Maybe it took a trip through the doors of the Browns’ practice facility in Berea for new defensive coordinator Ray Horton to adopt the group-speak of the organization when it comes to what’s in store for the team defensively in 2013.

Horton, who landed in Cleveland after serving as Arizona’s defensive coordinator, is promising a seamless adjustment from the 4-3 alignment the Browns played the past two seasons to whatever his charges will play this coming season.

“I don’t really care what we are on defense,” Horton said. “I want to know, ‘What are we going to look like?’ We’re going to look like an aggressive, forward-attacking defense…We may be in a 3-4 on one snap. We may be in a 4-3 on another snap. I guarantee you we’ll be a 5-2 sometimes and we’ll be a 4-4 sometimes. We are a multi-front, attacking defense, and that’s the most important thing.”

Horton’s description of the Browns’ defense sounds a lot more like the picture head coach Rob Chudzinski painted a few weeks ago when he promised a “hybrid” setup.

Before coming to Cleveland for his debut press conference, however, Horton almost scoffed at that notion in an interview on Xtra Sports 910 in Phoenix.

“It won’t be a hybrid,” Horton said. “Not unless we’re playing golf.”

The concern of Browns fans is that Horton won’t have the proper clubs in his bag to play anything other than the 4-3 Cleveland employed under Dick Jauron.

The Browns’ depth defensively is greatest on the defensive line, but there is no established outside pass-rusher crucial to an effective 3-4 from among Phil Taylor, Ahtyba Rubin, Billy Winn, John Hughes, Jabaal Sheard, Frostee Rucker or Juqua Parker.

To fill that need for an Aldon Smith-, James Harrison-type, the Browns may have to use the sixth overall pick in the first round to provide a skill-set currently missing from the roster.

That’s not a great recipe for a success, given the Browns’ glaringly-apparent needs in the secondary and at linebacker.

Middle linebacker D’Qwell Jackson has been much more effective in the 4-3 than he was in the 3-4 Cleveland played when Eric Mangini was head coach.

“I’ve got the perfect mix here of big guys who can run and little men who will hit,” Horton said. “I love this team. I love the way it’s constituted right now.”

SHUT IT: CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz is famous for his scripted calls to signature moments at the Final Four and The Masters, and he already knows what he will say upon the conclusion of Super Bowl XLVII.

Nothing.

Nantz resolves to be silent Sunday when the Harbaugh brothers, John and Jim, meet at midfield after the Ravens and 49ers meet at the Superdome.

“It is going to be one of the great moments you can capture between two coaches visually,” Nantz said. “I can’t wait for that. Seeing those two brothers at midfield and just watching like all of you. What is it going to be like? Can there be unharnessed joy for one of them? There can’t be. It’s unconceivable to me.”

BALTIMORE, BY A FOOT: If Super Bowl XLVII comes down to a last-second field goal, the Ravens appear to have the edge.

Rookie kicker Justin Tucker is 32-for-35 this season, including a game-winning 47-yarder in overtime of the AFC division game at Denver.

San Francisco’s David Akers is 30-of-44 this season, including a miss from 38 yards in the NFC Championship game.

Akers struggled so much his team brought in other kickers late in the year to compete for the job.

Since high school, Tucker has ended his warm-up routine with a 48-yard field goal from the right hash — the same kick Adam Vinatieri made in the Superdome to win Super Bowl XXXVI for the Patriots over the St. Louis Rams.

THANKS, BRENT: Katherine Webb is seizing upon her notoriety in the wake of Brent Musburger’s commentary about her physical beauty during the BCS National Championship game.

Webb, the girlfriend of Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron, was behind the microphone for Inside Edition at Super Bowl 47 media day.

Since Musburger called attention to her, Webb has also been asked to pose for Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit edition and been named a judge for the Miss USA pageant.

CRAZY OR BRILLIANT?: There’s no apparent middle ground to Chip Kelly’s future as coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.

The former Oregon coach seems poised to be either a runaway success or an epic failure, given head-scratching moves that either reflect his brilliance or a complete lack of NFL understanding that will torpedo his career.

After hiring former Browns’ coach Pat Shurmur as his offensive coordinator, Kelly has double-down on filling his staff with guys who have no familiarity with the system he ran at Oregon.

