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Fantasy Fix: Gregg Rosenthal says stick with Jay Cutler as your starter because he’s still going to put up big numbers. (NBC Sports)

At this point, it’s obvious that the AFC North is one of the strongest divisions in football this season.



The Cincinnati Bengals (7-2), Baltimore Ravens (5-4) and defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) all have winning records, star power, good quarterback play and hard-nosed defenses.



But can the AFC North get three teams into this year’s playoff field? That is the question everyone wants answered.



The AFC North blog and Scouts Inc. examine the possibilities.



Cincinnati Bengals (7-2)



With the Denver Broncos fading, the Bengals are now the NFL’s biggest surprise through nine games. Cincinnati, for the first time under coach Marvin Lewis, is built like an AFC North team with a strong running game and physical defense.



Perhaps the biggest feat for Cincinnati is that the team is 4-0 against the Ravens and Steelers, which gives the Bengals the head-to-head tiebreaker and makes it very hard to be surpassed by either rival down the stretch. Cincinnati is essentially two games ahead of Pittsburgh and three games ahead of Baltimore with seven games remaining.



“That’s huge,” said Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. “I think [a playoff berth] is more or less clinched for Cincinnati with that win over Pittsburgh last week. They’ll probably sweep the division, although the wins against the Browns are consequential. But when you look at the rest of their schedule, it doesn’t look that difficult.”



As Williamson mentioned, the remaining schedule leans heavily in Cincinnati’s favor. The Bengals have a golden opportunity to pad their playoff résumé with upcoming games against the Oakland Raiders (2-7), Cleveland Browns (1-8) and Detroit Lions (1-8) in the next three weeks.



If Cincinnati takes care of business, the team would be 10-2 after this stretch and in prime position to secure a home playoff game and a possible bye. Even one slip-up would give the Bengals a solid 9-3 mark with four games remaining, which would make them very hard to catch in the AFC North.



Cincinnati has been known to choke in the past. But these aren’t the same old Bengals.



Scouts Inc. on Cincinnati’s chances of making playoffs: 85-90 percent



Comment: “They’re in unless something major happens, like Carson Palmer goes down,” Williamson said.



Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3)



The Steelers had their season-best five-game winning streak snapped in Week 10 by the Bengals, but remain in good standing at 6-3. But after getting swept by Cincinnati, the defending Super Bowl champions could be aiming for the wild-card route to the playoffs.



“They’re very dangerous, and they’re still a contender,” Williamson said. “I don’t think it would faze them one bit to go back to Cincinnati — they’ve won a ton of games in that stadium — or to go to Indianapolis or anywhere. If Troy Polamalu is healthy, they can play with anybody.”



When it comes to the three AFC North playoff hopefuls, Pittsburgh’s schedule is in the middle. The Steelers don’t have it as tough as the Ravens, but they don’t have as many cupcakes remaining as Cincinnati, either.



The toughest challenge will be two rivalry games with the Ravens. These are always among the most physically demanding on Pittsburgh’s schedule every year. Last season, the Steelers edged the Ravens in a trio of classic meetings, which included a win in the AFC Championship Game that propelled Pittsburgh to its sixth Super Bowl title.



Baltimore may need to repay the favor and sweep Pittsburgh this year in order to leapfrog the Steelers. The outcome of both meetings could lead to only one of these AFC North rivals making the postseason.



Scouts Inc. on Pittsburgh’s chances of making playoffs: 75-80 percent



Comment: “They’re probably a 10- or 11-win team when it’s all said and done. That’s going to get them into the playoffs and they’re going to be dangerous,” Williamson said.



Baltimore Ravens (5-4)



Several close losses early in the season have put the talented but inconsistent Ravens in a tight spot.



Baltimore now has to go at least 5-2 in its final seven games to finish 10-6 and have a shot at one of the two wild-card spots. Working in its favor are head-to-head tiebreakers over the Broncos (6-3) and San Diego Chargers (6-3). There is a good chance the Ravens will be chasing one of those teams in the final weeks of the regular season.



But there are also hopefuls like the Houston Texans (5-4), Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4), Miami Dolphins (4-5) and New York Jets (4-5) in the wild-card mix as well.



