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With newcomer Larry Johnson leading the way, the Bengals ran the table in the AFC North by running all over the Cleveland Browns.
Black, long-sleeve shirts were hanging in the Cincinnati Bengals' lockers on Monday morning when they showed up at Paul Brown Stadium, a gift from coach Marvin Lewis reminding them not to get too caught up in their panoramic view atop the AFC North.
Most Cincinnati Bengals players are accepting the addition of troubled running back Larry Johnson as a move to improve the team.
The Bengals are not only the best team in the AFC North — they are the toughest.
The first few months of the NFL season are about positioning. Now halfway home, this separation Sunday saw many teams open up breathing room in the race toward the playoffs.
The toughest divisions to make a living in the NFL these days are not the NFC or AFC East. This popular notion has gone the way of the efficient offense in Washington and Buffalo. It’s disappeared.
The second half of the NFL season is sure to spring a few surprises, just as the first half did. There will be zigs when we expect zags, precipitous falls and improbable climbs. New stars will emerge and old ones will fade.
Everybody loves candor. With that in mind, the NFL's Week 5 slate is kind of ... meh.
The Pittsburgh Steelers used a second straight fourth-quarter comeback to earn another AFC North title. Santonio Holmes caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger with 43 seconds left, and the Steelers clinched their second consecutive division crown by beating the Baltimore Ravens 13-9 Sunday.
Big Ben's big night gave the Pittsburgh Steelers a big boost in the AFC North. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns, helping the Steelers overcome their offensive woes and leading them to a 26-21 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday night.
Not long ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers' final two games against downtrodden teams appeared to be a victory lap. Now they're sweating just a bit. Consecutive losses to the Jaguars and Patriots have dropped the Steelers (9-5) into a tie for the AFC North lead with the Cleveland Browns, making them more dependent on what the competition is doing heading into Thursday night's game against the St. Louis Rams.
So there is a home-field advantage in the Bengals-Steelers rivalry, bad field in Pittsburgh and all. Hines Ward caught two touchdown passes from Ben Roethlisberger to break the Steelers' record for career scoring catches, and Pittsburgh ended a seven-game winning streak by road teams in their AFC North rivalry with the Bengals by winning 24-10 Sunday night.
Mistakes made the difference in Arizona, and the Cardinals beat another AFC North team.
Only a month ago, the Cincinnati Bengals looked like they were on the verge of imploding. The defending AFC North champs were openly pouting and regularly losing.
Playing with a chance to win a title, the Baltimore Ravens crossed midfield once in the first three quarters. Their fearsome defense got caught flat-footed by a sandlot play. Maybe T.J. Houshmandzadeh is right after all.
Once again, Big Ben struck right on time. Ben Roethlisberger shoveled a 4-yard touchdown pass to Willie Parker with 32 seconds left, rallying the Steelers to a 24-20 win over the Cleveland Browns, who were minutes away from kicking the defending Super Bowl champions into the AFC North basement.
Chad Johnson made a toe-tapping catch in the corner of the end zone, popped up and flapped his elbows in a "Chicken Dance" celebration. Then, he shuffled to the bench in pain. It was that kind of a day for the Cincinnati Bengals, who beat the Cleveland Browns 34-17 on Sunday despite losing three starters to injury — a troubling turn for the defending AFC North champs.
In a play reminiscent of the Cincinnati-Pittsburgh playoff game in which Carson Palmer was injured, today Tom Brady's ACL was torn against the Kansas City Chiefs. It came as Brady was delivering the ball and he had planted his front throwing foot.
AFC North: Strong draft could propel BrownsThis past draft day was about as good as it has been for Cleveland Browns fans since the league decided to put a team back in the city on the lake eight years ago.
Pittsburgh Steelers: 12 – 4 The Steelers won't have to win four straight playoff road games this year, as they earn a first round bye and home field advantage throughout the post season.
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