University of Virginia offensive coordinator Bill Lazor is Kelly’s rumored choice as quarterback coach. Before working at UVA, Lazor worked for the Seattle Seahawks, Washington Redskins and Atlanta Falcons, working for Dan Reeves, Joe Gibbs and Mike Holmgren.

None of those coaches ran anything like Kelly’s Zone Read attack.

Shurmur is a West Coast Offense devotee, which is about as opposite from Kelly’s offense as is possible.

Should make for some interesting offensive staff meetings.

NORTH-OF-BORDER BILLS: The Buffalo Bills’ deal with Canadian media giant Rogers Communications hasn’t paid off in many wins, but it’s paid off in enough cash that the Bills have agreed to play one home game a year in Toronto from 2013-2017.

The Bills have won just one of the five regular-season games they’ve played in Toronto, but they made $78 million off the deal, which also called for two pre-season games at SkyDome.

The deal has also paid off in other ways, because Buffalo’s season-ticket base from Canada has grown from 11 percent before the deal began to more than 20 percent now.

DON’T BE LIKE ME: Baltimore safety Ed Reed had no problem with President Barack Obama’s statement that, “If I had a son, I’d have to think long and hard before I let him play football.”

“I definitely agree with the president,” Reed said at Super Bowl media day. “I’m not going to push this on my son. If he chooses to be a football player, so be it. All I can say is, ‘Son, I played so you don’t have to.’ ”

Niners safety Donte Whitner believes football can become safer if better tackling techniques are ingrained in youth leagues.

“I know a lot of parents out there are really nervous about their kids playing football,” Whitner said. “I would be, too. I have a 6-year-old son. He wants to play football, which I’ll allow him to do. But it has to start at the youth level, teaching kids how to tackle. Even in the NFL, we’ve gotten away from fundamentals, where you keep your head up and lower your base. There’s a right way to do it.”

NOT A FAN: If Baltimore Ravens’ tackle Michael Oher feels like relaxing with a movie the night before kickoff, it won’t be his life story, “The Blind Side.”

“The movie, it wasn’t me,” Oher said. “I always knew how to play football growing up.”

The movie portrayed Oher as if he barely had enough coordination to walk without falling over. The part about his father being absent and his mother being a cocaine addict was true, but Oher was actually an honor roll student who never struggled academically.

He remains close to the Tuohy family who adopted him in Memphis. They attend Ravens’ games in Baltimore and on the road and will be Oher’s guests at the Super Bowl.

“They’re still my family,” Oher said.

@CAPTAINCOMEBACK: Don’t’ look for San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh on Twitter any time soon.

Asked about his lack of social media presence, Harbaugh said: “The Tweeters? My personal opinion is it’s a time drain — a lot of time is used on the Facebooking and the Tweeter and things like that.

“It seems unnecessary. Just seems like a modern-day diary. Seems like you’re just writing your thoughts down in diary form, and I was never a diary guy.”

Check out NFL Notes by Bruce Hooley every week here at ChrisSpielman.com

  Brandon Weeden’s honeymoon as the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback is over, and now the Browns would like to date around.

That much is clear from listening to what owner Jimmy Haslam, CEO Joe Banner, VP of Player Personnel Michael Lombardi and coach Rob Chudzinski haven’t said so far about Weeden, who started 15 games last season.

Given repeated chances to say nice things about Weeden’s arm, his work habits, the valuable lessons he learned as a rookie or even his zero-handicap golf game, every voice in the Browns’ braintrust goes mute.

Lombardi — who in his role as an NFL Network analyst termed the Browns’ drafting of Weeden No. 22 overall, “a panic move,” – went to the tried-and-true dodge of, I gotta watch more tape, when he fielded questions about Weeden upon being hired in Cleveland.

Funny, but Lombardi didn’t need more time to weigh in on fellow-rookie Josh Gordon, who Tweeted, “Uh, oh, am I in trouble now?” Lombardi, who also lampooned Gordon’s selection in the Supplemental Draft, said Gordon “has nothing to worry about.”

Chudzinski repeatedly dodged questions about Weeden’s future throughout his first week on the job until admitting Wednesday that he can’t commit to Weeden as his starter.

