The Detroit Lions A new Era and New Quarterback

By Mark Halpern

DETROIT- Another year of football has arrived, and one of the biggest trades that happened in the off-season was that the Lions traded Quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Rams for Jared Geoff. Now I saw this and pondered if this was the right move. Stafford was a fan favorite but never could get them very far. Now Bring in Geoff, who had some great success with the Rams and is now in Detroit. Geoff has his work cut out because he doesn’t have the superstars he had with the rams. On the other side, Stafford has the weapons he needs to be competitive, and he has a shot to take them far.

    Last season the Lions went 3-12-1 during the covid season. Just a fun fact, they were the first team not to win a game in a season, so if you think it couldn’t get worse, could it? Well, they added another game, so can they go 0-17? What a thought. 

    As I mentioned, Geoff has his work cut out for him this year. In the backfield of the defense is second-year running back D’Andre Swift, who had a good rookie year and dealt with injuries. Swift rushed for 1218yrds last year and is going to have to be even more productive this year. 

    Tyrell Williams and veteran Breshad Perriman are the two starting wide receivers. If you are looking for Kenny Golladay, he is with the Giants now. That was a move that surprised me. Golladay would have easily had #1 WR status. T.J Hockenson is the #1 Tight end for this team, and he does have the ability to make plays, and he is a good blocker. I see a lot of TE screens this season, something Geoff was used to with the Rams. 

   You can’t have a good offense without a good defense. The Detroit defense can be stingy and look like a top 1 defense but, then there are the times when they get steamrolled and force the offense to put up tons of points. Looking over the defense, I see many familiar names, but the one substantial stand-out is Cornerback Jeff Okuda. He missed last season due to injury but is healthy and one of the better corners in the league. He will have his challenges throughout the season. Trey Flowers is another player to keep your eyes on. He also missed last season, but he can swim through offensive lines and get to the QB when he is healthy.

    The Lions’ first three games are also challenging as they face SF, GB, and Baltimore. That is a rough way to open your schedule. The defense is going to have to man up to give the weak Lions’ offense a chance. I see the Lions going 5-11 this year and missing the playoffs, I see Geoff having his worst year yet, and I don’t see this defense being able to compete against these formidable offenses but, things in football are constantly changing and as we know any team can beat any team on any given Sunday.

Dallas Cowboys vs. Arizona Cardinals Preseason Game #2

By Mark Halpern

ARIZONA- So last week, we saw the second and third-string players for the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers. This was not going to be a high-scoring game by any means but turnovers were the story of the game as both sides coughed up the ball plenty. Garrett Gilbert was impressive for Dallas but couldn’t lead the team into the endzone, which is a little bit of concern but not much to worry about. Rookie Micha Parsons recorded a few tackles and forced and recovered a fumble. The game concluded with the Steelers winning 16-3.

     This week the Cowboys face the Cardinals in Arizona on Friday at 10 PM est. Again, we won’t see star QB Dak Prescott as he works through a shoulder strain. Don’t expect Amari Cooper to play as he is also recovering from injury, and sure other first-stringers will be there in spirit but not starting. We should get the first looks at Zeke, Cee Dee Lamb, Michael Gallup, and most of the offensive line for the Cowboys this Friday. They will probably play 1-2 drives at the most so they can get their feet wet.

      We won’t see Demarcus Lawrence on the defensive side for Dallas due to recovering from shoulder surgery, but a lot of the first-team defense will be on the field for the first quarter. We will get to see the young LB crew of Smith, Vander Esch, and Parsons work together for the first time. Keanu Neal will be a factor in that mix as well. If any of you are wondering what happened to Sean Lee, he is now a coach, and he will help mentor younger players and older ones. The secondary is still a Hodgepodge of players that Dallas Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn is trying to find the right combo of secondary players that works best with each other. Malik Hooker, who will most likely be the starting strong safety, has been ramping up his workouts over the last week, and we could see him in week 4 of preseason to get some rust off.

    On the other side of the ball, I expect to see most of the Cardinals 1st string offense and defense as they are still trying to find specific backups for Kyler Murray if some players on the team decide not to get vaccinated and threaten to hold out. The Cardinals have a potent offense with Kyler Murray at the helm, a good core of wide receivers staring Deandre Hopkins, and an excellent line to protect Murray as well. Their defense needs some work, but they will be a force to reckon with when everything comes together.

