first half. On second-and-goal at the 3-yard line, the Browns chose to run the ball in the final seconds without any timeouts.

Peyton Hillis was stopped for no gain with about five seconds remaining. The Browns didn't even attempt to line up to spike the ball to stop the clock. I'm not sure if there was enough time to do it, but the Browns didn't even try. Beyond that, it was just a poor decision by coach Pat Shurmur, who should have either thrown the ball in that situation or kicked the field goal.

It was the second bad play call of the game. On the opening series of the game, the Browns drove into Ravens territory by running the ball and faced a third-and-1. Instead of running Hillis in between the tackles again, Cleveland decided to pass and Seneca Wallace was picked off. The Ravens converted the turnover into their first touchdown.

Other thoughts at halftime:

• Bad first half for Cleveland linebacker D'Qwell Jackson. He allowed both touchdowns in pass coverage -- a 5-yarder on a back-shoulder throw to Ed Dickson and a 42-yarder to Ray Rice on a wheel route.
• Rice is enjoying another great day at the expense of the Browns. He has 49 yards rushing and 48 yards receiving.
• Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has a 133.7 rating in the first half. He has completed 8 of 12 passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns. You can also factor in a 60-yard pass interference penalty on Mike Adams. Rookie receiver Torrey Smith ran past Adams and Joe Haden on the Ravens' first offensive snap.
• Hillis has been running hard against the Ravens, gashing one of the best run defenses for 68 yards in the first half. But the large deficit takes him out of the game plan if the Browns want to play catch-up. But who knows what Shurmur is thinking these days?

Here's your game-day warm-up:

Week 16 in the AFC North will be remembered for backup quarterbacks.

Half of the division will be starting them: Charlie Batch goes for the Steelers and Seneca Wallace is starting for the Browns. And the other half will be facing a backup quarterback: the Ravens' Joe Flacco battles Wallace and the Bengals' Andy Dalton goes against the Cardinals' John Skelton. Batch and Steelers will also play a backup in the Rams' Kellen Clemens.

Here are some quarterback notes, courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information:

• BENGALS: Dalton needs two touchdown passes to join Peyton Manning (1998), Charlie Conerly (1948) and Dan Marino (1983) are the only rookies with 20 or more.
• BROWNS: In three games against the Ravens, Wallace has completed 20 of 27 passes (74.1 percent) for one touchdown and no interceptions for a 99.0 rating.
• RAVENS: Flacco is 7-0 against the Browns and has completed 112 of 174 passes (64.4 pct.) for eight touchdowns and three interceptions for a 97.3 rating.
• STEELERS: Batch is 4-2 as a spot starter since joining the Steelers in 2003. His last start was Sept. 26, 2010, when three of his 12 completions went for touchdowns.

Note: There won't be the usual Saturday mailbag because of games being played today. It will return next Saturday.

Here are the major injuries in the division and what they mean:

BENGALS: WR Andre Caldwell (groin, doubtful) isn't expected to play after missing practice all week. Andrew Hawkins and Ryan Whalen will replace Caldwell in the slot. Eight others are probable, including WR A.J. Green (shoulder). RT Andre Smith (ankle) will start after missing two games.

BROWNS: QB Colt McCoy (head) is out and won't make the trip to Baltimore. Seneca Wallace will start for the second straight week. Four starters are questionable: WR Josh Cribbs (groin), CB Joe Haden (thigh), Mohamed Massaquoi (foot) and RT Tony Pashos (ankle). All practiced Friday and are expected to play.

RAVENS: WR Anquan Boldin (knee) is out for at least the next two games. Lee Evans will start with rookie Torrey Smith. K Billy Cundiff (left calf) is doubtful, which means Shayne Graham will kick for the Ravens. DE Cory Redding (ankle, questionable) is expected to play.

STEELERS: QB Ben Roethlisberger (ankle) is listed as questionable but he reportedly won't play. Charlie Batch is expected to start. Pro Bowl C Maurkice Pouncey (ankle) is out again and will be replaced by Doug Legursky. LB LaMarr Woodley (hamstring) is questionable after being limited the past two days in practice. He sat out Wednesday's practice. WR Emmanuel Sanders (foot) is out after not practicing Friday.