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Playing at home in the playoffs is usually a good thing. But recent history suggests it may not play a huge role in Saturday's divisional playoff game between the Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) and Baltimore Ravens (13-4).

In their past six regular-season meetings, the home team is only 3-3. This season alone, both the Steelers and Ravens have won on the road.

That brings into question whether or not home-field advantage will play a factor when Baltimore travels to Pittsburgh on Saturday. The Steelers have uncharacteristically struggled at Heinz Field this year, posting a 5-3 record. A 7-1 road mark was the reason Pittsburgh captured the AFC North title and a first-round bye.

Meanwhile, Baltimore thrives on the road in the postseason. The Ravens improved to 7-3 in road playoff games after last weekend's 30-7 wild-card win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Their .700 winning percentage is the best mark in the NFL over the past 50 years.

Baltimore clearly has a knack for beating playoff teams on the road. Can the Ravens silence Heinz Field for the second time this season?

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Nothing against the AFC West champion Kansas City Chiefs, but the only team that got a rise out of the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday was the AFC North champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

Moments after Baltimore crushed and humiliated the Chiefs 30-7 at Arrowhead Stadium, you had the sense the Ravens were well prepared to field questions about their most-hated rival. Baltimore knew ahead of time that a wild-card win would set up another classic trilogy between the Ravens and Steelers, which will be the second time it has happened in the past three seasons.

"Here we go again," Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis said with a smile on his face. "I told you guys earlier in the year, man, that it's something [special] about the journey."

"It seems like poetic justice," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said.

As Harbaugh alluded, it's only fitting that these rivals settle their differences in the playoffs with both of their seasons on the line. There has been a lot of debate all season about which division team is truly better. The teams split two regular-season meetings and each finished 12-4. Pittsburgh won the tiebreaker and a coveted bye because it had a better division record.

But Saturday at Heinz Field there will be no excuses. The top division team will advance to the AFC title game and a shot at Super Bowl XLV.

"This is the NFL at its best," Ravens Pro Bowl defensive end Terrell Suggs said. "This is what the world wants to see. They want to see Baltimore and Pittsburgh."

On Sunday, Baltimore continued its stellar run the past three seasons in the wild-card round. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Harbaugh is the second NFL coach to win a playoff game in each of his first three seasons, joining former Dallas Cowboys coach Barry Switzer. The Ravens own convincing wild-card wins over the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and Kansas City in three consecutive seasons.

Baltimore also improved to 7-3 all time on the road in the playoffs and is arguably this year's most dangerous wild-card team, especially when the defense is playing at a Super Bowl level. The Ravens' defense the past two weeks forced 10 turnovers and allowed only 14 points. Kansas City had no answers for Baltimore after committing three interceptions, fumbling twice and allowing three sacks of quarterback Matt Cassel, who was battered and confused. He passed for only 70 yards, one of the worst passing performances in playoff history.

The Ravens said they were inspired by Pro Bowl safety Ed Reed, who played with a heavy heart Sunday. His younger brother, Brian, was reported missing this weekend and police called off the search in Louisiana. Brian Reed apparently jumped into the Mississippi River after being confronted by a deputy sheriff in response to a stolen car report.

"What the Reed family is going through is a big part of this victory. That's what will be remembered by our players," Harbaugh said. "The Reed family is part of the Raven family, and the Raven family is part of the Reed family. That's the way it works with our team, our organization."

Reed had four tackles, including a big hit on Chiefs receiver Dexter McCluster, and received a game ball afterward.

"Who is a better teammate than Ed Reed?" Suggs said. "He didn't have to play today, but he played. And it was the simple fact that we wanted to give him three hours of peace to just go out there and have fun with your football brothers, and we did that."

The Ravens must be at their best again next week. The Steelers are well rested and franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is 8-2 in his career against Baltimore, including six straight victories. Baltimore pulled off a rare win at Heinz Field in October, but that was during the final game of Roethlisberger's four-game suspension.

But there could be good karma for the AFC North. The last time these teams met in the playoffs was in the 2008 AFC Championship Game, and Pittsburgh advanced to win Super Bowl XLIII over the Arizona Cardinals.

The winner of this year's rivalry game will face the winner of the New York Jets and Patriots from the AFC East. Both divisional-round games involve teams that split the first two meetings in the regular season.

"It's Armageddon for all four teams, and there can only be one winner at the end," Suggs said. "What better teams than these four?"

Without a doubt, next weekend is going to be brutal in the AFC.

