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The Cincinnati Bengals enjoyed the most successful free agency period of any team in the division. The Bengals were applauded by many experts for being among the big winners in the NFL draft.

The question everyone in Who Dey Nation wants answered is how much ground have the Bengals made up on the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. But that's the wrong question to be asking.

Whether or not the Bengals return to the playoffs isn't about their division rivals. It's about whether this franchise can finally handle success.

The Bengals haven't put together back-to-back winning seasons since 1981-82. To put that into perspective, those were the years when Ronald Reagan was beginning his first term as president, a gallon of gas was going for $1.30 and Marvin Lewis was starting his coaching career at Idaho State.

This doesn't mean Cincinnati has struggled every year. The Bengals have been to the playoffs three times since 2005, the same amount as the Cowboys and one fewer than the Packers over that span. The problem has been following up that success. An AFC North title in 2005, and an 8-8 season in 2006. Another division title in 2009, and a 4-12 season in 2010.

There are few connections to this year's Bengals team and the 2010 one. Only seven players remain starters from Team Ochocinco & T.O., and Andy Dalton, BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Thomas Howard had nothing to do with that disaster of a reality show from two years ago. A.J. Green is still A.J. Green ... and not A.J. Verde.

Momentum has clearly been on the Bengals' side since they drafted Dalton and Green last year. Cincinnati went from the NFL's worst team at the start of the 2011 season --according to the ESPN power rankings -- to a playoff one. With the second-most salary cap room in the NFL, the Bengals then used free agency to not only fill holes but upgrade those positions. It was a methodical approach that avoided the pricey big names like Carl Nicks, Robert Meachem and Cortland Finnegan. The theme was solid moves instead of splashy ones.

They signed Green-Ellis, an all-around running back and touchdown machine, to replace Cedric Benson. They added left guard Travelle Wharton, a strong run blocker, to take over for Nate Livings. That should boost a team that ranked 30th in the NFL in yards per rush (3.3) and tied for 21st in touchdown runs (three).

Cincinnati didn't ignore the defense, signing six former first-round picks. The Bengals kept their free-agent priority, safety Reggie Nelson, beating out the New York Jets for him. Cincinnati then added three cornerbacks (Jason Allen, Adam Jones and Terence Newman) and two defensive linemen (Jamaal Anderson and Derrick Harvey).

In the draft, the Bengals landed the best zone cornerback (Dre Kirkpatrick), top run-blocking guard (Kevin Zeitler), the 2011 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (Devon Still), a top-rated tight end (Orson Charles) and two promising wide receivers (Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones).

"You don’t win games on paper and that's what we have to realize, starting with me," Bengals offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth told the team's website. "We've got to be better. This looks like a good class. But the rookies know it's going to come down to what they do and how they prepare and how they go after it."

This team is clearly better than last year's one. The expectations, though, are higher. The pressure will be on to finish better than last year's record of 9-7. The pressure will be on to win the division.

The Ravens lost the NFL Defensive Player of the Year for the start of the season (Terrell Suggs) and likely won't have their running back in training camp (Ray Rice isn't expected to sign his franchise tag anytime soon). The Steelers could be without their starting running back (Rashard Mendenhall) and nose tackle (Casey Hampton) for the first six weeks of the season and lost long-time leaders (Hines Ward, James Farrior and Aaron Smith) in their salary-cap purge.

While the Bengals have question marks at the No. 2 wide receiver spot and strong safety, the gap is significantly smaller between the traditional AFC North powers and Cincinnati this year. The Bengals return a Pro Bowl quarterback and wide receiver in Dalton and Green. They bring back a defense that ranked seventh in yards allowed (316.3) and nine in points given up (20.2). This team isn't lacking in talent or chemistry in the locker room, just a proven track record.

The biggest challenge for these young Bengals is beating the best. Cincinnati went 9-0 against non-playoff teams and 0-7 against teams who made the postseason. Maybe that's why the Bengals are ranked No. 16 in the post-draft ESPN power rankings, which is eight spots lower than what they finished last season.

There's going to be doubters, especially for a franchise that has gone three decades without consecutive winning seasons. But, based on what they accomplished in free agency and the draft, these are the new and much improved Bengals. All they have to do is show they can handle the best teams in the NFL along with their own success.

There were differing opinions in the AFC North over the unprecedented punishment given to the New Orleans Saints for their bounty system.

