Super Bowl Central

Postseason baseball has returned to Pittsburgh for the first time since 1992 as the Pirates will host the Cincinnati Reds in the National League wild-card playoff game Tuesday night at PNC Park.

While the Pirates scuffled through one losing season after another following Francisco Cabrera's hit in Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS that broke the hearts of Pittsburgh fans, the Steelers were regular postseason participants.

The Steelers have, in fact, played in 29 postseason games since 1992, including four Super Bowls.

Some of the veteran players were asked what advice they would give to the Pirates prior to their elimination game with the Reds.

“Have fun, relish in the moment of the opportunity that you have to be there. Just go out there and give it everything you have,” Steelers safety Ryan Clark said. “One thing I remember about playoff games is when you do lose them you don’t want it to be that you left anything on the field and felt like you did what you had to do to allow your team to win, and I know they will.”

Pittsburgh’s major professional sports teams have a history of supporting one another, and the Steelers have gotten behind the Pirates’ run to the postseason.

“I know the fans are excited, we are excited and they will be excited,” quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. “It’s probably different in baseball compared to football because going into a Super Bowl or a game like this you tell guys not to get over-excited because your adrenaline can get the best of you. In baseball I don’t know if it’s the same philosophy or not. Maybe you want that adrenaline.”

And Roethlisberger’s advice to the Pirates?

“Just win,” he said. “Find whatever it takes to win.”, date=Tue Oct 01 18:05:28 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-10-01T22:05:28 GMT, keywords=[Pittsburgh Steelers], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/75190/steelers-back-pirates-playoff-push, photos=[{height=80, alt=null, width=80, name=null, caption=null, type=inline, credit=null, url=http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nfl/500/pit.png&w=80&h=80}], byline=Scott Brown, linkText=Steelers back Pirates' playoff push, logo=null, blogURL=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/, blogname=afcnorth, showIndex=null}, {title=Ravens cut safety Christian Thompson, id=75187, story=The Baltimore Ravens announced they cut safety Christian Thompson after he served his four-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

The Ravens didn't have any use for Thompson because they have depth at the safety spot. Behind starters Matt Elam and James Ihedigbo are Michael Huff, Anthony Levine and Jeromy Miles, who was signed last week after being released by the Cincinnati Bengals.

It's telling that the Ravens parted ways with Thompson because the Ravens typically don't cut draft picks a year after being selected in the first four rounds. He was the 130th pick of the 2012 draft and the sixth safety taken.

Thompson played in seven games last season before going on injured reserve with a knee injury in November. He didn't make a tackle on defense or special teams.

This marks only the second player to be let go from the 2012 draft class (wide receiver Tommy Streeter, a sixth-round pick, was the other)., date=Tue Oct 01 17:05:14 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-10-01T21:05:14 GMT, keywords=[Baltimore Ravens, Christian Thompson], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/75187/ravens-cut-safety-christian-thompson, photos=[], byline=Jamison Hensley, linkText=Ravens cut safety Christian Thompson, logo=null, blogURL=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/, blogname=afcnorth, showIndex=null}, {title=Browns' Brian Hoyer benefits from waiting, id=75183, story=Listening to Cleveland Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer for the first time produces no great revelations but does reinforce the notion that perhaps for many, the Hoyer path is the best path.

Which does not mean a player should be released twice before he finds success.

It does mean, though, that there is benefit to watching and learning -- especially when it’s behind one of the NFL’s best.

Consider Brandon Weeden. The Browns' first-round draft choice in 2012 was put in the starting lineup immediately. He took over a bad team, with little talent around him. Any talent that was around him was young as well.

He did his best, then arrived as the starter in 2013. But he had to learn another system, a new coaching staff, new language and plays. He started two games, struggled and hurt his thumb.

Compare that to the experience of Hoyer, who spent three years in New England and part of a fourth in Arizona. While with the Patriots, Hoyer backed up Tom Brady, which meant he learned behind Brady. Hoyer also played for Bill Belichick. Given the opportunity to observe, he did just that -- and he absorbed.

Proof is that Hoyer is 2-0 as Cleveland's starter, combining for 590 passing yards and five touchdown passes.

“I learned how to prepare and cover all the bases,” Hoyer said in his locker room session Tuesday.

Prepare is the key. Hoyer said he lives in a bubble, going from home to work and back again. His key, he said, is being ready, which he learned in part from Brady.

“I believe in luck,” Hoyer said. “And the harder I prepare, the more luck I have.”

Luck certainly has something to do with Hoyer’s good fortune. Without an injury, he might still be watching. But when the injury occurred, Hoyer was ready.

Many of the things the Browns do offensively are similar to that of Belichick and the Patriots. To have three years' experience in that system had to help Hoyer in this one.

