Baltimore Ravens (3-2): The Ravens have had a pretty funky fall from grace in the last two weeks. They had a chance to win in New England on the final drive, but failed. They also had plenty of chances to close out the Bengals (in a game the Ravens had no business winning), but failed there as well. If the Ravens win either of these games, no one even gives a second thought to how “real” the Ravens are. But they didn’t win. And that’s all there is to it. The road ahead is no easier and the Ravens need to establish a team identity and fast. Even the Bengals have one right now, even if its as silly as “winning every game in the final minute.” Next Game: @ Minnesota (5-0)

Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2): The Steelers snuck by the Lions on Sunday. A lot of people are claiming it’s nothing to even think twice about because it looked like the Steelers we all know – the game looks close, but Pitt is always in control. But I’ve got to wonder how in control the Steelers really were. The defense is coming around, but still not entirely healthy – and they won’t be until Troy Polamalu returns. Meanwhile, Big Ben and his pick-six parties are getting old in Pittsburgh. Next Game: vs. Cleveland (1-4)

Cleveland Browns (1-4): For a long while on Sunday I thought I was watching the worst football game ever played (I was watching the Ravens). Then I happened to notice the Browns-Bills game. A game that finished 6-3 Browns and a winning quarterback who completed just 2 of 17 pass attempts. That’s right, the Browns totaled 23 pass yards on 2 completed passes the whole game. And won. Brutal. The NFL has some very, very bad teams right now. The Browns are among the worst of them. Next Game: at Pittsburgh (3-2)

Thumbs Up!

Chad Ochocinco: As much as I hate to admit it, the man was all over the field against the Ravens. His fumble and whining were silly, but he was beating the Ravens every play.

Ed Reed: That’s the Ed Reed we’re all used to seeing. Hope we see more of him too.

James Harrison: The Steelers pass rushing machine was off to a slow start. It might have been the Lions, but the three sacks still count.

Thumbs Down

Derek Anderson: Seriously, Anderson is supposed to be the improvement now? (This just in: Brady Quinn put his Cleveland home up for sale)

Ravens Secondary: Demolished for the third time this season and little hope in sight – except maybe for a Brett Favre bad day.

Brad St. Louis: The Bengals long-snapper botched two more snaps Sunday against the Ravens. Luckily for him only one really made a difference. He’s been cut.

Ben Roethlisberger: Up for playing well, down for throwing big interceptions. Against a better team, a pick-six costs more.

Three Storylines to Follow

Can the Bengals Keep It Up? Houston may not look like the biggest baddest opponent on the horizon, and I’ve never bought into any of the “this is Houston’s year” silliness we hear each fall, but they are not a team that’s easy to walk over. The Bengals defense will have their work cut out for them. I expect a shootout in Cincy.

Can the Ravens Rebound? It’s kind of funny to hear people ask if the Ravens can bounce back and say that John Harbaugh has never faced this situation before. Not quite. Last year, remember, the Ravens lost three straight to three very good teams before going 9-2 the rest of the season. The better question is WHEN will the Ravens rebound, because it’s not until they see the Browns in Week 10 that the Ravens get a reprieve (Minnesota is 5-0, Denver is 5-0, Cincinnati is 4-1).

Three Playoff Teams? It seems highly unlikely. In fact, it is highly unlikely. Incredibly improbably. But look around a bit. The AFC South and AFC West both appear to be one team divisions. No one else even looks competitive. Then in the AFC North and AFC East, you’ve got three competitive teams in each. It’s somewhat unknown just how good the Jets and Dolphins truly are this year – and they get to face the Bengals and Steelers, respectively. Could all three AFC North contenders find their way to the post season? With a little help from New England, maybe.