The recent knee injury to Pro Bowl defensive end/linebacker Terrell Suggs is a huge blow to Baltimore. Browns quarterback Brady Quinn hit an unsuspecting Suggs low after throwing an interception, knocking Suggs out for an extended period.



“Suggs is pretty close to irreplaceable on that defense,” Williamson said. “Everybody knows he’s a good pass-rusher. But everybody doesn’t realize how sound he is against the run and how much he’s improved as a coverage player. Suggs does a lot of things for them, and he’s the key that allows them to switch from a 3-4 to a 4-3 in a whim.”



Baltimore’s tough stretch starts Sunday with a meeting against the 9-0 Indianapolis Colts. The Ravens also have two meetings against the Steelers and a road game against the Green Bay Packers (5-4) on Dec. 7. Baltimore has to split these four games and run the table against the Raiders, Chicago Bears (4-5) and Lions for its best shot.



Scouts Inc. on Baltimore’s chances of making playoffs: 40-45 percent



Comment: “I don’t feel good about Baltimore’s chances. … Two games with Pittsburgh, Sunday against Indy and at Green Bay. I would pick against them in every one of those games right now,” Williamson said.

He spins. He swipes. He swats. He sacks.



Although Houston’s Mario Williams (6-foot-6, 295 pounds) might be the prototype defensive end whom personnel men crave, Indianapolis’ Robert Mathis (6-2, 245 pounds) qualifies as a self-made man who torments tackles and quarterbacks just as much Williams, and, right now, maybe more.



Typically playing opposite Dwight Freeney, Mathis has gone from a situational pass-rusher to a complete player who regularly runs plays down all over the field.



He’s the top tackler on the Colts’ defensive line, he’s got 8.5 sacks to go with Freeney’s 9.5. Mathis leads his counterpart in quarterback pressures — as doled out by coaches as they review film — 19 to 16.



The two are relentless, but Freeney was a first-round pick. Mathis, a fifth-rounder out of Alabama A&M in 2003, is a far more often overlooked player despite a Pro Bowl appearance last year.



Go ahead, typecast him. He doesn’t care.



“You can look at me however you want to look at me,” Mathis said matter of factly. “I do the same things that 6-6, 300-pound linemen do. It doesn’t bother me at all.”



While fringe fans still might not afford him his proper respect, offensive linemen certainly do.



“He’s such a different kind of defensive end I think than you’ll ever see,” Houston right tackle Eric Winston said. “I think they say he’s 6-2 but there is absolutely no way he’s that tall. I think he’s a little stronger than what he looks like and probably what people give him credit for.

“And obviously you know how fast he is. His spin move is just as good as Freeney’s and he’s a real problem sometimes to handle off the edge, especially when you get down in a game and you have to pass block. … If you think you’re just going to run over him, you’re wrong. He can stand up against double-teams. He can hold his own. Obviously his game is pass-rushing, but he knows how to fit the run just as well as anyone else.”



As Mathis began to make his mark in the league, he wore an awkward label: pass-rush specialist. It was a means to dismiss him as a part-time player for some.



But if you’re going to have a player who’s got one specialty, what else would you choose? And if you’re a player with one specialty, what else would you choose? Bump-and-run man-to-man corner, perhaps, but a good one has a full-time role doing it.



Pass-rush specialist trumps short-yardage back, or deep threat or run-stuffer, doesn’t it? It certainly gets a guy paid more.



Mathis has grown to be more and does just fine against the run.

(Read full post)

Unless the Buffalo Bills wallop Mike Shanahan right out of his argyles next week and sign him straight away, there’s a good chance each party will use the other as a means to an end.



Football insiders are skeptical Shanahan actually will be on the Bills’ sideline in 2010, but their reported meeting next week serves a purpose for both sides. It won’t be a waste of time.



As one of Shanahan’s colleagues told me Thursday morning, the former Denver Broncos head coach likely will use his meeting with Buffalo as leverage for a more attractive opening.



Shanahan linking himself to the only current NFL opening theoretically will prompt increased interest from other teams who are considering a change. There’s little incentive for Shanahan to sign with the Bills before seeing what else is out there. With a pair of Super Bowl rings, he has enough cachet to sit back and wait.



But don’t think the Bills are being used as foils. They’re already getting mileage out of being associated with Shanahan.