Bengals offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth, who is also the team's player representative, told the team's official website that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's ruling was "too harsh."

Whitworth seemed to take exception to the year-long suspension without pay for Saints coach Sean Payton. As a matter of full disclosure, Whitworth, a Louisiana native, has become good friends with Payton, who is the main speaker for Whitworth's charity foundation dinner March 30.

"I would imagine there should be some kind of sanctions, but this is ridiculous," Whitworth said. "To give a guy the same suspension that you give a guy that went to jail for a felony doesn't make sense. A guy who gets suspended for steroids can come back in four or eight games and make money and we applaud that.

"They weren't gambling. They weren't drinking or driving. If you want to make an example of someone, make an example of someone who commits a crime."

Unlike Whitworth, Steelers president Art Rooney II supported the actions of Goodell.

"I think the commissioner is sending a very loud and clear message here," Rooney told the team's official website. "Hopefully, the effect is going to be that we will get these kinds of things out of the game. We don't need this in our game."

The NFL is still reviewing player involvement in the bounty program, and Browns linebacker Scott Fujita could be subject to punishment.

Fujita, who is a member of the union's executive board, acknowledged earlier this month that he made contributions to the pay-for-performance pool when he was in New Orleans. He said he handed reward money to Saints teammates for big plays but not for intentionally injuring players.

According to Sports Illustrated's Peter King, disciplining players could be "extremely sticky for the league" because the NFL Players Association would defend Fujita and other players accused by the NFL.

INDIANAPOLIS — Chad Ochocinco is the biggest disappointment on the New England Patriots team this season. He had 15 catches in 16 games. He scored uno touchdown.

If Ochocinco wanted to vent his frustration, he had the perfect stage at the Super Bowl's media day, even if his presence didn't warrant a podium. But Ochocinco was subdued and soft-spoken. You had to put your recorder right up to his face to even hear what he was saying.

This is not the Ochocinco from Cincinnati. He's not a distraction. He's not complaining about the lack of receptions or the lack of attention.

"If it was emotionally draining, I think I would have spoke out like I did in the past," Ochocinco said today. "I took this as a challenge, as a lesson. Will he be able to handle himself in different circumstances when he’s not that guy, if he’s not that main focal point? Will he be able to handle it? And I think I did extremely well.”

This is by far Ochocinco's worst season. In nine seasons with the Bengals (2002-10), he averaged 80 receptions per season and never caught fewer than 53 during that span.

Now, he's paired with one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history in Tom Brady and he's flopped.

One theory on why Ochocinco hasn't excelled in New England is because he hasn't been his flamboyant self. He can't be a star if he's not the life of the party.

But the real reason is that Ochocinco hasn't meshed in the Patriots' offense. He is an undisciplined route-runner who is a bad fit for the Patriots' "rule-based system," as former coach Eric Mangini described in this video.

Asked whether he would prefer 100 catches or a trip to the Super Bowl, he said, “I’d rather be right here. I’ve already put up all the numbers. I’ve already done that. It’s so much bigger than what everybody else is thinking about. They’re thinking about the individuals. If I would have been thinking like that, I would have got cut Week 3, complaining about the ball. It’s been a joy.”

Few Bengals would describe life with Ochocinco as being "a joy." Many talked about how the locker room got tighter without Ochocinco in it.

So, did Ochocinco detract from that last year?

"I think different guys are distractions in different ways," Bengals offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth said earlier this month. "Not necessarily themselves, but the way they're handled, the way different things are done in the locker room, and like I said, for once we had a locker room that was tight, that was together and pulling in the right direction."

Ochocinco, however, looks back at his time with the Bengals fondly.

"Everything about that organization, that city, it was made me what I am today," he said. "The fans were awesome. Coach [Marvin] Lewis [was] like a dad.”

The New York Giants you see before you -- a team that has made it to the divisional round of the NFC playoffs -- are not the same New York Giants we watched for most of this season. Their enthusiasm and effectiveness bear little, if any, resemblance to that of the team that lost five of six games from mid-November to mid-December. What's the difference? Well, there are many. And each day this week, leading up to the playoff game Sunday in Green Bay, we'll take a look at a player or players who have helped turn these Giants from a mid-pack pretender to a Final Eight contender.