Cincinnati Bengals (3-1): The Bengals barely escaped the Browns in Cleveland on Sunday, winning in overtime on a Shayne Graham field goal. Still curious how the Bengals failed to run away with the game, though, as they had a big lead early following a series of Cleveland turnovers. Also wondering what kind of team lets the Browns back into it. Next Game: @ Ravens (3-1)

Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2): Statement game by the Steelers… almost. The offense hit a new level on the back of Rashard Mendenhall. Proves that with a running game, every team looks better. Roethlisberger is still playing too well for his own good. But for another week the fourth quarter was trouble and the defense is not closing games out. Next Game: @ Detroit (1-3)

Cleveland Browns (0-4): The Browns showed some signs of life on Sunday, taking the Bengals to the wire. It was an unusual game: the Browns looked lost in the first half and then should have won in the second, but they let it slip away. This team will continue to struggle, but they aren’t the league’s worst. Next Game: @ Buffalo (1-3)

Thumbs Up:

Ben Roethlisberger: Big Ben threw for over 300 yards for the second time this season and didn’t throw an interception for the first time this season. He has been playing too well for the Steelers to be just 2-2.

Rashard Mendenhall: Mendenhall ran for 165 yards and two touchdowns, proving that the Steelers still have a running game (sometimes) and that Mendenhall deserves his carries (when he behaves).

Jerome Harrison: The Browns new starter in the wake of Jamal Lewis’ injury has been impressive in two starts. In Baltimore he broke 50 yards on limited carries, and against Cincinnati he topped 120.

Terrell Suggs: Played well, made a game-changing play for a touchdown in the Ravens loss to the Pats, and learned how to keep his mouth shut post game.

Thumbs Down

Ravens Receivers: After a stellar start to the game, including six receptions by Derrick Mason on the team’s first scoring drive, the Ravens receivers disappeared. Dropped passes galore.

AFC North Special Teams: Kickers, returners, punters… they’ve all been bad with few exceptions. This week it was Shayne Graham’s blocked extra point to send Browns-Bengals in overtime; Chris Carr fumbling on the opening kickoff in New England; and Stefan Logan’s fumble on a punt return. Oh, and that doesn’t include the Steelers botching an opportunity to recover an onside kick attempt by the Chargers.

Chad Ochocinco: Hard to give a thumbs down to a guy that caught two touchdown passes… but when you only catch three passes for 24 yards against a more than suspect pass defense, you’re not brag-worthy.

Three Issues:

Who’s Number One? The Bengals and Ravens face off for early supremacy in the AFC North. With the Bengals already having an edge on the Steelers, taking the one-game lead on the Bengals would be extra helpful for the Ravens. Meanwhile, the Bengals are trying to prove they belong in the conversation.

Is this division still about defense? The Ravens and Steelers are both turning heads for their offensive prowess and both have become suspect defensively. The Ravens are third in points per game and total offense, the Steelers sixth in total offense. And while Cleveland and Cincinnati have both had offensive struggles, they are both improving. For most of this decade, the AFC North was the hardest hitting division in the NFL… are they losing their edge?

Can they really win? The Browns go to Buffalo and have a chance at their first win of the season against a struggling Bills team. The Browns offense looked poised to break out against the Bengals and against a weaker Bills defense they might be able to. If the Browns get rolling on offense, they won’t be quite as much fun to play.

Cincinnati Bengals (2-1): The Bengals pulled the upset at home as predicted here (and many other places). It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t even cute. For three quarters the Bengals were pretty well handled by the Steelers, and then the Bengals offense showed up and made some plays. But a win is a win, and the Bengals are second in the division. It’s hard to tell what to believe about the Bengals this season. Their defense was still stout against the Steelers, but the Steelers offense has struggled mightily this season. And the Bengals offense only came together at the end. What we do know is that with a re-energized Carson Palmer, they can be trouble. Next Game: @ Cleveland (0-3).

Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2): The Steelers lost back-to-back games for the first time since 2007 with their loss to Cincinnati on Sunday and are now two games in the hole to the Ravens for the division lead. It’s not entirely clear if this team is just struggling or if there’s something seriously wrong. The Steelers have been largely unsuccessful running the ball (Willie Parker’s 95 yards against the Bengals were mostly first half), Roethlisberger has been getting hit frequently and making mistakes, and the defense has shown weakness without Troy Polamalu. Jeff Reed missed yet another field goal. Things simply aren’t clicking in Pittsburgh. Things won’t get easier with San Diego coming to town, and still not Polamalu in the secondary. Next Game: vs. San Diego (2-1).