There’s a long way to go for Hoyer to firmly establish himself. But clearly he’s been helped by the fact that he had to be patient, and learn. And that he was willing to learn., date=Tue Oct 01 15:00:53 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-10-01T19:00:53 GMT, keywords=[Cleveland Browns, Brian Hoyer], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/75183/browns-brian-hoyer-benefits-from-waiting, photos=[], byline=Pat McManamon, linkText=Browns' Brian Hoyer benefits from waiting, logo=null, blogURL=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/, blogname=afcnorth, showIndex=null}, {title=Big Ben finger injury not serious, id=75184, story=PITTSBURGH -- Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger partially dislocated the index finger on his throwing hand last Sunday, but he said the injury isn't serious and won't prevent him from playing Oct. 13 when the Steelers visit the New York Jets.

The Steelers have a bye this week, and Roethlisberger said his injury is minor enough that he could have practiced today.

"I'd go because I want to be out there," Roethlisberger said.

Roethlisberger hurt his right finger when he hit the hand of a Vikings defensive player while throwing a touchdown pass to Jerricho Cotchery. He didn't miss any playing time and threw for 383 yards, a touchdown and an interception in a 34-27 loss to the Vikings.

The Steelers survived another injury scare with starting left guard Ramon Foster.

Foster left the game against the Vikings with a chest injury but sustained only a minor pectoral sprain, according to multiple reports. He could return against the Jets.

Running back LeVeon Bell said he felt fine after playing in his first NFL game.

Bell, who had been out with a mid-foot sprain since Aug. 19, started at running back and rushed for 57 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 16 carries. Bell also caught four passes for 27 yards and said his right foot held up well.

"I tweaked it a bit during the game," Bell said, "but it didn't give me any issues.", date=Tue Oct 01 14:40:51 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-10-01T18:40:51 GMT, keywords=[Pittsburgh Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger, Ramon Foster, Le'veon Bell, 2013 NFL injury wire, NFL injury wire], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/75184/big-ben-finger-injury-not-serious, photos=[], byline=Scott Brown, linkText=Big Ben finger injury not serious, logo=null, blogURL=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/, blogname=afcnorth, showIndex=null}, {title=Injury report: Brandon Weeden practices, id=75182, story=The Cleveland Browns remain in good standing on the injury front.

Quarterback Brandon Weeden practiced Tuesday, working with gloves on both hands in the part of practice open to the media.

Whether Weeden is the backup or No. 3 Thursday night against Buffalo will be determined by how he looks in practice, said coach Rob Chudzinski. Weeden missed the last two games -- and probably lost his starting job -- to a sprained thumb.

Brian Hoyer will make his third start, ostensibly because it’s a short week but in reality because Hoyer has played too well not to start.

Three players are not expected to play: Outside linebackers Jabaal Sheard and Quentin Groves and defensive lineman Billy Winn. Sheard (sprained knee) and Winn (quad) were not working, and Groves (ankle) was riding the proverbial stationary bike.

Winn’s absence will be minimized by the Browns' depth on the defensive front. Sheard’s absence against Cincinnati allowed first-round pick Barkevious Mingo to open eyes with a very strong first start.

Place-kicker Billy Cundiff is dealing with a thigh strain. He missed two field goals in the win over Cincinnati. Chudzinski said he would see how Cundiff kicks in practice before making any decision regarding that position., date=Tue Oct 01 14:05:44 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-10-01T18:05:44 GMT, keywords=[Cleveland Browns, Brian Hoyer, Billy Cundiff, Jabaal Sheard, Brandon Weeden, Billy Winn, Barkevious Mingo, Quentin Groves, NFL injury wire], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/75182/injury-report-brandon-weeden-practices, photos=[], byline=Pat McManamon, linkText=Injury report: Brandon Weeden practices, logo=null, blogURL=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/, blogname=afcnorth, showIndex=null}, {title=Power Rankings: No. 20 Cleveland Browns, id=75168, story=A weekly examination of the Browns’ ESPN.com Power Ranking:

Preseason: 28 | Last week: 25 | ESPN.com Power Ranking since 2002

The Cleveland Browns are close to moving into unfamiliar territory, and they and their fans have to be thrilled about it.

The Browns moved from No. 31 in the Week 3 rankings to 20 after trading running back Trent Richardson and moving third quarterback Brian Hoyer into the starting spot. Those moves were treated as cataclysmic by many, but the result has been two consecutive wins over playoff teams in 2012 (Minnesota and Cincinnati) and an 11-spot jump in the Power Rankings.

The last time the Browns were ranked 20th was the 15th week of the 2012 season.