    Again, I don’t see a ton of scoring, as, by the middle of the second quarter, we will see second and third stringers play again. A victory is well insight if the Dallas offense can come out firing and hold the lead when other players come in. Final Score Dallas 17-10 over the Cardinals.

Preseason Week 1- On The Road: WFT at New England

By. Dan Ryans

WASHINGTON–Football is back as the Washington Football Team is on the road this week to matchup against the New England Patriots in the first of three preseason games in 2021. The burgundy and gold are on a quest to repeat as NFC East Champions with their eyes set on a much bigger playoff run than last year’s Wild Card round exit. The starters are expected to play at least one series in Foxborough, but the game plan will be limited.

For Washington, the development of the young core is critical. For head coach Ron Rivera, he’s looking to see if the rookies sink or swim. “You let them go on with everybody else,” Rivera said when asked on Tuesday if he had any advice for them. “If they can’t get themselves up, you gotta be concerned. It’s too late to go home; now let’s go.” Coach Rivera also reiterated that he doesn’t worry about his team in the early stages of camp. “I think our young guys have the right frame of mind. I think they’ve had a good couple of weeks of practice in the preparation, and I look forward to watching our guys play.”

One rookie to look out for is second-round offensive lineman Sam Cosmi. He has been given a huge learning curve at camp so far. After all, replacing longtime offensive tackle Morgan Moses, who was released following the 2020 season, is no easy task. With 1-on-1 reps against Montez Sweat and Chase Young, he is slowly starting to hold his own, enough to get him the starting job on the unofficial depth chart.Washington needs communication. Players have to shine and take command on the field, especially at quarterback. Ryan Fitzpatrick is going for that QB1 spot. Even though Fitzy doesn’t need preseason games, he says that first impressions with his new squad are critical. “It’ll be good to get out there and go through the process with the guys,” said Fitzpatrick in an interview with NFL Network’s Kim Jones. “Even just the communication, in and out of the huddle, getting out there and looking at a play clock again, communicating with the line on a pass play and run plays… it’s good to get a little dress rehearsal, so I’m excited to get out there a little bit.”

Fitzpatrick will have an exciting challenge with Taylor Heinicke for the starting job. Unfortunately for Heinicke, Fitz Magic has the upper hand and nine more years of experience. But don’t be mistaken because this man has the potential to lead the charge. When Alex Smith was ruled out of last season’s Wild Card game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with an injury, Heinicke was inserted and impressed everyone on the field, going 26 for 44, 306 yards, and a touchdown. Against a team that eventually won the Super Bowl, you have to give him a lot of credit.

The biggest thing going for this team is the defense. Fifth-year star DT Jonathan Allen recently signed a four-year $72 million extension and hopes to add another great season to his defensive resume. He will be joined by second-year lineman and reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Chase Young, who is also looking to have a better season with the club. The DMV native had 44 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 12 QB hits, and four forced fumbles in his outstanding rookie campaign.

Now there’s plenty of camps left to go before the season starts, but it’ll be great to finally see this Washington Football team go out in a real NFL game. With New England also giving its starters limited time on the field, it should be quite a battle to start. The kickoff starts at 7:30 pm EDT.

Best Food in Stadiums and Venues Pt1. (MLB)

By Mark Halpern

So, we all love going to the ballpark to watch our favorite team or players play the game of Baseball. However, watching the game is only part of the experience. Back in the early days of Baseball, ballparks offered concessions such as Beer, Hotdogs, Knishes, Hot Pretzels, and other small edibles. Over the past 70 years, ballparks all over the country have made it so that you can get some insane things to eat. People travel all over the country to visit a new stadium or follow their favorite team and try the new famous concoctions that ball clubs offer. You can still get the standard hotdog and a beer, hamburger, nachos, sausage, and peppers, and of course, Pretzels. Here is just a sample of a particular out-of-this-world Lipitor needing foods you can have at a Baseball game today. I have picked 12 stadiums, and I will rank them, in my opinion, 1st being the best buy to 13th in maybe I will try them one day.