Perhaps the biggest question is, will any of these teams have anything left for the AFC Championship Game?

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

• The Baltimore Ravens (12-4) will carry a four-game winning streak into the playoffs when they play the Kansas City Chiefs (10-6).

Morning take: The Ravens caught a break to avoid the Indianapolis Colts in the first round. Every playoff team is tough, but Kansas City is a better matchup.

• Are the Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers on a collision course?

Morning take: As the AFC North blogger, I would prefer these two teams meet in the AFC title game. But there's a chance these rivals could have a third bloodbath in Heinz Field on Jan. 15 if the Jets beat the Colts.

• Browns rookie quarterback Colt McCoy says he isn't rattled after throwing three picks against the Steelers.

Morning take: McCoy had six interceptions in his final two games against Pittsburgh and Baltimore. He got a good taste of the competition he has to be beat if he's going to help turn the Browns around.

• What should coach Marvin Lewis do now that his contract is up with the Cincinnati Bengals?

Morning take: I agree with Enquirer columnist Paul Daugherty. Lewis is not going to get what he wants out of Bengals ownership. It's a tough situation to win consistently and Lewis has probably maxed out, all things considered.

BALTIMORE -- Here are early thoughts on the Baltimore Ravens' 17-10 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

What it means: The Ravens (8-3) remained in first place in the AFC North by earning another big win. Next week Baltimore will host the Pittsburgh Steelers, who beat the Buffalo Bills on Sunday in overtime. Baltimore will be going for the season sweep after beating Pittsburgh at Heinz Field earlier this season.

What I liked: Baltimore went for big plays early. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco connected with tight end Todd Heap for a 65-yard touchdown in the second quarter. It was the longest play from scrimmage this season for Baltimore and the longest catch of Heap's career. The Ravens also benefited from a controversial pass interference call to set up a Derrick Mason touchdown catch and a 17-3 halftime lead. Flacco and Mason also put last week's sideline altercation behind them, combining for eight receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown. Baltimore's defense mostly rattled and confused young Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman, who threw for just 162 yards and got most of his production late in the fourth quarter.

What I didn't like: The Ravens' offense could have done more in the second half to take some of the pressure off the defense. But it appeared they were content with taking the air out of the ball after getting a two-touchdown lead. The Ravens also have two injury concerns: starting left tackle Michael Oher (sprained knee) and safety Dawan Landry (concussion). Neither player returned after leaving.

What's next: The Ravens have their biggest game of the season coming up against the Steelers in what should be another great installment in this rivalry. The winner has the inside track to win the division. The loser will be fighting for a wild card.

There has to be a sigh of relief coming from several defensive backs in the AFC North. Three division teams caught a break Wednesday as the New England Patriots traded future Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss to the Minnesota Vikings.


Not only does Moss leave the AFC, but the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns all get to face the Patriots this year without one of the league's best deep threats. New England's next game -- the first this season without Moss -- will be Oct. 17 against Baltimore. It will be a rematch of last season's wild-card victory by the Ravens.

The Patriots also play the Browns on Nov. 7 and the Steelers a week later on Nov. 14. Moss caught five passes for 59 yards in New England's 38-24 win against the Bengals in Week 1.

New England's passing game is not nearly as dynamic without Moss. Wes Welker, Brandon Tate and Julian Edelman now highlight the Patriots' receiving corps.

This trade definitely hurts the Patriots (3-1) in their quest to reach the Super Bowl. The AFC is deep, and the AFC North also has at least two teams --Baltimore (3-1) and Pittsburgh (3-1) -- considered strong title contenders. It could only help teams like the Ravens and Steelers if one playoff contender makes itself less formidable with a huge in-season trade.

The Pittsburgh Steelers entered last season with the Lombardi Trophy in hand and extremely high expectations. But when the smoke cleared in 2009, Pittsburgh was a disappointing 9-7 and watched from home as 12 other teams competed in the postseason.

So what is the current state of the Steelers? ESPN.com's AFC North blog went straight to the top to find out from Kevin Colbert, Pittsburgh's football operations director and general manager.

In a one-on-one interview, Colbert discussed all things Steelers, including the 2009 season, Troy Polamalu's knee injury and his thoughts on the coaching and front-office shakeups within the organization.

Kevin, last year clearly fell short of expectations. So how would you best describe Pittsburgh's 2009 season?