A win Thursday night over Buffalo might even move the Browns into the teens. That hasn’t happened since the Browns were ranked 17th in Week 2 of the 2008 season., date=Tue Oct 01 14:00:38 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-10-01T18:00:38 GMT, keywords=[Cleveland Browns, Brian Hoyer, 2013 NFL Week 5 Power Rankings], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/75168/power-rankings-no-20-cleveland-browns, photos=[{height=80, alt=null, width=80, name=null, caption=null, type=inline, credit=null, url=http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nfl/500/cle.png&w=80&h=80}], byline=Pat McManamon, linkText=Power Rankings: No. 20 Cleveland Browns, logo=null, blogURL=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/, blogname=afcnorth, showIndex=null}, {title=Power Rankings: No. 11 Cincinnati Bengals, id=75165, story=A weekly examination of the Bengals' ESPN.com Power Ranking:

Preseason: 9 | Last week: 6 | ESPN.com Power Ranking since 2002

Cincinnati's 17-6 loss to the Browns on Sunday sent it for a free fall in this week's ESPN.com Power Rankings. After shooting up four spots to No. 6 with a 34-30 win over Green Bay last week, the Bengals plummeted five spots following an offensive display at Cleveland that offensive coordinator Jay Gruden called "shocking."

Head coach Marvin Lewis said the way the game was lost indicated how inconsistent his team is. At times this season, the Bengals have looked unstoppable. On other occasions, like this past weekend, they have looked like the old version of themselves that so many NFL fans have come to know throughout the league's history. If this inconsistent play continues, expect this trend of seesawing in the Power Rankings to persist, too.

The No. 11 ranking is the lowest for the Bengals so far this season.

The Bengals received one top-10 vote from ESPN.com's six-person Power Rankings panel. Dan Graziano placed them ninth on his ballot. Ashley Fox and Kevin Seifert gave them a No. 15 ranking, the panel's lowest., date=Tue Oct 01 14:00:34 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-10-01T18:00:34 GMT, keywords=[Cincinnati Bengals, 2013 NFL Week 5 Power Rankings], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/75165/power-rankings-no-11-cincinnati-bengals, photos=[{height=80, alt=null, width=80, name=null, caption=null, type=inline, credit=null, url=http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nfl/500/cin.png&w=80&h=80}], byline=Coley Harvey, linkText=Power Rankings: No. 11 Cincinnati Bengals, logo=null, blogURL=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/, blogname=afcnorth, showIndex=null}, {title=Power Rankings: No. 29 Pittsburgh Steelers, id=75171, story=A weekly examination of the Steelers’ ESPN.com Power Ranking:

Preseason: 16 | Last week: No. 28 | ESPN.com Power Ranking since 2002

Apparently the Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t the worst team in the NFL despite what quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said after the team dropped to 0-4. Roethlisberger, however, was not far off, according to the ESPN.com Power Rankings. The Steelers slipped another spot after their fourth-quarter rally fell short in a 34-27 loss to the Vikings, and they are ranked ahead of only the Giants, Buccaneers and Jaguars. Here is a voting breakdown:

Ashley Fox: 29

Mike Sando: 26

Kevin Seifert: 31

John Clayton: 28

Dan Graziano: 29

Jamison Hensley: 29

As stunning as it is to see the Steelers so low, it is hard to argue with their ranking. Yes, they have been in every game this season, but a team that always used to find a way to win is now finding ways to lose. The offense came to life in London but the defense collapsed, and so it goes for the Steelers, who have started a season 0-4 for the first time since 1968, the year “60 Minutes” was born. The Steelers have yet to put together a solid 60 minutes of football, and until they do so, they will continue to lag near the bottom of the Power Rankings., date=Tue Oct 01 14:00:12 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-10-01T18:00:12 GMT, keywords=[Pittsburgh Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger, 2013 NFL Week 5 Power Rankings], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/75171/power-rankings-no-29-pittsburgh-steelers, photos=[{height=80, alt=null, width=80, name=null, caption=null, type=inline, credit=null, url=http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nfl/500/pit.png&w=80&h=80}], byline=Scott Brown, linkText=Power Rankings: No. 29 Pittsburgh Steelers, logo=null, blogURL=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/, blogname=afcnorth, showIndex=null}, {title=Power Rankings: No. 14 Baltimore Ravens, id=75174, story=A weekly examination of the Ravens’ ESPN.com Power Ranking:

Preseason: 8 | Last Week: 11 | ESPN.com Power Ranking since 2002

A week after failing to move up after beating the Houston Texans by three touchdowns, the Ravens (2-2) dropped three spots after getting upset 23-20 at Buffalo. This is the lowest ranking of the season for the defending Super Bowl champions. The last time the Ravens ranked outside the top 12 was Week 14 in 2009, when a loss at Green Bay dropped Baltimore to 6-6.

The biggest surprise for me was seeing the Tennessee Titans ranked ahead of the Ravens. The Titans have a better record at 3-1, but they lost to the Texans, a team that the Ravens routed. As one of six voters on the Power Rankings, I had the Ravens at No. 10, but the others don't see it that way. The Ravens are the eighth-ranked team in the AFC in the Power Rankings.