Today: OT David Diehl

Diehl has of course been on the team all year, but he played left guard for the first 10 games. When starting left tackle Will Beatty had to have eye surgery and miss the rest of the season, Diehl slid out to his old spot and has been the Giants' starting left tackle ever since, with Kevin Boothe or Mitch Petrus (when Boothe had to move to center in place of an injured David Baas) playing guard next to him.

The new alignment has worked out well, and has coincided especially with a major improvement in the Giants' running game. New York has averaged 33.4 more rush yards per game in its last six games than it did in its first 11. Whatever the reason -- whether Diehl has been energized by the move back to tackle, whether he's played better than Beatty has, whether Boothe is a starting-quality guard who just happened to be on the bench -- it's working. Offensive line play is about cohesiveness and communication, and the current combination is getting the job done better than the old one was with Diehl at guard and Beatty at tackle.

Pro Football Focus rated Diehl's performance as the third-best by a tackle on wild-card weekend, behind only Bengals left tackle Andrew Whitworth and Steelers right tackle Marcus Gilbert. It should be noted that PFF graded Diehl rather poorly over the final six games of the regular season -- only twice ranking him in the top 50 among tackles in a given week and topping out at 41st in the Week 13 loss to the Packers. But this is less about Diehl's individual performance than it is about the way the line has worked together.

"He's a pro's pro," Boothe said of his veteran teammate. "He's seen it all and done it all, at every position, basically, on the line. So it's easy to communicate with him in any situation. When you have somebody who's been in as many battles as Dave has and who works as hard as he does, it makes it easy."

This is one of the advantages the Giants feel they have over almost any other team in the league. They have veterans who have been in their locker room for a long time -- guys who have been champions and who can be trusted to set a cool, professional tone regardless of the circumstances. The Giants lost their starting left tackle in Week 12. That would have been a difficult thing for most teams to overcome. But the Giants were able to replace him with a guy who knows the position cold, and because of that they have been able to turn a potential negative into a major positive.

HOUSTON -- The Texans were playing their first playoff game, but it looked like the Bengals were the ones who had never been in the postseason. Careless mistakes -- all self-inflicted misery -- led to 24 straight points by the Texans and a sobering 31-10 defeat to end the Bengals' surprising season.

It's the kind of effort that you want to forget. It's the type of game film that you burn. But the best thing that the Bengals can do going forward is to burn it into their memories.

Cincinnati will be back in the playoffs. It would be surprising if the Bengals didn't return with quarterback Andy Dalton, wide receiver A.J. Green and two first-round picks in this year's draft.

Remember the Bengals were supposed to be in the race for Andrew Luck this season, not in a playoff field pursuing the Lombardi Trophy.

When the Bengals get back, they have to remember the brutal lesson taught to them at a deafening Reliant Stadium: to win in the playoffs, you have to make plays. The Bengals missed out on their first playoff win in 20 years -- the longest current streak of playoff futility in the NFL -- because Texans defensive end J.J. Watt caught the ball and Cincinnati safety Chris Crocker did not.

Watt returned his interception 29 yards for a touchdown late in the first half to give the Texans a lead they wouldn't relinquish. But Crocker dropped the chance at picking off a pass that he could have returned for a score that would've tied the game in the third quarter.

"There are a lot of guys who need to take this experience and build upon it," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. "I think you can look and see what the Texans have been fighting their butt off to get in this position. They keep putting players together. And they reap the benefits. We have to go beyond this."

This season has been a major success for the Bengals even though there were plenty of failures that got broadcast in their first nationally televised game of the season.

Cincinnati's run defense continued to crumble, giving up 153 yards to Houston's Arian Foster a week after allowing 191 yards to the Ravens' Ray Rice. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Foster gained 102 of those yards before getting touched by Cincinnati. Crocker made another blunder when he failed to push Foster out of bounds on a 42-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis made the head-scratcher of a decision to use both of his replay challenges in the first half. It was compounded by the fact that both challenges failed. Asked about whether he was concerned about using up all of his challenges so early, Lewis said, "I wasn't worried about that."

There was even the embarrassment of getting penalized for having 12 men in the huddle on the first third-down play of the second half.

The loss meant the Bengals haven't won a playoff game in 7,768 days. The mindset in the Bengals locker room, however, was the days ahead.

"We know we can win. We know we can win in the playoffs," defensive tackle Domata Peko said. "We’ll have a good offeseason and we’ll be back again. But this time, we’re going to make a better run. It sucks that we lost and it’s sad. But look around this locker room, there are a lot of young guys here. We just have to get better and the sky is the limit."