Kevin Colbert: In looking back at last year, I'm a big believer in you are what your team's record indicates. Right now we're a 9-7 team. Anytime we don't qualify for the playoffs, that's a disappointment, and it was a disappointing year by any and all accounts. That's who we are at this point.

Probably 70 percent of the league would be happy with 9-7, yet the sky is falling in Pittsburgh when it happens to the Steelers. Is the bar and pressure to succeed for this franchise unreasonable?

Colbert: The pressure is no different than the pressure we would put on ourselves anyway. This organization set a high standard a long time ago with their success. It's been a couple times when we've been able to add to that success. But, again, we understand that not having a chance to compete for the championship, that will always be a disappointing season here. We accept that and we really embrace that, because we're going to have that expectation anyway besides any outside pressure.

After experiencing it in 2006 and 2009, any thoughts on why it's so difficult to defend a Super Bowl title?

Colbert: I don't think it's necessarily defending the title. I think it's speaks to the strength of the league and the balance of the league. We didn't go into the season feeling we were defending anything. We went into the season feeling that we were 0-0 like everybody else, and we came out of the season 9-7 and not good enough to qualify. So, really, we never talked about or looked at ourselves as defending champs. We looked at ourselves like everybody else at the beginning of last year.

(Read full post)

When it comes to the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, the annual goal is the division title and a shot at the Super Bowl.

Neither team accomplished those objectives in 2009. So in our latest "Thought of the Day" in the AFC North, we want to know which team has the easier fix this offseason: Baltimore or Pittsburgh?

Both clubs finished with identical records in the regular season. But the Ravens made the playoffs and won a wild-card game. Are they closer to Super Bowl contention in 2010?

Pittsburgh also had nine wins in the regular season and finished on a three-game winning streak. The Steelers were inconsistent. But with a healthy Troy Polamalu next season, will Pittsburgh return to the AFC's elite?

Both teams have needs. But as of January, which team is closer to contending?

Send your comments below or to our AFC North inbox, and we will run the best responses throughout the week.

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

• The Baltimore Ravens put together a complete game during a 33-14 wild-card victory over the New England Patriots.

Morning take: I agree with this column. There is a lot for Ravens fans to get excited about if the team continues to play this way. But the Indianapolis Colts (14-2) have always been a tough matchup for Baltimore.

• The Cincinnati Bengals cleaned out their lockers for the final time this season after Saturday's 24-14 playoff loss to the New York Jets.

Morning take: The Bengals exceeded everyone’s expectations outside the locker room this year. But based on their reaction Saturday, it was clear the team had bigger goals.

• The Pittsburgh Steelers followed a league-wide trend this year of opening up the passing game.

Morning take: This is not your father’s Steelers offense. But with a few improvements in the power running game and better execution in the red zone, this unit could be elite in 2010.

• The Cleveland Browns are expected to hire Philadelphia Eagles general manager Tom Heckert for the same post this week.

Morning take: Heckert and president Mike Holmgren are the strongest pairing Cleveland has had in its front office in a long time. Both had success in other organizations and hope to create that same magic in Cleveland.

Here are the most interesting playoff stories Saturday in the AFC North:

• Peter King of Sports Illustrated likes the New York Jets (9-7) to beat the Cincinnati Bengals (10-6), 23-13.

Morning take: This is probably the most unpredictable game to pick this weekend. It all depends on how much stock you put in last week's 37-0 win by New York.

• Joe Reedy from the Cincinnati Enquirer looks at the matchup between Bengals defensive tackle Domata Peko and Jets center Nick Mangold.

Morning take: This will be one of the key battles to determine who controls the trenches. Both players are underrated and have a chance to shine Saturday on a national stage.

• Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun believes the Ravens (9-7) face an uphill battle Sunday against the New England Patriots (10-6).

Morning take: I agree that playing on the road in the playoffs against quarterback Tom Brady is no easy task. But I have a feeling the Ravens put their best foot forward.

• Mike Duffy of Ravens.com writes Patriots receiver Randy Moss is likely to draw double coverage.

Morning take: Is it possible to quadruple team? Probably not. But with Wes Welker (knee) out, I might consider it.

AFC: Ravens-Patriots: Graham | Walker » Jets-Bengals: Graham | Walker
NFC: Cowboys-Eagles: Mosley » Packers-Cardinals: Sando | Seifert

Three nuggets of knowledge about Saturday's wild-card game between the New York Jets (9-7) and Cincinnati Bengals (10-6):

Bounce back: The Bengals are trying to shrug off last week's 37-0 loss to New York, but the Jets gained a lot of confidence in the victory. Cincinnati rested several starters and was vanilla with its offensive and defensive schemes. Cincinnati's poor tackling and penalties in that loss are a concern. According to Elias Sports Bureau, there are 13 cases in NFL history in which teams met in the final week of the regular season and first week in the playoffs. The team that lost in the regular season is 8-5 in playoff rematches.