So, the Browns are going to look around, in the draft, in free agency and via trades for someone to compete with Weeden for the starting job. That despite Weeden throwing for 3,300 yards in an offense diametrically opposite of his skill set.

Only Derek Anderson in 2007 and Tim Couch in 2001 threw for more yards than Weeden in the years since Bernie Kosar was the Browns’ QB in the 1980s.

Cleveland owns the No. 6 overall pick in the NFL draft, which is probably too high to take any of the quarterbacks available in April. The Browns don’t have a second-round pick, having expended it on Gordon.

WORK TO DO: Cincinnati offensive coordinator Jay Gruden interviewed for head coaching openings in Arizona, San Diego, Philadelphia and Jacksonville, but now is back on the job with the Bengals.

It’s not like he doesn’t have work to do.

Cincinnati’s offensive output dropped from 358.5 yards per game in its first 11 games to just 263 yards in its last six, including the playoffs. Passing yards fell from 244.5 yards to 177.6 yards.

The Bengals finished 22nd in the league in offense, marking the fifth straight year finishing 20th or worse in that category.

BOLD IS BEAUTIFUL: The NFL is such a copycat league that true out-on-a-limb risk-taking is rarer than a Roger Goodell Appreciation Party in New Orleans.

But with the Super Bowl headed to the Crescent City, it’s time to give it up for two decisions seen at the time as desperation moves that paid off like Powerball tickets.

San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh’s decision to dump Alex Smith as starting quarterback for Colin Kaepernick and Baltimore coach John Harbaugh’s firing of offensive coordinator Cam Cameron with three weeks left in the regular season now stand as the turning point in each team’s season.

Smith lost his job to Kaepernick after suffering a concussion against St. Louis with seven games left in the regular season. Harbaugh’s elevation of Kaepernick, a second-year pro, over Smith, the QB who led the Niners to the NFC Championship game last year, is all the more stunning considering Smith had completed 25 of his last 27 passes for a near-perfect 153.2 passer rating before he was injured against the Rams on Nov. 11.

The Ravens dumped Cameron one day after rushing for 186 yards and throwing for 182 in an overtime loss to Washington. Baltimore scored four touchdowns that day, which is hardly the sort of output to prompt the firing of a team’s offensive coordinator.

But after an adjustment to Jim Caldwell as OC, Baltimore has put together its best three-game offensive stretch of the season in playoff victories over Indianapolis (439 yards, 24 points), Denver (479, 31) and New England (356, 28).

CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF: The most notable position change commanding attention this week at the Senior Bowl is Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson transitioning to his new home as a wide receiver.

Robinson practiced with restrictions Monday and Tuesday because of nerve issues in the right elbow that dogged him during the college season. He finally gained full clearance Wednesday and displayed mixed results.

He caught all six passes thrown his way in drills, but dropped two of seven throws running routes against air. Robinson has also struggled catching both kickoffs and punts in special teams drills.

REALITY CHECK: What do you get when you cross a Pro Bowl defensive tackle with mid-air flips off a high dive? If you’re Detroit Lions’ coach Jim Schwartz, nothing to worry about.

Schwartz claims not to be concerned about Ndamukong Suh’s plans to participate in the reality show, Celebrity Diving, which is set to premier March 19.

Suh is a veteran of the off-season reality shows, having participated last year in the dating program, “The Choice.” After his rookie year, Suh took part in a road race across Europe called, “Gumball 3000.”

Suh will play in his first Pro Bowl on Sunday.

BACK UP THE BRINKS TRUCK: Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco picked a great time to start playing like the elite quarterback he said he was prior to the season.

An unrestricted free agent after the season, Flacco brought the Ravens back from a 13-7 halftime deficit in the AFC Championship game at New England with 21 unanswered points in the second half.

That made Tom Brady a loser for the first time in 67 games at Gillette Stadium in which the Patriots held a halftime lead.

So, Flacco heads for New Orleans having ousted Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning and Brady in successive weeks and is now positioned to win his first Super Bowl at a younger age than Phil Simms, Steve Young or Manning.

In five years in the league, Flacco has 54 regular-season wins, which is more than Ben Roethlisberger or Aaron Rodgers over that stretch.