The difference between winning and losing in the playoffs comes down to handling the pressure.

The Bengals controlled most of the first half, but everything changed in a span of less than a minute. The turning point was Dalton's interception at the line of scrimmage by Watt, who ran 29 yards for a touchdown late in the first half.

This came three plays after the Texans tied the game with a field goal. So, in a matter of 56 seconds, the Bengals went from being up by three points (10-7) to being down by seven (17-10).

"I didn't really see exactly what happened," said Dalton, who was 27 of 42 for 257 yards and three interceptions. "I just saw it got batted or whatever and then he was running the other way."

The Bengals had a chance to respond with 2:39 left in the third quarter when Crocker broke on T.J. Yates' pass and put himself in position to pick off the Texans rookie quarterback. But the ball bounced off Crocker's hands with only Yates standing between him and the end zone. It would have tied the game at 17.

"Hindsight is 20-20 now. I feel bad enough," Crocker said. "I picked that ball nine out of 10 times. This time, I didn’t pick it off when it mattered the most."

Crocked added, "I just dropped it. Maybe I was thinking of what I was going to do before I actually caught it. Who knows? It was an easy interception."

The Bengals dropped to 1-7 against teams that currently have winning records this season. But Cincinnati wasn't supposed to beat anyone this season.

The Bengals were coming off a 4-12 season that included the longest in-season losing streak in team history (10 losses in a row). Last season, they ranked 22nd in scoring and 24th in points allowed. They were considered the worst team in the NFL entering this season (Cincinnati was No. 32 in the preseason ESPN power rankings).

Now, Cincinnati is shooting for back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time in 30 years. In order to do that, the Bengals have to prove they've learned from Saturday's brutal lesson.

"If we can hit (in the draft) like we did this year with the two special guys (Dalton and Green) we got this year, this is going to be a real special football team next year," Bengals left tackle Andrew Whitworth said. "In my six years in the league, even though we ended this season in disappointment, this is the greatest upside that I’ve ever felt this team had."

Three things to know about next weekend’s Cincinnati Bengals-Houston Texans wild-card game:

A rookie quarterback is going to the AFC’s Final Four: Much is made of how much of a strain is put on a rookie quarterback in a playoff game. But this game is going to feature two of them in T.J. Yates and Andy Dalton, which means a team led by a first-year signal caller is going to be playing in the AFC’s divisional round on Jan. 14th or 15th. Teams can turn conservative and rely on running games and defenses in the playoffs, even with a veteran quarterback, simply asking him to do no harm. Maybe that’s the script here. But Cincinnati’s gotten a lot out of Dalton this season, and the Texans have insisted they aren’t scaling back for Yates. So perhaps we’ll see one of these guys win a game rather than not lose it.

The Bengals are capable of slowing Houston’s pass rush: The Texans got to Dalton for just one sack in that first meeting. Houston’s super-active defensive front can call on eight different guys who have recorded a sack this season. The group swarms from all different angles and doesn’t worry much about what the other team is doing so long as it’s executing the game plan of defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. In seven games this season, the Texans dragged the quarterback down at least three times. Cincinnati’s got a big offensive line, keyed around left tackle Andrew Whitworth. Phillips’ plan and the Texans' execution both need to be better. It doesn’t have to produce sacks, just discomfort and a mistake or two from Dalton. Houston bats down a lot of balls, that can be a factor, too.

Yates had his best game against this defense: When the Texans beat the Benglas 20-19 at Paul Brown Stadium on Dec. 11 and clinched the AFC South, Yates was starting just his second game. He led two 80-yard scoring drives in the fourth quarter, and tossed the game-winning touchdown pass to Kevin Walter with 2 second left. He threw for a season-best 300 yards even without receiver Andre Johnson playing. But he was sacked three times and threw an interception, and the Bengals will surely look back and feel like they had a recipe for making him uncomfortable. If they can find it and replicate it minus the bad ending, they are certainly capable of springing an upset at Reliant Stadium. The odds are low of the Bengals winning if they allow the Texans to convert 56 percent on third down like they did in the first matchup.

The Bengals are ticked off after falling short the past two weeks against the Steelers and Ravens. That's not good news for the Browns, according to the Bengals players.