Fresh legs: Starting tailback Cedric Benson has been a workhorse for Cincinnati with 301 carries for 1,251 rushing yards. That is why Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis gave Benson last week's game off against the Jets. Now Benson has fresh legs for the matchup against the NFL's No. 1 defense. New York is big and physical up front. The Bengals are 6-0 this season when Benson rushes for more than 100 yards.

Look at QBs: The Jets and Bengals are very similar, but the biggest difference could be at quarterback. New York has rookie Mark Sanchez, who has thrown 20 interceptions this year. Cincinnati has two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Carson Palmer, who has been very efficient this season with 3,094 passing yards, 21 touchdowns and an 83.6 passer rating. The focus of both teams will be on stopping the run. Therefore, it's likely one of these quarterbacks will have to make plays to keep the chains moving.

AFC: Ravens-Patriots: Graham | Walker » Jets-Bengals: Graham | Walker
NFC: Cowboys-Eagles: Mosley » Packers-Cardinals: Sando | Seifert

Three nuggets of knowledge about Sunday's playoff game between the Baltimore Ravens (9-7) and New England Patriots (10-6):

Reed factor: Ravens Pro Bowl safety Ed Reed is banged up with a hip injury. But Reed usually finds a way to make a big play in Baltimore's most important games. Last year Reed took an interception back for a touchdown in a wild-card victory over the Miami Dolphins. If he gets his hands on the ball Sunday, it could spell trouble for the Patriots. Look for Reed to be important in trying to defend against the dangerous combination of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and receiver Randy Moss. The season-ending knee injury to Wes Welker should help Reed narrow his focus.

Patriots are trendy: If you're into trends, New England has a lot of reasons to be favored in this game. The Patriots are 8-0 at home this season, while Baltimore is 3-5 on the road. New England also is 5-0 all time against Baltimore, which includes the Patriots' 27-21 victory in the regular season on Oct. 4. The quarterback matchup between Brady and Joe Flacco also heavily favors the Patriots. There are a lot of advantages statistically and on paper for New England.

Talking about Willis: Baltimore starting tailback Ray Rice will get a lot of attention from New England's defense. But an under-the-radar player who could have a key role is Ravens backup running back Willis McGahee. The seven-year veteran had the hot hand with 167 rushing yards and three touchdowns in last week's win over the Oakland Raiders. It was McGahee's first 100-yard game in more than a year. McGahee leads Baltimore with 12 rushing touchdowns and could be asked to get some important carries this week in the red zone.

CINCINNATI -- Former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator and current New York Jets coach Rex Ryan once said he'd love to face his former team in the playoffs.

Ryan didn't get his wish, as the Jets (9-7) drew another AFC North team -- the Cincinnati Bengals (10-6) -- in the wild-card round. The teams will play each other for the second time in six days on Saturday.

But that hasn't stopped Ryan from holding out hope. Ryan said he's pulling this year for a Ravens-Jets AFC Championship Game.

"There are a lot of guys on that team that I think the world of, and a organization that I’ve been proud to be a part of for 10 years," Ryan said in a conference call Tuesday. "The ideal situation would be that you meet [the Ravens] in the AFC Championship, then you beat them, and you go on."

The odds are stacked against Baltimore (9-7) and New York. Both are wild cards and the two lowest seeds in the AFC, which would require each team to win two road playoff games.

Baltimore will begin its postseason Sunday on the road against the New England Patriots (10-6).

Our latest "Take your pick" involves one of two playoff teams from the AFC North.

Who will win Sunday's game between the Baltimore Ravens (9-7) and New England Patriots (10-6)?

This is the third meeting between these budding rivals in the past three years. The Patriots won both games by nine combined points, including a 27-21 victory over the Ravens last October.

Will Baltimore get its revenge? The Ravens have the personnel to match up well against New England, particularly on offense.

Does New England have the edge? The Patriots are 8-0 at home this season and have the always-dangerous Tom Brady at quarterback.

Can Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco outduel Brady? How big is the season-ending knee injury to Patriots receiver Wes Welker? These are all questions that will be answered Sunday in one of the NFL's most intriguing wild-card matchups.