As far as the AFC North goes, the Cincinnati Bengals dropped five spots to No. 11, the Cleveland Browns moved up five spots to No. 20 and the winless Pittsburgh Steelers fell another spot to No. 29., date=Tue Oct 01 14:00:05 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-10-01T18:00:05 GMT, keywords=[Baltimore Ravens, Ravens Power Rankings, 2013 NFL Week 5 Power Rankings], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/75174/power-rankings-no-14-baltimore-ravens, photos=[{height=80, alt=null, width=80, name=null, caption=null, type=inline, credit=null, url=http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nfl/500/bal.png&w=80&h=80}], byline=Jamison Hensley, linkText=Power Rankings: No. 14 Baltimore Ravens, logo=null, blogURL=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/, blogname=afcnorth, showIndex=null}, {title=Ravens miss Pitta more than Boldin, id=75164, story=The uproar after Week 1 was how much the Baltimore Ravens missed wide receiver Anquan Boldin, and the Ravens certainly would benefit from his toughness and clutch plays. But the Ravens miss tight end Dennis Pitta much more than Boldin.

Pitta, who is on the injured reserve-designated for return list after injuring his hip in training camp, may have been the Ravens' leading receiver at this point. Now the tight end position is one of the biggest weaknesses for the defending Super Bowl champions.

The Ravens have gotten little production out of Dallas Clark, Ed Dickson and Billy Bajema. Joe Flacco has connected on a little more than half of his passes to them (20 completions on 39 targets). Compare that to last year with Pitta, who caught 65.5 percent of the passes thrown his way (61 of 93).

The Ravens' tight ends have scored no touchdowns and have produced no catches more than 20 yards. Pitta had seven touchdowns and eight receptions greater than 20 yards.

Entering the season, the Ravens looked like they were in better position to handle the loss of Pitta more than the void left by the trade of Boldin. But undrafted wide receiver Marlon Brown, who has filled Boldin's spot in the starting lineup, leads the team with three touchdowns.

The biggest disappointment for the Ravens is Dickson. He has dropped four of the nine passes thrown in his direction, according to Pro Football Focus. One pass in Buffalo went off Dickson's hands and resulted in an interception.

The Ravens are clearly losing patience with Dickson.

“Ed just needs to go catch the ball,” coach John Harbaugh said. “He needs to run fast, get open and catch the football, put it away and get up field. That’s all he needs to do. And if he’s thinking about anything besides that, he’s doing himself a disservice.”

The pressure is on Dickson, who will be a free agent after the season. Through four games, he has more drops than catches (three).

"Mentally, it seems like a bad dream," Dickson said.

The Ravens' tight ends have produced the fewest receiving yards in the AFC North. Even the Pittsburgh Steelers, who didn't have Heath Miller for two games, have gotten 230 yards out of their tight ends, which is 12 more than the Ravens. Cleveland Browns tight end Jordan Cameron has more catches, yards and touchdowns than the entire tight end group in Baltimore.

The statistics would look different if the Ravens had gotten the projected production out of Dickson. A third-round draft pick in 2010, Dickson caught 54 passes and scored five touchdowns in 2011.

“The stats kind of speak for themselves that you’re alluding to,” Harbaugh said. “He’s not the same player right now that he was then, obviously.”, date=Tue Oct 01 10:30:40 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-10-01T14:30:40 GMT, keywords=[Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Clark, Ed Dickson, Dennis Pitta], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/75164/ravens-miss-pitta-more-than-boldin, photos=[], byline=Jamison Hensley, linkText=Ravens miss Pitta more than Boldin, logo=null, blogURL=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/, blogname=afcnorth, showIndex=null}, {title=Let's turn lights out on conspiracy theories, id=75160, story=Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs became the latest player from the defending champions to bring up a conspiracy theory for the Super Bowl blackout, pointing the finger at NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for the unprecedented Super Bowl moment.

“I was like Vegas, parlor tricks, you know what I mean?," Suggs said on ESPN's "E:60." "I was like, ahh, Roger Goodell, he never stops, he always has something up his sleeve. He just couldn’t let us have this one in a landslide huh?”

Asked if he thought Goodell had turned the lights out, Suggs said, “I thought he had a hand in it. Most definitely, he had a hand in it."

Can we all agree to stop coming up with these ridiculous accusations? This makes the Ravens look more paranoid than prestigious. I could see the Ravens continually talking about this if they had lost. But the Ravens overcame that 34-minute delay and just have to let it go.

The Superdome, where the Super Bowl was held, is an old building. The company responsible for supplying power to the stadium said after the game that faulty equipment was to blame for the blackout. It does not sound like CSI New Orleans has to get involved with this one.