Cleveland Browns (0-3): The Browns look like the Browns… again. I’m not sure what the media is talking about when they say that Eric Mangini is “changing the personality” of the team, but I’m not seeing it. Mangini looks to have things just as sloppy as ever. His decision to pull Brady Quinn was just silly. The Browns defense was absolutely toothless against the Ravens. Things don’t get much easier for the Browns, they play the Bengals, Steelers, Packers and Bears before the bye. Their only chance at a win before that bye is in Buffalo, but even that is doubtful. Next Game: vs. Cincinnati (2-1).

Thumbs Up

Joe Flacco, Ravens. 347 yards, a touchdown, 71% completions. Flacco looked poised and unfazed by anything the Browns defense threw his way.

Kelley Washington, Ravens. Washington is tied for the team lead with 12 receptions, despite being the team’s third receiver.

Carson Palmer, Bengals. Palmer wasn’t spectacular against Pittsburgh, but he was effective when it mattered most.

Willie Parker, Steelers. Parker ran for almost 100 yards and caught two passes for 36 yards. He finally showed flashes of the “Fast”Willie Parker he used to be.

Thumbs Down

Steelers Defense and Ben Roethlisberger: Despite how nice the numbers might look, the Steelers signature has been playing close games and playing them perfectly. In Sunday’s game, neither of these units was anywhere close to perfect.

Derek Anderson, Browns. The one-time Pro Bowler may have been confused from his days with the Ravens.

Bengals Defense. The Bengals D was all the rave in recent weeks. And yet, that same defense let the Steelers walk all over them for nearly 400 yards and barely put a scratch on Roethlisberger.

Eric Mangini, Browns Coach. Has he put on weight?

Three Issues Upcoming…

How will Pittsburgh respond? Mike Tomlin hasn’t been in this position before. Most of the current Steelers roster probably isn’t used to this either. A losing record so early? Losing to the Bengals? It gets no easier with the Chargers coming to town. Philip Rivers decimated the Ravens, and the Steelers defense may not fair better without Polamalu. And the Steelers offense certainly has shown the ability to win a shoot out.

What will the Browns do at quarterback? Brady Quinn didn’t have much success in his first two games, but he hardly got a shot against the Ravens. Meanwhile, Derek Anderson seemed to give a spark to some of his offense, before turning the ball over three times. Both quarterbacks have to be suffering from shattered self-confidence, and based on his reputation, Eric Mangini isn’t the kind of coach that specializes in team unity or building players up.

Are the Bengals the Ravens biggest competition? The Bengals are likely to win this week against the Cleveland (we’d assume), but the Ravens have a rough game in New England. And then in Week 5 the division rivals meet. The Ravens certainly hope to still hold their one-game lead over the Bengals entering the head-to-head match-up, but seeing a pair of teams at 3-1 is not out of the question.

1. Two Ravens runners will top 100 yards. That’s pretty bold, right? I’m leaning towards Willis McGahee and Ray Rice, obviously. Not sure that there are even enough carries in one game to get them both over 100 yards, but it only really takes one big run (and the Browns specialize in making those available). If this doesn’t happen, I won’t be losing any sleep. Just a gut feeling.

2. It won’t be a shut-out. As much as Ravens fans and the team want it, the Browns are going to score. This Ravens defense is not there yet, especially not with Josh Cribbs helping out with field position. Not sure if the Browns will find the endzone or not (based on yesterday’s score prediction, I’m leaning towards not), but they will put something up on the scoreboard. But man, what would a shut out do for the Ravens points allowed average!

3. The Bengals will upend the Steelers. Ok, so this one isn’t Ravens, obviously. But there’s only so much to say about Ravens-Browns. Looking at the other division game this weekend, I’m loving the Bengals. Their defense is more legitimate than most think at the moment, and with the Steelers unable to run and vulnerable to the sack, there’s hope for Cincy. I also love Hines Ward saying that Pitt isn’t worried about their running game because the passing attack can handle it – for how long, Hines?