But until then, take your pick.

Here are seven notes and observations following Week 17 in the AFC North:

• The Cincinnati Bengals (10-6) will try to shrug off their poor performance in Sunday's 37-0 loss to the New York Jets as a meaningless game. But behind the scenes there has to be concern about the team’s effort and execution. Yes, the starters played only into the third quarter and the plays were vanilla, but the Bengals looked listless and sloppy against New York. There were several bad routes and dropped balls by receivers, poor blocking and seven penalties. The Bengals may have been better off not playing any starters, because they just didn’t look interested in playing Sunday night. Cincinnati will try to prove it can turn it on six days later in a rematch.
• Speaking of rematches, there are 13 cases in NFL history where teams met in the regular-season finale and the first round of the postseason the following week. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the team that lost in the regular season is 8-5 in rematches, which favors the Bengals. Amazingly, we have three playoff rematches in the wild-card round with the Jets and Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys, and the Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals.
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AP Photo/Paul SakumaWillis McGahee rushed for a season-high 167 yards in Sunday's victory.
• With the emergence of Ray Rice, the opportunities for Baltimore Ravens backup tailback Willis McGahee have been sparse. But McGahee deserves a lot of credit for being ready when his number was called in a must-win game. McGahee ran for a season-high 167 yards and three touchdowns in Baltimore’s 21-13 win over the Oakland Raiders. It’s been more than a year since McGahee rushed for more than 100 yards. The last time was Dec. 20, 2008, against the Cowboys.
• Baltimore's pass rush against Oakland was as good as I've seen all season. The Ravens had three sacks and added five additional hits on the quarterback. Raiders starter Charlie Frye had some success early but the accumulation of hits knocked him out of the game. The constant pressure easily flustered Raiders backup JaMarcus Russell, who committed two turnovers (one interception, one fumble) in the second half. It will be interesting to see the pressure packages Baltimore draws up in the playoffs this week against New England Patriots Pro Bowl quarterback Tom Brady.
• If the Pittsburgh Steelers made the playoffs, I firmly believe safety Troy Polamalu would have returned this week in the wild-card game. His left knee was healing slower than expected, but Polamalu finally made significant strides the past two weeks. Polamalu was back to running, but what kept him off the field in Sunday’s win over the Miami Dolphins was the cutting and change of direction. With Polamalu back in the lineup, even at less than 100 percent, the Steelers would have been a scary wild-card opponent. Pittsburgh ended the year on a three-game winning streak.
• Monday marks the official start of the Mike Holmgren era in Cleveland. The Browns’ new president is expected to arrive at the team’s training facility in Berea, Ohio, today and begin remaking the franchise. Will Holmgren start his new job by making a coaching change? We will find out soon. Holmgren is scheduled to meet with Browns coach Eric Mangini and the rest of his staff this week. Retaining or firing Mangini will be the first major decision "The Big Show" makes in his new job.
• Expect a lot of offseason comparisons between Cleveland's hot finish to Cincinnati's hot finish in 2008. Therefore, some pundits will expect a dramatic turnaround for the Browns to finish near the top of the division in 2010. But I don't think those comparisons are accurate. The Bengals had stability going into the following year. Coach Marvin Lewis was entering his seventh season, and a franchise quarterback (Carson Palmer) was in place. The Browns are unsure about both positions. Cincinnati was continuing its program after a down year, while Cleveland could be completely starting over next season.

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

• The Baltimore Ravens (9-7) beat the Oakland Raiders, 21-13. As a result, Baltimore will prepare for the New England Patriots (10-6) in the wild-card round.

Morning take: We will have a lot on this matchup Monday and during the week. But I think Ravens-Patriots could be one of the best games of the opening round.

• The Cincinnati Bengals (10-6) were bruised and battered by the New York Jets (9-7), 37-0. These two teams will meet again in the postseason.

Morning take: That's what it looks like when the Jets are at their best and the Bengals are at their worst. Which two teams will show up Saturday in Cincinnati?

• The Pittsburgh Steelers finished 9-7 but will miss the playoffs first time since 2006.

Morning take: For most teams a nine-win season is a success. But rest assured it will not feel that way for the Steelers' organization this offseason.

• Cleveland Browns tailback Jerome Harrison finished the year strong with 127 rushing yards in a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Morning take: Harrison and Joshua Cribbs have been the biggest factors behind Cleveland's four-game winning streak. Both could be building blocks for 2010.