#8. Now not every team has incredible food to sample. However, at Guaranteed Rate Field, you can get Smothered French Fries home of the White Sox. Now I know that sounds like French fries covered in cheese, right? However, this version is french fries with feta cheese, gyro meat, and bacon. That’s extraordinary, and it will cost you a whopping $15 to enjoy.

#2. Let’s move south a little to Kauffman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals. Who doesn’t love to have a good hamburger at a game? You can smell them cooking on the grills as you walk in. The Royals took it a bit further than that. If you attend a game, be sure to try the BBQ burger. It’s just as it sounds but with a twist. This burger has an all-beef patty, pulled pork, cheese, and a giant onion ring. You can get a single for $12 or a double for $14.25.

#5. Heading toward the east coast to Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies, you can get more than a cheesesteak sandwich. This stadium also has a simple burger. It consists of one or two burger patties, bacon, cheese, and cherry peppers jam. However, you don’t get a regular bun for this burger. The burger and all its fixings are placed between two glazed doughnuts. It might be very messy, but it sounds yummy.

#10 Moving a little west now but not very far to Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Indians {will be the Cleveland Guardians in 2022} kept things typical and traditional with this choice. We all know you can get a hot dog at a game, but not like this one. Called the Slider Dog, it’s a traditional all-beef hot dog with pimento mac and cheese, bacon, and Fruit Loops. Now, this is a game-changer here. You get Breakfast and Lunch in one sitting. Not bad for $11, and one day I will have to try it.

#9. Heading to the Sunshine State, the Miami Marlins now offer Sushi made to order. At some of the Stadiums, I know that they have private restaurants and other places for season ticket holders to get this Asian cuisine, but fans can get an essential California Roll or other choices at a fair price of $10 per six pieces

#1. Deep in the heart of Texas at Minute Maid field home of the Houston Astros, you can get a sandwich that will set you back a few bucks but, by the looks of it, looks like an absolute mouth-watering delight. Called the Prime Rib sandwich, you get what you expect. A slice of prime rib with caramelized onions and, of course, horseradish sauce. It looks great and will cost you a steep price of $20.At the ballpark, one of the most sought out sandwiches is the Rocky Mountain oyster Po’boy.

#6. Heading back out west to the Mile High State of Colorado, the Rockies offer a sandwich that you would think you need to be closer to the south or east coast for this one. It consists of a foot-long hoagie roll filled with Rocky Mountain Oysters, Garlic ColeSlaw, guacamole, green chili ranch, Pico de Gallo, and cotija cheese. You would think this sandwich would be the most expensive on the list, but this wedge will only run you $10.

#7. At Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, you would think their famous food would be something that lives under the sea. However, they are known for this famous dessert called the fried dough sundae. This delicious dessert gives you a hot and cold treat that is one for the ages. A plate-size piece of fried dough topped with either chocolate or vanilla ice cream, and then top it off with a mound of whip cream and your choice of toppings. Better eat it fast cause it will melt quickly but, it won’t break the bank as it is only $7.75 per plate. Skip dinner and have two, I would say.

#12. At SunTrust Park, home of the Atlanta Braves, we find one of the most expensive ballparks treats on this list called the Blooper Burger. The burger is not your everyday burger of any sort. You get a hamburger, sliced hot dogs, chicken fingers, Jalapenos, and a massive helping of cheese sauce on toasted thick bread. Come Hungry cause for $26; this is something you want to finish and not toss any out.

#9. Now, heading back to the Empire State of New York, we tackle the Yankees. This ball club has been known to offer some of the most extravagant foods. From the fast-food chain Johnny Rockets to the most delicious Prime Rib sandwich I have ever had, we get a famous dessert here called the Tres Leche Milkshake. When you buy this creamy concoction, you get a tall glass filled with vanilla ice cream, substantial yellow cake pieces, a mound of whip cream, and Churros. Be sure not to throw the glass out when you are done because it is a souvenir glass and is only $15, which is reasonable for New York food.