Three Questions:

1. Will the Ravens big play defense show up? The Ravens are facing a pair of back-up runners (one a rookie). Their also facing an inexperience quarterback leading a sloppy offense. The turnovers should be there for the taking – so will the Ravens take them? I expect a couple of turnovers, of course. But the bigger question is can the Ravens turn one into their signature scoring play? Fans are waiting – Ed Reed, Fabian Washington, Haloti Ngata, we’re looking at you.

2. Will the Ravens secondary improve? It better, given the opponent is far less advanced than San Diego was last week, but we all still have doubts. Defensive coordinator Greg Mattison said the defense will be returning to more standard secondary arrangements, hopefully keeping everyone on the same page and (we can only hope) in the right position. It would also help if he taught his smaller corners how to defend a pass, and not just run stride for stride with a receiver. But we can only hope for so much in a week.

3. Will the Browns implode? Their play on the field has already collapsed, obviously. That’s not really the question. But the whole team seems on the verge of absolute self-destruction. If the Ravens really pound the Browns, it might just be enough to send them over the edge and on the path to being one of the truly memorable bad teams in football history. Ray Lewis has a history of leaving bad memories for opponents, we can only hope he delivers here.

Baltimore Ravens (2-0). The Ravens offense appears for real. For the second straight week, the unit put up more than 30 points (all by the offense alone) and is now second in the league in points scored. In fact, if not for Drew Brees and the Saints, this team would probably be #1 overall. With the Browns coming to town, another 30 point week doesn’t appear out of the question. The question appears to be when this defense will show signs of the dominant force it once was. The Ravens are a popular pick for number in power polls across the country, but even local fans know there are signs that might not last long. This Week: vs. Browns (0-2).

Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1). The Steelers lost a brutal defensive battle in Chicago to fall to 1-1. The defense was dominant throughout most of the game, but it was the Steelers offense that struggled. For the second straight week (and beginning the second straight season), the Steelers seem to have lost their rush attack. With an embattled offensive line as well, offensive production is falling to Big Ben, whose body can only take so many poundings. The Steelers had many opportunities to win this game, including a pair of Jeff Reed field goal misses, but never closed the door. Unlike last week, this is un-classic Steelers football. This Week: @ Cincinnati (1-1)

Cincinnati Bengals (1-1). The Bengals offense reappeared in Week 2 against the Packers, who they beat in Lambeau (always impressive). But it wasn’t Carson Palmer and the receivers driving the Bengals offense, it was Cedric Benson and the rush attack. Good for the Bengals that their rushing game seems back on track – bad for the Bengals that their division foes present some of the toughest rush defenses in the league. Good luck bringing that game to Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, Antwan Odom finally showed up in the NFL (only six years late). Through two games Odom has seven sacks (including five against the Packers). You can be sure teams will adjust, but Odom has to be licking his chops looking at Big Ben’s sack numbers upcoming. This Week: vs. Pittsburgh (1-1)

Cleveland Browns (0-2). For the second straight week the Browns looked absolutely hapless on both sides of the ball. After a pair of decent first quarter drives that resulted in field goals, the Browns never scored again – or even threatened, really. The run game is defunct, led by an aging Jamal Lewis. The passing game is out of whack as well, Brady Quinn cannot seem to put it all together. Meanwhile, the Broncos ran the ball up and down the field and totaled 180 yards rushing. Combine that with Adrian Peterson’s 180 last week and we may be looking at the worst run defense in NFL history. Not a good time to go into Baltimore and meet the three-headed monster. This Week: @ Baltimore (2-0).

Making Gains:

Antwan Odom: As previously mentioned, 5 sacks (FIVE!) against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers on Sunday. Smart coaches will begin to adjust, unlike the Packers.

Willis McGahee: Averaging over 4 yards a carry in San Diego, finding the endzone twice for the second straight week. McGahee is showing signs of the player the Ravens traded for before the 2007 season. Add his success to the mix of Ray Rice and Le’Ron McClain and the Ravens rush attack is downright terrifying.

Braylon Edwards: The Browns receiver is about the only bright spot on an otherwise dismal team and what looks to be a dismal season. Edwards top 90 yards on 6 receptions and is proving to be the Browns only legitimate threat.