Merely meeting with him sends a message to a frustrated fan base that the Bills are serious about their coaching search. Bills fans have spent years screaming in vain for a head coach who’s a proven winner. Dick Jauron’s tenure wrought emotions ranging from anger to apathy.



NFL.com senior columnist Vic Carucci, citing an unnamed source, said Shanahan is Buffalo’s top candidate, but Bill Cowher also is high on their wish list.



From Carucci’s blog entry:

The Bills, the source said, are willing to offer whatever salary is necessary to land a high-end candidate such as Shanahan and would give him total control of the football operation, something Wilson has generally been opposed to doing in the past. Adding to the job’s attractiveness, according to the source, is the fact the team is in solid financial shape and not burdened by any dead salary-cap money.

The source said that, at 91 years old, Bills owner Ralph Wilson believes he’s hiring his last head coach and “is going to do everything it takes to get it right.”

On Oct. 1, 2006, I was sitting in a press box in Nashville when Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth took his enormous right cleat and pounded it twice into to the head of Cowboys center Andre Gurode. The second blow opened up a large gash that required 30 stitches.

Haynesworth

Gurode

Gurode had just blown open a hole that running back Julius Jones followed through for a short touchdown run before the center was attacked by Haynesworth. It was one of the most cowardly acts I’ve witnessed during any competitive event and it earned Haynesworth an unprecedented five-game suspension with no pay. And, honestly, I thought Haynesworth got off easy for such a senseless act.



Here’s the column I wrote for DallasNews.com the day after the incident. I recall being very impressed with the way Titans coach Jeff Fisher handled the situation and a ridiculous quote from Robaire Smith, who was attempting to defend his teammate.



On Sunday, Haynesworth and Gurode will meet for the first time in a regular-season game since the incident. Haynesworth won’t practice this week because of an ankle injury, but he’s vowing to play against the Cowboys. Gurode didn’t want to discuss the reunion this week, but Haynesworth said via conference call that the two players are friendly.



“We have been talking and everything,” Haynesworth said. “We even went out together. So, yeah, we are cool.”



Cowboys linebacker Bradie James even found some humor in the fact that Gurode’s career seemed to skyrocket after getting stomped by Haynesworth.



“I mean, he’s been making Pro Bowls ever since,” inside linebacker Bradie James said of Gurode. “It put him on the map. Maybe Haynesworth needs to come knock me out.”



It was an ugly act that will always follow Haynesworth, but it’s admirable that he’s rehabilitated his image since that day. That one awful moment could’ve defined Haynesworth’s career. Obviously, he didn’t let that happen.



And thanks to the magic of plastic surgery, you have to look pretty hard to find any evidence of the attack on Gurode’s face. Still, something tells me it will be in the back of his mind during Sunday’s game.

Ricky Williams has been having a great season as a complement to Ronnie Brown.



We’ll find out over the next two months if he’s still capable of being a workhorse.



The Miami Dolphins on Wednesday placed Brown on season-ending injured reserve with what’s believed to be a broken foot. With very little backfield depth on their roster, the load will fall on Williams.



On Thursday night, Williams should make only his second NFL start since 2005 when the Dolphins play the Carolina Panthers.



Brown handled more of Miami’s workload. He had 42 more carries than Williams and was one of the year’s most productive goal-line backs. Brown had six goal-to-go touchdown runs. Only Adrian Peterson and Michael Turner have more.



When you think of Williams during his glory years, you recall a relentless warrior. Former Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt would call Williams’ number again and again and again. Williams owns two of the NFL’s top 14 seasons for rushing attempts, carrying the ball 775 times in 2003 and 2004.



But Williams is 32 years old, a couple of years beyond the standard expiration date for running backs.



Through nine games, he has been extraordinary. But as players such as Edgerrin James, Shaun Alexander and Ahman Green can attest, a guy can smack the wall in a hurry when he’s a thirtysomething feature back.



The only other running back with any carries on Miami’s active roster is fullback Lousaka Polite, who is averaging 2.9 yards mostly on short-yardage attempts. Second-year pro Lex Hilliard has zero NFL attempts. The Dolphins recently signed undrafted rookie Kory Sheets.



But if Williams’ performances to date indicates what he will do in Brown’s place, then the 1998 Heisman Trophy winner will have a special season.