#4. Just a 30 min drive to Citi Field {depending on the traffic} home of the Mets, you can find a bunch of different great foods. From Shake Shack burgers and shakes to some of the best Tacos and Nachos I have eaten. Like Yankee Stadium, here at Citi Field, they have one of the best deserts called Wowfulls. It consists of a vast waffle cone filled with a choice of ice cream, and I kid you, not almost every junk food item in the dessert world can fit in it if they have not run out. Again, you would think you would top the pricing chart, but it is very reasonable at $8. However, there is no souvenir cup to take home because you eat every last bite.

#3. The next stadium that we will visit is home to one of the most expensive ballpark foods out there. Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, offers a traditional ballpark indulgence called the 18-inch hot dog. Now it is not just a long hotdog that makes this one of the most expensive items out there. This hotdog is 18 inches but covered in toppings of your choice. One version that I read about had the hot dog but then topped with Coleslaw, mozzarella sticks, sliced cucumber, chopped green onions, and spicy mayo. This Hot Dog will set you back a whopping $30, but it is somewhat reasonable with unlimited toppings like the one I mentioned above. Come hungry, or don’t take on this beast.

#11. Lastly, we head out to the northwest to T-Mobile Park, home of the Seattle Mariners, where we find the most unusual ballpark food ever. It is not a hamburger, hotdog, slice of pizza, or even a creamy dessert. It is a cup of creepy crawlers. Yes, for the low price of $5, you can get a cup of Toasted Grasshoppers. To many of us, this sounds disgusting, but they are high in protein and possibly a food of the future. People go to this stadium to say they have tried it, and believe it or not. Most people say they would do it again and again. Per each cup, you get roughly 40 of the toasted creations, and according to the GM of the Mariners, they can’t keep the stands open the whole game sometimes because they run out frequently.

This article is only a sample of some of the delicacies you can get across the country. Next week, check out when I cover the NFL, NBA, and NHL stadiums with great and odd foods they serve.

Playoffs or Bust In the Desert

By Mike Rifkin

ARIZONA- On Friday night, the Arizona Cardinals will begin the preseason at home against the Dallas Cowboys. Last season the Cardinals finished with a record of 8-8 but were 8-6 and lost the last two games of the regular season against division rivals 49ers and Rams, which eliminated the Cards from playoff contention.

For the second consecutive offseason, the Cardinals made a splash with a former Houston Texans star. The Cardinals signed future Hall of Famer JJ Watt to a two-year contract worth 31 million dollars with 23 million in guaranteed. Pairing Watt with Chandler Jones, who is coming off biceps surgery, in 2019 was second in Defensive Player of the year voting. The secondary will also look a little different as for the first time since 2010, cornerback Patrick Peterson will not be there, as he signed a one-year deal with the Vikings. The Cardinals did replace him with former Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Cardinals are led by third-year quarterback Kyler Murray, who in that week 17 game against the Rams passed for 87 yards because of injury. The Cardinals offense last season added receiver Deandre Hopkins. This offseason, they signed AJ Green from the Cincinnati Bengals to a one-year contract. In his career, Green has 649 receptions for 9,430 yards and 65 touchdowns. Injuries have hampered Green’s career over the last couple of seasons. After Kenyan Drake’s departure, they also signed former Steelers running back James Conner to pair with Chase Edmonds. But the most significant upgrade on offense could be the addition of center Rodney Hudson, to who they traded a third-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders. Hudson, who is a three-time Pro Bowler, will anchor the unit that protects Murray.

The NFC West is arguably the best division in the NFL. Last year in the division, the Cardinals had a record of two and four. Arizona has not made the playoffs since 2015, but the Arizona Cardinals have an outstanding roster, and the heat is on head coach Kliff Kingsbury who is entering his third year to make the playoffs.

Jacksonville Jaguars Preseason Week 1

By: Noah Trombley

JACKSONVILLE- Jacksonville Jaguars will open up their preseason this weekend with a home game against the Cleveland Browns. Fans will be flocking to this game from the Jags fan base and the entire league as we get the first glimpse of the number one overall pick and expected future QB of the league, Trevor Lawrence.

However, I don’t expect to see Lawrence much in this game though. Lawrence is still not 100% recovered from surgery on his non-throwing shoulder labrum back in February. In this first week, Coach Urban Meyer will more than likely want to limit the young QB’s reps to make sure Lawrence is comfortable in the offense and keep him protected until he’s fully recovered.