Cedric Benson: The Bengals running back had a career day on Sunday, totaling more than 140 yards and approaching 5 yards per carry. If Benson and the Bengals can continue on the ground, the Bengals will be a force again offensively.

Slipping Away:

Jeff Reed: The Steelers kicker had a bad game. One of very few in his career. He’ll likely correct it, but the Steelers signature is mistake-free football, especially on Special Teams. If Reed is missing kicks, the Steelers are in trouble.

Brady Quinn: Quinn’s passer rating is under 70 through two games and there isn’t much sign of hope (except, perhaps, playing the Ravens pass defense). The golden child for the Browns is completing passes, but not any that are worth the effort.

Ravens Secondary: 440 yards in the air to Philip Rivers. The Ravens secondary was confused, out of position and unable to make plays. The only redeeming notes were two interceptions in the second half that saved an otherwise dreadful performance from being historically bad.

Pittsburgh Pass Rush: Where, oh where, has the defensive MVP gone? Through two games the Steelers have just two sacks – one by James Farrior and one by Aaron Smith. Note that names like Harrison, Woodley, Timmons… all missing. The Steelers built their defense on pressure. Without it, what are they?

Three Questions:

Can the Ravens dominate the way they should? Truly good teams beat truly bad teams, and they do so convincingly. The Ravens missed their first opportunity against the Chiefs. With the Browns coming to Baltimore, everything should be in place for a blowout. If the Ravens can’t deliver – be it because the defense is ineffective again or the offense stutters – the Ravens will begin to lose some rep.

Division Debacle: Can the Steelers right themselves? The AFC North faces itself this week – Browns at Ravens and Steelers at Bengals. Steelers-Bengals is clearly the more interesting of the two match-ups. If the Bengals can continue to rush the passer effectively and the Steelers cannot find a running game, it could definitely get interesting. More interesting will be how the Steelers would respond to a 1-2 start and a possible two game deficit to the Ravens.

Is Quinn still the man? The Brady Quinn era has faltered more than once. If Quinn fails to produce against the Ravens, or worse, if he crumbles against them, how long before the cheers for Derek Anderson return? My bet – by Monday.

Baltimore Ravens: W (1-0) against Chiefs (0-1). The Ravens aired it out and totaled more than 500 yards of total offense – good for best in the AFC and second best in the NFL. But we didn’t really learn too much about this Ravens team. Beating up on what may be the league’s worst team, and giving up some big plays at crucial times, doesn’t bode well. In short, the Ravens are still a mystery. Don’t bet on 500 yards against the Steelers. This Week: at San Diego (1-0).

Pittsburgh Steelers: W (1-0) against Titans (0-1). Classic Steelers football on Thursday. The defense took a few drives to find its feet, but shut the Titans down later in the game and never let things get out of hand. Big Ben and the offense took a few shots, but made the plays when they had to. Many fans had to be wondering why the Steelers were even in the game in the third quarter – but that’s how good football teams play. This week: at Chicago (0-1).

Cleveland Browns: L (0-1) against Vikings (1-0). The Browns introduced themselves as the division whipping boys this season with a blowout loss against Minnesota. The Vikings proved they are deserving of mentions as Super Bowl contenders, running and throwing all over the Browns. Brady Quinn and the offense showed some signs of life, but never made it count against a tough Vikings defense. This week: at Denver (1-0).

Cincinnati Bengals: L (0-1) against Broncos (1-0). The Bengals were 20 seconds away from one of the bigger upsets of the week against the Broncos. The Bengals defense was surprisingly stout against a decent Broncos offense, but they still managed to lose in ridiculous fashion – a great defensive deflection found its way into the hands of Brandon Stokley for a an 87 yard game-winner. This Week: at Green Bay (1-0).

Making Gains:

Joe Flacco, Ravens – First 300 yard game of his career, three touchdown passes. Take that “game manager” stereotype. We’ll see how long the passing-frenzy lasts, but for now, Flacco is showing he belongs atop the division with Big Ben and Pamer.

Josh Cribbs, Browns – Returned a punt for a TD against the Vikings for the only meaningful score by the Browns on Sunday. Cribbs is taking Devon Hester’s place as the best return man in the league, and he may be the only reason the Browns win a few games this season.