Williams was on pace to rush for 992 yards as the sidekick. If he stays healthy, that figure should go up. If he can reach 1,000 yards, he would break the NFL record for going six years between 1,000-yard seasons.



Williams has more yards from scrimmage than Brown on 38 fewer touches. Williams is averaging 6.1 yards for every rushing attempt or reception. Brown averaged 4.6 yards.

There was one specific problem that doomed Dick Jauron with the Buffalo Bills.



It wasn’t installing the no-huddle offense. It wasn’t signing Terrell Owens. It wasn’t firing the offensive coordinator 10 days before the regular-season opener. It wasn’t Leodis McKelvin‘s fumble or Roscoe Parrish‘s bobble.



What sunk Jauron and led to his dismissal Tuesday can be directly attributed to the Bills’ organizational approach at offensive tackle. Jauron certainly had a voice in how they handled it, but vice president of pro personnel John Guy had input and chief operating officer Russ Brandon signed off on it.



Fitting that Jauron was fired the same week “The Blind Side,” a major motion picture about the life of Baltimore Ravens rookie tackle Michael Oher, will hit theaters.



The movie is based on the book by Michael Lewis, author of “Moneyball.” Oher was the central character in Lewis’ book, but the real subject of “The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game” was about how left tackle had evolved into the second most important position in football.



The problem in Buffalo is that they don’t have a tackle. Or they’ve had too many. Either way, it has been a disaster.



What follows is a timeline of how the Bills went from having a respectable pair of tackles to the most abominable group in the NFL.



April 17: Unable or unwilling to negotiate a contract extension, the Bills trade two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters to the Philadelphia Eagles for draft picks.



April 25 and 26: Bills decline to select a tackle in the 2009 draft.



April 26: I asked Jauron what the Bills intend to do at tackle.



“We went into the draft having discussed that after the trade of Jason, saying ‘Do we feel like we have to have a tackle?’ And I think we all agreed … we’re not going to stray far from our grades just to take a tackle,” Jauron said.



“We felt like we have guys that can play there. So there’s no sense in passing up a guy we think is significantly better at another position just to feel like we’ve plugged a number in. We weren’t going to do that.”



Shortly after the draft: Jauron informs right tackle Langston Walker they are moving him to left tackle and right guard Brad Butler they are switching him to right tackle.



May 14: Scouts Inc. analyst Matt Williamson observes “Buffalo might have the worst offensive tackles in the NFL.”



Aug. 28: A team source tells me Demetrius Bell, despite a back injury, has overtaken Walker as the Bills’ left tackle of choice. Bell is entering his second year and hasn’t played in an NFL game.



Sept. 5: Bills cut tackle Kirk Chambers, who started four games in 2008.



Sept. 8: Bills cut Walker, re-sign Chambers. Jauron is asked if he overestimated Walker’s ability.



“Probably,” Jauron replies. “We clearly felt we could move him in, and he’d do the job. He just wasn’t playing up to our expectations. So we felt like it was time to make that move.”



Sept. 14: Bills start the season with Bell at left tackle and Butler at right tackle. Their entire opening-night offensive line has 47 career starts among them.



Sept. 20: Butler suffers a season-ending knee injury against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.



Sept. 22: Rather than pursue veteran help such as Jon Runyan or Damion McIntosh, the Bills pluck rookie tackle Jamon Meredith off Green Bay Packers‘ practice squad.



Sept. 27: Jonathan Scott starts for Butler at right tackle against the New Orleans Saints. It’s Scott’s seventh career start in four seasons. … Bell suffers a groin injury.



Oct. 4: Chambers, inactive the two previous games, starts at right tackle against the Miami Dolphins and gives up 2.5 sacks to first-year outside linebacker Cameron Wake. … Scott starts at left tackle for Bell.



Oct. 18: Meredith makes his first NFL start at right tackle against the New York Jets.



Nov. 1: Meredith suffers a knee injury against the Houston Texans.



Nov. 15: Bell suffers a right knee injury against the Tennessee Titans. Rookie guard Andy Levitre finishes the game at left tackle.



Nov. 16: Through Week 10, Bell is the NFL’s most penalized player regardless of position.



Nov. 17: Bills fire Jauron, name defensive coordinator Perry Fewell interim head coach.