Another injury on the Jaguars that must be discussed is that too wide receiver DJ Chark. Chark suffered a broken finger during practice this last week and needed surgery to repair it. However, according to head coach Urban Meyer, this injury is not severe and will only keep Chark out of the preseason games, and he’ll be ready to go by the season opener. This is fantastic news to hear as Chark was one of the bright spots last year for the Jaguars offense, catching 53 balls for 706 yards and five touchdowns while only starting 12 games last year.

One more thing to look out for in this game is how new head coach Urban Meyer will handle the earlier mentioned injuries and risks. While most coaches face this same problem during the preseason, Meyer has a challenging task before him. This team is young and needs the experience to build chemistry and get the playbooks down and understood. However, Meyer needs to balance this need with the risks of more injuries to his star players. If he adds another injury to a star wide receiver or even to their supposed franchise saving QB, he will have many questions swirling around his ability as an NFL head coach already.

 All these factors make for one exciting game on Saturday night, August 14th, way more drama than you would usually see on a preseason game.

Baking A New Deal

By Lawrence Lang and Mike Rifkin

Bills quarterback Josh Allen just signed a six-year 258 million dollar contract with 150 million guaranteed. One person looking at that contract is the Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield who can sign an extension like Allen. Mayfield, the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft last season, threw for 3,563 yards, 26 touchdowns, and eight interceptions and led the Browns to the AFC Divisional game where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 22-17. Mayfield has been the Browns starter since week three of the 2018 season when quarterback Tyrod Taylor got injured in that same game. Mayfield would lead the Browns to their first win in over a year by beating the New York Jets 21-17, ending the streak of 19 games without a win. 

Last season, the Browns went 11-5 and finished 3rd in the AFC North but secured a wild card spot, and on Wild Card Weekend, went into Pittsburgh and defeated the rival Steelers by a 48-37. Mayfield in the game went 21-34 for 263 yards and three touchdowns. In May, the Browns did pick up Mayfield’s fifth-year option, but that doesn’t prevent them from signing him to a long-term contract. Because of last season and some of the Browns’ moves, there are high expectations in Cleveland. One of the biggest reasons Cleveland has such high expectations is that star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is returning to the team off a torn ACL. He is joining a team that had the league’s best rushing attack last season. 

 So the front office has time to decide if Mayfield is their franchise guy, but the better he plays and the better the team is, the more money they will have to pony up. But we will see if the Josh Allen deal puts any pressure on the Browns to get a deal done with their Baker. As in Buffalo, there are championship expectations in Cleveland. Can the Browns and Mayfield get it done?

Josh Allens Payday

By Lawrence Lang

On Friday, August 7th, The Buffalo Bills signed their star quarterback Josh Allen to a massive contract extension worth $258m with $150M guaranteed.

To break that down, that’s ($43M a year) ($118K a day) ($5k an hour) ($82 a minute) and ($1.36 a second). In Enlighten terms, by the time you get done reading this, Allen will probably make almost $300, if not more.

Allen’s new deal comes after the Bills went 13-3 in the 2020 Season and would win their first division title since 1995. They would make it to the AFC title game, which was their first appearance since 1994. The Bills would lose the AFC title game to the then reigning Super Bowl Champs Kansas City Chiefs 38-24. Josh Allen would also have an incredible season throwing for over 4,500 yards passing and having 37 TDs, 10 INTs, and eight Rushing TDs and finished second to Aaron Rodgers in MVP voting. If anyone is well-deserving of this massive deal, it’s Allen. The former 7th overall first-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft has brought a resurgence to Buffalo and the Buffalo Bills. Until 2017, before Allen was drafted, the Bills were a laughing stock in the AFC and AFC east. From 2000-2017 the Bills would only have three winning seasons, two of which they missed the playoffs (04) and (14). in 2017 they would lose to the Jacksonville Jaguars 10-3. The other seasons either saw them at .500 or below.