Troy Polamalu, Steelers – Injured and out for 3-6 weeks now. But his first quarter Thursday night was the the best 15 minutes of football you’ll ever see.

Todd Heap, Ravens – Re-established himself as one of the league’s best tight ends, catching five passes for over 70 yards and a touchdown. With Heap in gear, the Ravens offense can match up with anyone.

Slipping Away:

Carson Palmer, Bengals – Two interceptions against the Broncos, keeping the game close enough for the big play that changed it all. Palmer is going to have to work to regain his Pro Bowl form after his 2007 injury and missing most of 2008.

Willie Parker, Steelers – Fast Willie managed just 19 yards on 13 carries against the Titans. The Steelers inability to move the ball on the ground is a large part of why the Steelers were never able to separate and why Big Ben had to carry the team to another OT win.

Browns Defense – The Browns allowed Adrian Peterson to run all over them for a whopping 180 yards and 3 TDs. And despite getting 4 sacks on Brett Favre, they couldn’t control Favre or the Vikings receiving corps. Even against lesser runners, this defense is going to struggle and make for a looooong season in Cleveland.

What to Watch…

Road Tested: The entire division is on the road this week before beginning division play in Week 3. How will the Ravens and Steelers especially handle their first tests away from home? How much worse will the Browns and Bengals look without a friendly home crowd?

Offensive Resurgences: The Ravens face a much tougher defense this week in San Diego and the Steelers get another test in Chicago, how will both offenses handle the heavy pass rush?

Turnover Trouble: The entire division had issues with turnovers and big plays in Week 1. Can the Ravens and Steelers eliminate the mistakes or will they start to pay for them?

But that is plenty of sappiness. Real football talk to follow.

The Ravens were simply one-upped tonight. They were in this game until the bitter end—six minutes to play, even—and it is hard to complain about a game that stayed so close for so long. A game that was winnable in so many ways until that six minute mark.

The Blame Game

Darren Stone: 40 Percent. Steep, I know, but deserving. Stone cost the Ravens upwards of 30 yards of field position on the most crucial drive of the game. Instead of starting near their own 45 yard line, the Ravens started all the way at their own 14. And instead of needing to game between 20 and 30 yards to get into field goal range, they suddenly needed more than 50 yards.

It changed everything. All because Stone wanted to get a lick in that didn’t faze his man anyway. When the Ravens hit the field, Flacco and the entire unit were pressured to pass and get big yardage. And that pressure is a big part of why Troy Polamalu wound up in the end zone just minutes later.

Wide Receiving Corps: 25 Percent. The blame here is for a few reasons. First and foremost, for their inability to get open. Flacco was rushed often, sure. But just as often Joe Cool had mountains of time in the pocket and no one to throw to. Good teams, good receivers, can use time to get open.

The Ravens were not able to do that. Part of it should be a credit to the Steelers pass defense. Part of it falls on the Ravens receivers.

But in addition to their inability to get open, the receivers deserve some blame for just being lazy. There were multiple times—multiple—where Ravens runners were taken down by defenders that should have been blocked.

Hines Ward may be hated, but he does his job as a blocker. To Mark Clayton and Derrick Mason: You need to run, and hit your defender. Don’t just assume he is going to let you block him.

Cam Cameron: 25 Percent. Cam has done wonderful things for the Ravens this season. His development of Joe Flacco is just the tip of the iceberg. His play calling in recent games has slipped, however. The Ravens were running plays that took far too long to develop—the kind of plays that never stood a chance against a solid Pittsburgh defense.

Additionally, the run game was effective but too often abandoned. Le’Ron McClain was not busting out as he has in the past, but both Willis McGahee (hoping he is okay) and Ray Rice were having success getting around the corner on the Steelers.

The Ravens needed to use that more. What was most disappointing about Cameron’s play-calling, though, was the timing. The Ravens wasted too many time outs and too much of their game clock waiting for Cam to find his perfect play.

How are Flacco or the offensive line supposed to make adjustments  to the defensive scheme with just moments to snap the ball? They simply cannot.