It is not like this is the first time the lights had gone out in an NFL game. In December 2011, I was at San Francisco's Candlestick Park when there were two power outages. I guess Goodell really wanted the 49ers to beat the Steelers that time.

This Super Bowl conspiracy theory started when linebacker Ray Lewis hinted on the "America's Game" documentary series that the power outage may have been a ploy to help the 49ers regroup. Now, Suggs thinks Goodell was involved.

My hope is we can turn the lights out on all of these crazy conspiracy theories., date=Tue Oct 01 00:53:41 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-10-01T04:53:41 GMT, keywords=[Baltimore Ravens, Roger Goodell, Terrell Suggs], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/75160/lets-turn-lights-out-on-conspiracy-theories, photos=[], byline=Jamison Hensley, linkText=Let's turn lights out on conspiracy theories, logo=null, blogURL=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/, blogname=afcnorth, showIndex=null}, {title=Harbaugh: No regrets over abandoning run, id=75156, story=Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh made two things clear in the aftermath of the 23-20 loss at the Buffalo Bills:

It was his decision to abandon the run, and he would do it again in the same situation. The Ravens' plodding running game was the hot topic at Harbaugh's news conference Monday -- eight of the 17 questions asked had something to do with the ground attack -- and he did not back down from the decision to run the ball a franchise-low nine times, including twice in the second half.

"That's my call all the way," Harbaugh said. "I just felt like we weren't running the ball well enough to win the game running the ball. Looking back on it, I feel the same way. After watching the tape, I feel we did exactly the right thing to try to win that game. No second-guessing myself on that. That was my decision. That's the way we went with it. If you feel like we should have run the ball more in the second half, I definitely respect that opinion. But it didn't look that way to me. So, that's what we did."

I do not fault Harbaugh's decision because the run game was going nowhere (the team was averaging 2.6 yards per carry). The Ravens also were 15 yards away from kicking the potential game-tying field goal late in the fourth quarter, so the pass-heavy attack put Baltimore in position to pull off the comeback.

Where I differ with Harbaugh is the Ravens' ability to turn this ground game around. The Ravens are averaging 64 yards rushing per game, which ranks 28th in the NFL. There have been no signs of life from the Ravens' running game and that includes Sunday's game against the second-worst run defense in the NFL.

It's a strange turn of events for the Ravens because this is essentially the same offensive line that helped the Ravens average 134.8 yards rushing in the playoffs. The Ravens have not cracked 100 yards rushing as a team this season.

The only change on the offensive line has been second-year center Gino Gradkowski replacing 15-year veteran Matt Birk.

"He's done a good job physically," Harbaugh said of Gradkowski. "It hasn't been too often where Gino has been pushed around. He's done a good of job of holding the point. I talk to him all the time, I think he can come off the ball better. I think sometimes he's a little tentative with his footwork and wants to stay in front of people. Go ahead and come off the ball and move people a little bit. He's capable of doing that."

Harbaugh added, "It's a difference between Gino and Matt with the calls. I think we're feeling that in there right now. Gino is a really smart guy but Matt had been at it a lot of years. So, that's something that we're working through."

The other big change was adding Juan Castillo, the former offensive line coach and defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, to be the Ravens' run game coordinator. Harbaugh, though, said the Ravens aren't doing much different blocking-wise with Castillo.

"It's the same offense," Harbaugh said. "We still run the same plays. We still have the same philosophy. There's always a few wrinkles and that's why I brought Juan in because I was excited about things I knew he was going to bring to the table and bring into our program. And those things are part of what we're doing. We're not the same team we were two months ago, and we're going to be a different team two months from now. I'm most interested in what kind of team we are six days from now when we go down to Miami."

Harbaugh dismissed the notion that the health of running back Ray Rice, who returned after missing one game with a hip injury, was a factor in the Ravens struggling to run the ball against the Bills.

"The issue is what it always is. We just got to get better," he said. "We have to go to work and improve the things we can improve and make good decisions on what we choose to do and how we choose to scheme it. So, yes, we can game plan better and we can set formations up better to put our guys in position. I think our running backs can do a better job of running to the right sopt and trusting the offensive line."

Harbaugh added, "But the bottom line is it has nothing to do with style or technique. It's finding what our guys can do well with this group and doing it well. I'm very confident in every one of our coaches. We'll find a way to work it out. It's a process. It's going to be a year-long process.", date=Mon Sep 30 18:40:39 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-09-30T22:40:39 GMT, keywords=[Baltimore Ravens, John Harbaugh, Gino Gradkowski, Juan Castillo], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/75156/harbaugh-no-regrets-over-abandoning-run, photos=[{height=300, alt=Ray Rice, width=300, name=Rice_Ray 130930 [300x300] - Copy, caption=Ray Rice has just 89 rushing yards so far this season., type=inline, credit=AP Photo/Bill Wippert, url=http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2013/0930/nfl_a_rice_d1_300x300.jpg}], byline=Jamison Hensley, linkText=Harbaugh: No regrets over abandoning run, logo=null, blogURL=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/, blogname=afcnorth, showIndex=null}, {title=Fourth-down 'slaughter' cost Bengals score, id=75155, story=CINCINNATI -- From his vantage point on the Cincinnati Bengals' sideline, offensive coordinator Jay Gruden could see the carnage that was getting ready to ensue. He hoped his quarterback did, too.