"We feel like we flat out didn't beat two teams we should have and now we feel like the next team has to pay," Cincinnati left tackle Andrew Whitworth said, via The Cincinnati Enquirer. "Guys are angry and upset and want to go out and prove the team we are."

That "next team" is the Browns (4-6), who are two games behind Cincinnati (6-4) for third place in the AFC North. The last time the Bengals lost back-to-back games this season, they reeled off five straight wins.

"We have to take out our anger on them," Cincinnati nose tackle Domata Peko told the Bengals' team website. "We can't keep waiting until the fourth quarter to try and win the game."

Maybe I'm wrong, but shouldn't the Browns -- who allowed that easy 41-yard touchdown to A.J. Green in the season opener -- be the ones mad at the Bengals? Or maybe the Browns should be mad at themselves for not being ready.

Here's your game-day warm-up:

CINCINNATI -- The Steelers are looking to avoid their first 0-3 start in the AFC North when they play the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium today.

Pittsburgh lost its first two division games this year when it got swept by the Ravens. The Steelers have only had one three-game losing streak in the division since the AFC North began in 2002.

A majority of the ESPN NFL experts believe the Steelers will get their first division victory today. Six of the eight prognosticators have Pittsburgh (6-3) beating the Bengals (6-2), who have won five consecutive games (the longest current streak in the AFC).

ESPN's NFL experts also have the Ravens and Browns winning today. The Ravens (6-2) play at Seattle (2-6), and the Browns (3-5) are home against St. Louis (1-7).

Here are some story lines for today's games:

• BENGALS: The loss of Carlos Dunlap, who is questionable, would hurt the Bengals' pass rush. But the tight end position could be more of a concern. Backup Donald Lee is out and starter Jermaine Gresham is questionable. If Gresham is sidelined today, the Bengals would probably have to promote Chase Coffman from the practice squad since rookie Colin Cochart is the only healthy tight end on the roster.
• BROWNS: Let's keep on an eye on how the Browns use Josh Cribbs. He hinted on Wednesday that he would spend time in the backfield. A day later, he backed off playing running back or quarterback in the Wildcat. There is one certainty: Cribbs will start at wide receiver with Mohamed Massaquoi out.
• RAVENS: Statistics say it will be a rough day for Seahawks quarterback Tarvaris Jackson. The Seahawks have given up 29 sacks, the second-most in the NFL. The Ravens have recorded 26 sacks, the second-most in the league.
• STEELERS: With LaMarr Woodley out, James Harrison has to carry the pass rush again. He had three sacks, six quarterback pressures and a forced fumble last Sunday. Harrison will often line up against Bengals left tackle Andrew Whitworth, who has allowed 1.5 sacks.

It's hard to find the Cincinnati Bengals on television these days, and I'm not talking about primetime games. Wait, you're telling me there are no Bengals starring on a dating show or any other reality series?

"Unless you want to watch people sit in a room and never speak," Bengals offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth said. "I think most guys on the team will tell you they’ve probably heard A.J. [Green] speak three words and Andy [Dalton] tops him with five. That’s only when he has to call a game."

The Bengals' turnaround season -- going from the second-fewest wins in the NFL last season to the most in the AFC at the midway point of the season -- started when the team turned over the roster. The focus is no longer on divas (receivers Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens). It's on division titles.

Dalton, the even-keeled leader with a will stronger than his arm, has made the Who Dey Nation forget about Carson Palmer, the franchise quarterback who no longer wanted to be with the franchise. Green, a promising touchdown machine, is more concerned about reaching the end zone than how to celebrate after he gets there. Big names such as Tank Johnson and Roy Williams were shed from the defense, which began the season with six new starters.

Fewer egos in the locker room has resulted in more wins on the field. Cincinnati (6-2) has matched its best start since 1988, when the team advanced to the Super Bowl, and has put together its longest winning streak (five) since that same season. In fact, the Bengals have as many fourth-quarter comebacks this season (four) as total wins last season as they head into Sunday's showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3).

"We felt like we made the best decision for our team, and moved on from guys that didn’t want to be here," Whitworth said. "The guys that are still here are the guys that have acutally played the last three or four years we’ve been together and have really been the true nucleus of the team, not the media’s nucleus."

The preseason perception was the Bengals were going to be the NFL's worst team. In ESPN's first power rankings, Cincinnati was last at No. 32. Nine weeks into the season, the Bengals are No. 10 and ahead of the Patriots.