Josh Allen is the future here in Buffalo, and it’s time the league gives him the respect that he has earned over the last three years. Allen came into the league in 2018, where the Bills went 6-10 and finished third in the AFC East. 2019 and 2020 saw the Bills have two 10+ win seasons. The last time they did that was in 1998 and 1999. With the 2021 season here, Allen is in his Senior year in the league and has a demanding schedule. Kicking off Week One at home against Ben Rotheslburger and the Pittsburgh Steelers will be a game to watch since it has ties to last season. With games also against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Week 5 and Tom Brady and the reigning Super Bowl champions Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 12. These two road games will test to see if Allen can get the job done on the road against both teams that made the Super Bowl last year.

There is no doubt that Allen is deserving of this contract. The Bills organization has faith in Allen to continue his progression. Hopefully, he brings that elusive Vince Lombard trophy to the city of Buffalo and finally makes the city champions and erase the 90’s four straight appearances to the Super Bowl where they didn’t win any of them. If Allen does this, he will become that town’s Micahel Jordan and become a hero to the city. As for Allen, enjoy the new deal and get yourself ready for this season because everyone will be watching you and judging you with every move you make to make sure you are worth every penny.

Recap of HOF Game

By Mark Halpern

This passed Thursday, we saw the first real football action of the year: the 2nd and 3rd stringers of the new-look Dallas Cowboys. The game was pretty much everything I expected it to be. The Dallas defense took the field, and at about the 40-yard line of the Dallas rookie, Micha Parsons hit The Steelers, forcing a fumble and recovering it. The fumble was one of 3 fumble recoveries the Dallas Defense recovered.

    Second String Quarterback Garrett Gilbert came out firing to 4 different receivers on the first drive. He looked strong and led the Dallas offense down to just about the 4-yard line and then on 3rd and goal threw a pass that on any other day was intercepted, and the Cowboys settled for a field goal on the first drive. However, this would be the last time Dallas would score. Gilbert finished 9-13 for 104 yrds.

     One of the big problems last year was turnovers, and this game showed us that it is still a concern. The Steelers forced four fumbles but, luckily, only recovered two of them. All three backup quarterbacks didn’t throw an interception which is an excellent bonus, but the two times the offense was in the red zone early, one for a field goal and the other was a missed field goal. They have some work to do.

    The Hall of Fame Game was only played after a week or two of teams showing up to training camp. The HOF game is only an initial dress rehearsal, and for teams to start to get a feel for their teams and their potential 53 man roster, especially the Cowboys coaches, to access more of their back-end players and get a  plan for next weekend preseason game. 

   However, I did predict the Cowboys to win this game, and there is no excuse for making it to the red zone two times in the first quarter to end up with three points. I do expect Zeke, Lamb, and Gallup to play the first two drives next week. Next week is the Cowboys vs. Cardinals preseason game on Friday, August 13th at 10 PM EST 7 PM PDT.

Pittsburgh Steelers HOF Game

By Michael Rifkin

Football is back this week. On Thursday night, the Dallas Cowboys will play the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio. This is a big week for the Steelers franchise as the Pro Football Hall of Fame 2020, and 21 get inducted. Five Steelers legends will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, including former coach Bill Cowher, safeties Troy Polamalu and Donnie Shell, offensive lineman Alan Faneca, and scout Bill Nunn. 

In Bill Cowher’s 15 seasons as the head coach of the Steelers, the team won eight division titles, went to the playoffs ten times, and made two Super Bowl appearances winning Super Bowl XL. Cowher, Faneca, and Polamalu were a part of the Steelers team that defeated the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL, and Shell was a four-time Super Bowl champion, three-time All-Pro First team, and a five-time Pro Bowler. Faneca was a six-time First-team All-Pro, two-time Second-team All-pro, and a nine-time Pro Bowler. Polamalu was a two-time Super Bowl Champion, 2010 NFL defensive player of the year, four-time First team All-Pro, two-time second team All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowler. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most iconic and stable franchises in football and all of the sports. That’s why they have had three coaches in 30 years, but there is much pressure on the 2021 Pittsburgh Steelers. Last season the Steelers started the season 11-0 and wound up with a 12-4 and got whooped by the rival Cleveland Browns in the wild card game. The organization brought back quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and signed coach Mike Tomlin to a contract extension. With the Browns on the rise and the Baltimore Ravens always dangerous. Where will Pittsburgh stand in the tough AFC North? Their road starts on Thursday night in Canton.