Andy Dalton did, alright, but with the play clock ticking toward zero, he ran out of time to make the necessary line-of-scrimmage adjustment.

So, on a pivotal fourth-and-1 late in the second quarter of Sunday's game at Cleveland, instead of running for a first down, the Bengals "ran into a slaughter."

That was the way Gruden described to reporters Monday afternoon the sequence that resulted in running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis' two-yard loss on an important play that had originally been designed to gain two yards. As he took scribes through the play, Gruden came to an important conclusion: next time, someone, anyone, has to call timeout and get a new play put in place.

"Hindsight, running down on the clock, fourth-down-and-1 on such an important play, take a timeout," Gruden said. "That's on me more so than anybody, probably."

Little did the Bengals know at the moment Green-Ellis was laid out by two defenders that that would be the closest they would come to picking up a touchdown the rest of the afternoon. When the day ended, they had lost their second game of the season, this time by a 17-6 margin. With the six points coming off a pair of field goals, the loss marked the first time in three seasons that Cincinnati had not scored a touchdown in a game.

"For us to score six points anywhere against anybody is shocking, quite honestly," Gruden said. "It's something we have to fight out of."

On the play involving Green-Ellis, one that multiple players cited "miscommunication" as being the reason it didn't work, Gruden said a scenario presented itself in which the Browns' defense slipped a defender into a spot that was not accounted for by the Bengals before the snap. When that linebacker shifted down into place, it allowed the fateful "slaughter" scenario to take shape.

Gruden said Dalton saw the shifted defender and attempted to make a change at the line to account for blocking him and running around him. But the combination of a loud FirstEnergy Stadium crowd and a dwindling play clock made it impossible for the audible to be made.

Offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth put it this way: "half the people were thinking one play and the other half ... it was just a cluster, basically."

"Yeah, miscommunication, so to speak," Gruden said. "It was good defense by them. Clogged up the holes pretty good. We didn't get a lot of movement. It was not like we didn't have a play that couldn't work at all. We still had a chance to get the first down, but we didn't get any movement up front and ran into a slaughter."

The play came while the Bengals were on Cleveland's 7. Cincinnati had just driven 66 yards and was threatening to take the lead. At that point, the Browns were leading, 7-3.

Cincinnati went on to amass just 266 yards of total offense, 63 of which came on the ground. It was the third time this season the Bengals had been held to less than 100 yards rushing.

"Yeah, it's embarrassing," Gruden said of the offensive issues. "You put a lot of work in your gameplan, a lot of work into practice, and we have a very talented team. For us to go out there and lay an egg like we did, it's not a good feeling. Hopefully it's motivation for us more than embarrassing. Hopefully it doesn't happen again. It can't happen again.", date=Mon Sep 30 18:05:37 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-09-30T22:05:37 GMT, keywords=[Cincinnati Bengals, Jay Gruden, Andy Dalton], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/75155/fourth-down-slaughter-cost-bengals-score, photos=[{height=200, alt=BenJarvus Green-Ellis, width=300, name=Green-Ellis_BenJarvus 130930 [300x200], caption=The Browns swarm in on Bengals RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis in Sunday's Week 4 game at Cleveland., type=inline, credit=Joe Robbins/AP Photo, url=http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2013/0930/nfl_a_greenellis_ah_300x200.jpg}], byline=Coley Harvey, linkText=Fourth-down 'slaughter' cost Bengals score, logo=null, blogURL=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/, blogname=afcnorth, showIndex=null}, {title=Ben Roethlisberger shows leadership, id=75150, story=
PITTSBURGH -- A quarterback who won his first 13 NFL starts and was a two-time Super Bowl champion before the age of 28 is not accustomed to losing. So maybe it was no surprise that Ben Roethlisberger said after a 34-27 loss to the Minnesota Vikings that the Pittsburgh Steelers might be the worst team in the NFL.

The comments raised a lot of eyebrows, but they sure beat the alternative.

Roethlisberger could have ripped into an offensive line that is a major reason why he is on pace to get sacked a whopping 60 times this season. He could have said he might have been able to complete an improbable and season-saving comeback in London had he gotten a little more help from his teammates.

And to be sure, Roethlisberger had to take some of the blame for the Steelers falling short at the end against the Vikings. He turned the ball over twice, and he took a sack and lost a fumble when the Steelers would have had one more chance to score a touchdown had Roethlisberger thrown the ball out of bounds.