If the regular season ended today, the Bengals would be the AFC's top seed.

Are these Bengals for real?

"I won’t say if we’re for real or not. But at this point of the season, you’re are what you are," Bengals safety Chris Crocker said. "Your record should speak for itself."

Skeptics will point to the fact that the Bengals' first-half opponents have a combined record of 16-33. But Cincinnati beat Buffalo a week after the Bills defeated New England, and the Bengals have won at two places (Jacksonville and Tennessee) where the Ravens have lost this season.

The road ahead for the Bengals will be much tougher with four games against Pittsburgh and Baltimore along with a meeting with the AFC South-leading Houston Texans. The combined record of the Bengals' remaining opponents are 36-31.

The Bengals have plenty of opportunities to prove themselves. That is, if they felt like they had something to prove.

"We don’t pay that much attention to it," Whitworth said. "We have a young football team that doesn’t worry about that stuff too much because they don’t understand it. That works out in our favor."

Head coach Marvin Lewis isn't concerned the season will become too big for his young players.

"We're still the same team, nothing has changed," he said. "For all of our internal things, we still have the same things in front of us that we had at the start of the year. ... They have some confidence [now], but they know they have to go out and make more plays than the other team, regardless of where they are in other people's minds."

The maturity of this young team has been tested, and it goes beyond come-from-behind fourth-quarter victories over Cleveland, Buffalo, Jacksonville and Tennessee (three of which came on the road). There has been off-the-field drama from Palmer not reporting to the team (to demand a trade) to Cedric Benson serving jail time before the season and a one-game suspension during it to starting wide receiver Jerome Simpson having a drug bust at his home.

Whitworth said the Bengals have handed these potential distractions in-house as a team.

“I don’t think we have individuals. That’s why we didn’t name captains because I think we have a lot of guys that deserve to be captains,” Whitworth said. “I think that’s the mark of a good football team. When we lead the team and we police the team and Marvin [Lewis] gets to kind of direct practice that makes things a whole lot easier on a head coach. That’s the kind of team we have and like I said I think we have started over."

The Bengals' surprising run has been very un-Bengal like. The offense is efficient and rarely makes unforced errors.

In the red zone, Dalton has thrown 10 touchdowns and no interceptions. His 12 total touchdowns is the most by a rookie in the team's first eight games of the season since the 1970 merger.

"He’s never rattled and he sees the big picture," Whitworth said. "Good play or bad play, the next play is the only play that matters. He takes care of the football. He doesn’t make the stupid play by having the ego to think he can make that play. He plays thinking what’s the best decision for my football team. It’s very impressive."

The Bengals defense, which has been in the top 5 for most of the season, has been aggressive whether it's press coverage by the cornerbacks or the front seven squashing the run game. Cincinnati's mentality led to defensive touchdowns in three straight games, the first time that has happened since 1983.

"We want to attack teams," Crocker said. "We really want to dictate what game it’s going to be. If you look the second half of games and fourth quarters, we’ve been very, very smart."

The Bengals' next big challenge is to win back the fans. Their string of seven straight blackouts ends Sunday, but that might be an indication of the number of Steelers fans showing up.

The players hope continued success will cause their own fans to fill up Paul Brown Stadium again.

"You’re entitled to any opinion that you have," Crocker said. "If you don’t feel like your team is competitive, then you shouldn’t go to the games. I can understsand that. In that sense, we have to earn the fans back. We have to go out there, win ball games and then they’ll show up."

Trey and Mort look ahead to the Cowboys-Eagles showdown on Sunday night; Mark Schlereth answers Tweets on the three winless teams in the NFL, and Did You Hear That? Bengals tackle Andrew Whitworth talks about how he tried to keep Carson Palmer in Cincinnati.

There is concern that Ben Roethlisberger's left foot might be broken, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

X-rays on the Steelers' starting quarterback weren't immediately announced. Roethlisberger said he was unaware if the foot was broken.

Asked whether he would play Sunday against the Titans, Roethlisberger said, "I don't know. You know me, if I can be out there I'm going to be out there. That's so for next week, too."

It was just last season when Roethlisberger played through a broken bone in his right foot without being sidelined for a game.

"I casted up my foot for the last half of the year, so if we have to do it, I'll do it," he said.

Also, running back Rashard Mendenhall didn't return to the game after injuring his hamstring on a 3-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter of Sunday's loss at Houston.