Joe Flacco: 10 Percent. Joe Cool was still Joe Cool. But the game finally caught up to him. His passes actually had more zip than normal, especially downfield, but his accuracy was off. The Steelers were able to confuse Flacco and force misreads and mistakes. Ultimately, Joe made several mistakes that seriously cost the Ravens.

Mythbusting

Myth: Willie Parker would change the game.

Actuality: The Ravens’ defense handled Fast Willie and he was never a factor in the game. In fact, as predicted earlier, the Steelers’ desire to put the ball in Parker’s hands may have actually cost them some points.

Sure, they needed to at least pretend like a running team, but using Parker on swings and play-fakes would have been far more dangerous to a battered Ravens defense.

Myth: Flacco’s inexperience would be trounced by Roethlisberger’s veteran guile.

Actuality: I would not say it was Flacco’s inexperience that cost him the game or many plays. The Ravens offense had plenty of issues as a unit and Flacco hardly deserves the blame. Flacco had this team in a position to win with just minutes left.

Roethlisberger, for all his veteran guile, took some costly sacks. Just like Flacco. Neither quarterback won or lost the game for their team.

Myth: You can beat the Ravens deep.

Actuality: Ok, so the Steelers almost got the Ravens here thanks to that guy with the weird name (I know, I know…it’s Lemony Snicket or something). But much like in previous games, the Ravens were hurt most by mid-range passes and missed tackles.

Santonio Holmes and Nate Washington were both benefactors of poor corner coverage on broken plays. But throwing deep was rarely an option for the Steelers and that is a huge part of what kept the Ravens in the game.

Underneath, an offense actually has to execute to score. Over the top, anything can happen – mostly for the Ravens good.

Gameballs

Offense: Willis McGahee, RB. Willis had a nice comeback day. While his running was fine (nothing special, but fine) and his scores kept things close, it was his blocking that had me on my feet. I have been on McGahee’s back all season for lack of effort, but today it was all on the field.

Defense: Terrell Suggs, LB. As previously mentioned, Suggs had a great day. A pair of sacks and a ton of effort.

Special Teams: Jim Leonhard. Leonhard’s big punt return set-up the Ravens first scoring drive and changed the game. He dropped an earlier punt but recovered nicely on the play and through the rest of the game.

Other Thoughts

• The Ravens’ defense was hardly on its best game, but who can blame them. By the middle of the second quarter, the Ravens’ defensive secondary was ready to start Mark Clayton and Derrick Mason as necessary.
• In the trenches, the Ravens defensive line had their typical success in pressuring Big Ben and flushing him from the pocket. At the same time, they had their typical issue wrapping the massive quarterback up. A number of Ravens missed big tackles. As the Rex Ryan era ends in Baltimore (the move to New York seems imminent now), we might just see a defense more focused on making the play, not creating a highlight.
• Want to talk about heart? Let’s talk Terrell Suggs. Two sacks, both meaningful, while playing with a harnessed right arm. Wrapping up instead of going for the big hit paid off. It took Suggs a quarter to figure out how to move and play with the harness, but he did it.
• And the Emmy goes to… Mitch Berger. He was on the ground before Tori Smith even hit him. He also deserves kudos for his monster tackle on Jim Leonhard (cut back, Jimmy!). But it was his massive flop that cost the Ravens three points. Walt Anderson and crew did a great job all game, until that moment. At the worst, I expected a five-yard running into the kicker. I was wrong.
• Speaking of officials: Thank you for staying out of the way. With the exception of the above roughing call above, they did a fine job. The only other call that almost bothered me was the holding call on Jared Gaither, negating a nice gain. Was it holding? Sure. Had they been calling holding all game? No. Meanwhile, the Santonio Holmes touchdown review was technically correct—but might not have been in the spirit of the rule. That’s a replay world, though.
• Sam Koch had a bit of an off day. It took Koch about a half to figure out what he was doing. In the second half, the Ravens were winning the field position battle in part thanks to a rejuvenated offense, but also thanks to Koch’s kicks.

Back later in the week with grades, end of season awards, flash-forward, and overall reviews. Stay tuned.