But I thought his postgame comments showed true leadership. Roethlisberger didn’t try to put any sort of spin on the Steelers’ worst start since 1968. Instead, he essentially challenged everyone to take a long, honest look at themselves with the Steelers pushed to the brink.

“Ben is part of the solution there,” said ESPN NFL Insider Billy Devaney, the former St. Louis Rams’ general manager. “He is not the problem. They still have time to get things straightened out.”

Only one team since 1990 has made the playoff following an 0-4 start.

Devaney happened to be a part of it.

He was San Diego’s director of player personnel in 1992 when the Chargers won 11 of their final 12 games after an 0-4 start.

Devaney did not go as far to predict the Steelers will pull off a similar turnaround. But he thinks the offense will get better as the offensive line gets more experience and as Le'Veon Bell settles in at running back., date=Mon Sep 30 17:57:59 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-09-30T21:57:59 GMT, keywords=[Pittsburgh Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/75150/roethlisberger-shows-leadership, photos=[{height=324, alt=, width=576, name=Big Ben Thinks Steelers Are The Worst, caption=ESPN NFL Insider Billy Devaney discusses Ben Roethlisberger's assessment of the Steelers after falling to 0-4 to start the season., type=null, credit=Copyright 2013 ESPN Inc, url=http://a.espncdn.com/media/motion/2013/0930/dm_130930_nfl_news_roethlisberger_steelers_the_worst/dm_130930_nfl_news_roethlisberger_steelers_the_worst.jpg}], byline=Scott Brown, linkText=Ben Roethlisberger shows leadership, logo=null, blogURL=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/, blogname=afcnorth, showIndex=null}, {title=Jacoby Jones returning to practice , id=75148, story=Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Jacoby Jones will return to practice this week after missing the past three games with a knee sprain.

This is an encouraging sign for the Ravens as they try to mend a banged-up wide receiver group. Jones was injured in the season opener when his own teammate, rookie Brynden Trawick, ran into him on a punt return. Jones had been projected to miss four to six weeks.

Coach John Harbaugh wouldn't indicate whether Jones' return to practice means he'll play Sunday at the Miami Dolphins.

"We'll see how well he does with [practice]," Harbaugh said Monday.

Of the six wide receivers on the roster, four are dealing with injuries: Jones (knee), Marlon Brown (hamstring), Brandon Stokley (groin) and Deonte Thompson (concussion). Torrey Smith and Tandon Doss are the only healthy receivers.

According to Harbaugh, Brown is doing well and Thompson is not showing any significant side effects from a concussion. Stokley injured his groin Friday, and he was ruled inactive Sunday after the injury tightened up on him in pre-game warmups.

But, outside of Jones, all should be available for Sunday's game.

"It's hard on us, there's no question," Harbaugh said. "We're down legs on that side of the ball. It's hard to work on the things you want to work on. But you have to do it. Everybody faces that. It'll be good to get those guys back."