Here are some injuries to monitor:

• BENGALS: Left tackle Andrew Whitworth had his left hand wrapped in ice but the starting left tackle said it wasn't broken. "It's a big welt," he told Bengals.com.
• BROWNS: Starting cornerback Joe Haden said on Twitter that he has a sprained knee and will have an MRI on Monday. Haden came in and out of the game, which probably means it's more bothersome than major. The Browns are on their bye this week. Also, wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi suffered a shoulder injury.
• RAVENS: Strong safety Tom Zbikowski sustained a concussion and will have an extra week to recover because of the bye. Left guard Ben Grubbs missed his third straight game because of a toe injury and was replaced by Andre Gurode. "It's taking its time, but it's getting better," Grubbs told MASNSports.com. "The swelling is going down, so that's a good sign, but it's slow healing. It's coming along. Just continue to get treatment, continue doing what I can do, and hopefully be out there soon."

Jake Long or Joe Thomas?

It's like deciding between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. They're both elite. You can't go wrong with either pick.

But when you belong to ESPN.com's prestigious Power Rankings syndicate, you have to make tough choices.

In this week's left tackle poll, Thomas edged Long by one point. Long was listed first or second on each of the eight division bloggers' ballots. Three of them, including me, placed Long on top. Thomas received one third-place vote, but amassed five first-place votes to come out ahead.

The ballot I submitted:

1. Jake Long, Dolphins
2. Joe Thomas, Browns
3. Jordan Gross, Panthers
4. Michael Roos, Titans
5. D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Jets
6. Ryan Clady, Broncos
7. Chad Clifton, Packers
8. Donald Penn, Buccaneers
9. Doug Free, Cowboys
10. Andrew Whitworth, Bengals

Choosing between Long and Thomas is splitting hairs. They've been selected for the Pro Bowl every season in the NFL and are the reigning first-team All-Pros. Thomas was the third overall draft pick in 2007, Long the top choice in 2008.

But I gave Long the edge because of the circumstances he has dealt with in Miami.

Thomas has benefited from playing alongside reliable and steady left guard Eric Steinbach all four years. Steinbach has started 62 of a possible 64 games. For the past two seasons, first-round pick Alex Mack has shined, going to a Pro Bowl last year.

Long has had no such luxuries. He has played next to five left guards in his three seasons: Justin Smiley, Andy Alleman, Nate Garner, Richie Incognito and Pat McQuistan.

The Dolphins have been just as dicey at center. They should have their fourth different opening day starter in four years after drafting Florida center Mike Pouncey. They've used five centers the past three seasons.

Long also played at an All-Pro level last season despite a shoulder injury that had some wondering if he should shut it down.

New England Patriots fans might be wondering why I didn't include Matt Light on my ballot. While he did go to the Pro Bowl as an alternate last year, Stats Inc. blamed him for 10 sacks for 78 yards in losses and four penalties -- all more than his previous two seasons combined.

» NFC Underrated Players: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

A team-by-team look at the most underrated players in the division.

Cincinnati Bengals

Andrew Whitworth, left tackle: Whitworth has quietly developed into one of the NFL's better left tackles, but you wouldn't know it because of the team he plays for. Whitworth rarely gives up sacks and has held up well against elite pass-rushers such as James Harrison in Pittsburgh and Terrell Suggs in Baltimore. Opponents speak highly of Whitworth, but he's never been to a Pro Bowl and rarely gets much attention outside Cincinnati. Whitworth also has taken over the important role of the Bengals' locker room leader after the departure of Willie Anderson.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Brett Keisel, defensive end: When the beard is more popular than the player, you're definitely underrated. Last season, Keisel received more publicity than ever in his 10-year career for his playoff beard. The beard has its own stories, T-shirts and Facebook page, while Keisel the player remained under the radar. Because of Pittsburgh's 3-4 scheme, defensive ends for the Steelers will never put up gaudy stats or get the recognition they deserve. But Keisel, a former seventh-round pick, has been at the forefront of Pittsburgh's stout run defense for a long time. Keisel earned his first Pro Bowl nod as an injury replacement last season, although he missed the game because of the Super Bowl.