In other injury news, Harbaugh also didn't seem too concerned about cornerback Lardarius Webb's hamstring injury., date=Mon Sep 30 17:15:40 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-09-30T21:15:40 GMT, keywords=[Baltimore Ravens, Jacoby Jones, 2013 NFL injury wire], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/75148/jacoby-jones-returning-to-practice-this-week, photos=[], byline=Jamison Hensley, linkText=Jacoby Jones returning to practice , logo=null, blogURL=http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/, blogname=afcnorth, showIndex=null}]} result2: {blogName=NFC West, posts=[{title=Cards' Cooper begins rehab on broken leg, id=109220, story=null, date=Tue Oct 01 19:00:36 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-10-01T23:00:36 GMT, keywords=[], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/109220/cards-cooper-begins-rehab-on-broken-leg, photos=[], byline=Josh Weinfuss, linkText=Cards' Cooper begins rehab on broken leg, logo=null, blogURL=http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/, blogname=nfcwest, showIndex=null}, {title=Without Dahl, Rams return to practice, id=109218, story=null, date=Tue Oct 01 18:00:19 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-10-01T22:00:19 GMT, keywords=[], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/109218/without-dahl-rams-return-to-practice, photos=[], byline=Nick Wagoner, linkText=Without Dahl, Rams return to practice, logo=null, blogURL=http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/, blogname=nfcwest, showIndex=null}, {title=Bucs' rush on kneel down irks Bruce Arians, id=109208, story=null, date=Tue Oct 01 15:00:13 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-10-01T19:00:13 GMT, keywords=[], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/109208/bucs-rush-on-last-play-irks-bruce-arians, photos=[], byline=Josh Weinfuss, linkText=Bucs' rush on kneel down irks Bruce Arians, logo=null, blogURL=http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/, blogname=nfcwest, showIndex=null}, {title=Power Rankings: No. 8 San Francisco, id=109205, story=null, date=Tue Oct 01 14:00:59 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-10-01T18:00:59 GMT, keywords=[], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/109205/power-rankings-no-8-san-francisco, photos=[], byline=Bill Williamson, linkText=Power Rankings: No. 8 San Francisco, logo=null, blogURL=http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/, blogname=nfcwest, showIndex=null}, {title=Power Rankings: No. 19 Arizona Cardinals, id=109203, story=null, date=Tue Oct 01 14:00:44 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-10-01T18:00:44 GMT, keywords=[], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/109203/power-rankings-no-19-arizona-cardinals, photos=[], byline=Josh Weinfuss, linkText=Power Rankings: No. 19 Arizona Cardinals, logo=null, blogURL=http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/, blogname=nfcwest, showIndex=null}, {title=49ers having trouble sustaining drives , id=109195, story=null, date=Tue Oct 01 08:00:46 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-10-01T12:00:46 GMT, keywords=[], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/109195/49ers-having-trouble-sustaining-drives, photos=[], byline=Bill Williamson, linkText=49ers having trouble sustaining drives , logo=null, blogURL=http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/, blogname=nfcwest, showIndex=null}, {title=Carroll needs patchwork O-Line to 'survive', id=109199, story=null, date=Tue Oct 01 08:00:37 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-10-01T12:00:37 GMT, keywords=[], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/109199/carroll-needs-patchwork-o-line-to-survive, photos=[], byline=Terry Blount, linkText=Carroll needs patchwork O-Line to 'survive', logo=null, blogURL=http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/, blogname=nfcwest, showIndex=null}, {title=Power Rankings: No. 2 Seattle Seahawks, id=109200, story=null, date=Tue Oct 01 02:00:18 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-10-01T06:00:18 GMT, keywords=[], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/109200/power-rankings-no-2-seattle-seahawks-2, photos=[], byline=Terry Blount, linkText=Power Rankings: No. 2 Seattle Seahawks, logo=null, blogURL=http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/, blogname=nfcwest, showIndex=null}, {title=Rams-Niners study session: Defense, id=109189, story=null, date=Mon Sep 30 18:00:23 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-09-30T22:00:23 GMT, keywords=[], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/109189/rams-niners-study-session-defense, photos=[], byline=Nick Wagoner, linkText=Rams-Niners study session: Defense, logo=null, blogURL=http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/, blogname=nfcwest, showIndex=null}, {title=Quick hits from Bruce Arians’ presser, id=109191, story=null, date=Mon Sep 30 16:30:34 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-09-30T20:30:34 GMT, keywords=[], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/109191/quick-hits-from-bruce-arians-presser-2, photos=[], byline=Josh Weinfuss, linkText=Quick hits from Bruce Arians’ presser, logo=null, blogURL=http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/, blogname=nfcwest, showIndex=null}, {title=Rams-Niners study session: Offense, id=109186, story=null, date=Mon Sep 30 15:30:42 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-09-30T19:30:42 GMT, keywords=[], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/109186/rams-niners-study-session-offense, photos=[], byline=Nick Wagoner, linkText=Rams-Niners study session: Offense, logo=null, blogURL=http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/, blogname=nfcwest, showIndex=null}, {title=San Francisco 49ers still on playoff pace, id=109184, story=null, date=Mon Sep 30 14:45:24 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-09-30T18:45:24 GMT, keywords=[], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/109184/san-francisco-49ers-still-on-playoff-pace, photos=[], byline=Bill Williamson, linkText=San Francisco 49ers still on playoff pace, logo=null, blogURL=http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/, blogname=nfcwest, showIndex=null}, {title=Upon Further Review: Cardinals Week 4, id=109179, story=null, date=Mon Sep 30 12:30:24 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-09-30T16:30:24 GMT, keywords=[], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/109179/upon-further-review-cardinals-week-4, photos=[], byline=Josh Weinfuss, linkText=Upon Further Review: Cardinals Week 4, logo=null, blogURL=http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/, blogname=nfcwest, showIndex=null}, {title=Cardinals notes: Mendenhall had tough day, id=109181, story=null, date=Mon Sep 30 11:15:26 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-09-30T15:15:26 GMT, keywords=[], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/109181/cardinals-notes-mendenhall-had-tough-day, photos=[], byline=Josh Weinfuss, linkText=Cardinals notes: Mendenhall had tough day, logo=null, blogURL=http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/, blogname=nfcwest, showIndex=null}, {title=Upon Further Review: Seahawks Week 4, id=109178, story=null, date=Mon Sep 30 09:00:28 PDT 2013, dateString=2013-09-30T13:00:28 GMT, keywords=[], premium=false, link=http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/109178/upon-further-review-seahawks-week-4, 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