Cleveland Browns

Ben Watson, tight end: The AFC North reception leader for tight ends last season wasn't Heath Miller, Todd Heap or 2010 first-round pick Jermaine Gresham. It was Watson, who caught 68 passes for 763 yards and provided the only consistent receiving threat for the Browns this past season. Watson is expected to be quarterback Colt McCoy's safety valve again in 2011. Cleveland's front office gets plenty of praise for last year's draft class. But the team also quietly hit on several free agents and trades. Watson was among a group of new contributors to Cleveland that included tailback Peyton Hillis and linebackers Scott Fujita and Chris Gocong.

Baltimore Ravens

Jarret Johnson, linebacker: For years, Johnson has been the unsung player on a defense filled with big names like Suggs, linebacker Ray Lewis and safety Ed Reed. Johnson has been a full-time starter for Baltimore the past four years and is extremely durable. He's only missed one game in eight seasons. Johnson also has the versatility to do whatever the coaching staff needs in a given week. Johnson recorded 50 tackles or more in each of the past four seasons.

Here are the player reps for each AFC North team, according to the NFLPA:

Baltimore Ravens: WR Derrick Mason

Alternates: CB Chris Carr, C Matt Birk

Skinny: Mason is one of the most experienced and outspoken players on the Ravens. Therefore he fits great in this role. Carr and Birk are also two great alternatives from Baltimore.

Cincinnati Bengals: LT Andrew Whitworth

Alternates: G Bobbie Williams, TE Reggie Kelly

Skinny: This trio comprises Cincinnati's locker room leaders. Whitworth has taken an increased role and is usually the one who briefs the rest of the Bengals on player issues. Williams and Kelly are both elder statesmen and combine for 25 years of NFL experience.

Cleveland Browns: TE Robert Royal

Alternates: OT Tony Pashos, CB Sheldon Brown, TE Ben Watson

Skinny: Lately the Browns have been a strange team when it comes to union reps. With three regime changes the past few years, it's been a rotating door. Royal was recently released by the Browns, meaning Cleveland will have another player rep next season. All the alternatives spent their first year with the Browns in 2010.

Pittsburgh Steelers: S Ryan Clark

Alternates: WR Antwaan Randle El, LT Max Starks

Skinny: Like Mason, Clark is never afraid to speak his mind. He recently had a lot to say on the pending NFL lockout during Super Bowl week. Randle El and Starks are both intelligent alternatives, as well.

» NFC Pro Bowl: East | West | North | South » AFC Pro Bowl: East | West | North | South

Perfect sense: The AFC North is a defense-first division, so it made perfect sense that five defensive starters are going to Hawaii. Safety Troy Polamalu and linebacker James Harrison of the Pittsburgh Steelers are Defensive Player of the Year candidates. Pittsburgh's defensive starters will join Baltimore stalwarts Haloti Ngata, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, who we will get to later. I also liked the fact Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff got in. There were several accurate kickers with similar numbers, but Cundiff's 38 touchbacks on kickoffs made the difference.

Made it on rep: Even when not at his best, Joe Thomas of the Cleveland Browns is still better than 85 percent of left tackles in the NFL. But this season Thomas struggled with an elbow injury and started the season slowly. Credit Thomas for never complaining about his ailment and playing through the pain. But Thomas wasn't himself until about midway through the season. Reed (35 tackles, six interceptions) also has been terrific. But he started the season on the physically unable to perform list following hip surgery and missed seven games. Reed remains an elite safety, but name recognition helped him overcome missing nearly half the season.

Got robbed: As strange as this sounds, I think the biggest miss in the AFC North this year is a punter. Sam Koch of Baltimore was stellar with a 43.2 yard average and 37 punts inside the 20. But Oakland Raiders punter Shane Lechler got the nod. Although it wasn't a huge surprise, the Cincinnati Bengals didn't have a Pro Bowl player for the second straight year. A 4-11 record this time had a lot to do with it. Bengals left tackle Andrew Whitworth did well in the fan voting, but he still couldn't end the drought. Browns tailback Peyton Hillis (1,164 yards, 13 touchdowns) had a great, breakout season. But the competition at running back is always stiff and Hillis plays for a 5-10 team.

Rookie surprise: Kudos to Steelers rookie center Maurkice Pouncey, who made his first Pro Bowl. Pittsburgh's inconsistent offensive line has been crippled by injuries. But Pouncey has been the one reliable force in the middle. It's clear with this Pro Bowl nod that Pouncey has already earned the respect of opposing players and coaches.

Click here for the complete Pro Bowl list.