Flacco, though, has never passed for 4,000 yards, more than 25 touchdowns, less than 10 interceptions and he finished 12^th in passer rating (between Philip Rivers and Andy Dalton) this year.
FOOTBALL WEATHER: The forecast for Sunday at MetLife Stadium is a high of 32 degrees and a low of 25 degrees, which is typical for East Rutherford, N.J., this time of year.

Super Bowl XLVIII will be played there next year, so the forecast will matter a lot more then, particularly if the soon-to-be-published Farmer’s Almanac proves accurate.

The venerable publication predicts, “an intense storm, heavy rain, snow and strong winds” for Super Bowl weekend next year.

Until then, the record-low temperature for a Super Bowl kickoff was the prevailing 39-degree conditions for Dallas and Miami in 1972 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans.

The 49ers and Ravens won’t have to deal with outside temperatures next Sunday, since the game will be played indoors at the Superdome.

NO ONE IS SAFE: Pittsburgh slumped to 8-8 after consecutive 12-4 seasons, and general manager Kevin Colbert doesn’t like the feeling at all.’

He’s vowing to get the Steelers under the salary cap by the March 12 deadline, which could take some doing given the $10 million or so the team is projected to be over the limit.

Colbert claims he won’t use the franchise tag to retain any of the team’s unrestricted free agents, which include Mike Wallace, Keenan Lewis, Max Starks, Rashard Mendenhall, Casey Hampton, Larry Foote and Ramon Foster.

Check out NFL Notes by Bruce Hooley every week here at ChrisSpielman.com

 Whether Chip Kelly gave the Browns the cold shoulder or Cleveland developed cold feet will never likely be known, but it sure would make for a hot time in First Energy Stadium if the Browns and Eagles opened the season this season, not last.

Kelly’s stunning acceptance of the Eagles’ coaching job 11 days after walking away from a seven-hour interview with the Browns makes the next Browns-Eagles game, whenever it occurs, must-see TV.

The Browns hired – some would say, settled upon – Rob Chudzinski exactly one week after flirting with Kelly in the aftermath of the Fiesta Bowl.

Cleveland didn’t even interview Chudzinski, or seek permission from the Carolina Panthers, until well after courting Kelly the day before he also met with Philadelphia.

The Eagles were willing to wait and the Browns weren’t, for whatever reason. Neither owner Jimmy Haslam nor CEO Joe Banner would even utter Kelly’s name on Friday when announcing Chudzinski as their first choice (yeah, sure) for the job.

OFFENSE WHERE IT’S AT: Defense may win championships, but offensive coaches get hired. At least, they do this off-season.

Chudzinski is one of six coaches hired so far whose specialty traces to the offensive side, with Arizona and Jacksonville yet to make their choices.

Kelly takes his high-octane attack to Philadelphia, where the Eagles finished 29^th in scoring last season.

Chicago, 16^th in scoring, hopes Marc Trestman can better that after winning the Gray Cup with the Montreal Alouettes.

Former Denver offensive coordinator Mike McCoy will try to fix things in San Diego (20^th in scoring), while Andy Reid takes over in Kansas City (32^nd) and Buffalo (21^st) chose former Saints offensive coordinator and Syracuse coach Doug Marrone.

The Browns finished 24^th in scoring, meaning none of the teams to hire an offensive-oriented head coach wound up among the top half of the league in scoring.

Indianapolis (18^th) was the only team to make the playoffs after finishing in the bottom half of the league in scoring.

Jacksonville (30^th) and Arizona (31^st) may continue the trend, with San Francisco offensive coordinator Greg Roman believed to have the inside track in Jacksonville and Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley having interviewed with the Cardinals.

FAMILIAR FACE: Kelly seems to have a suitable quarterback in Michael Vick if Oregon’s offense is destined for its NFL audition in Philadelphia.

However, Vick’s inability to stay healthy may make that problematic.

Kelly might not be averse to sticking with Nick Foles, who went 1-5 in six starts for the Eagles late in the year.

While Foles isn’t a running quarterback, he had plenty of success against Kelly in the Pacific 12 at Arizona.

In three career games against Kelly’s teams, Foles threw for 314 yards and four TDs, 448 yards and three TDs and 398 yards and three TDs.

YOUNG GUNS: The advent of the NFL rookie wage scale is chasing more and more underclassmen to the NFL earlier and earlier.

Although the official list of early-entries for the April draft won’t come from the NFL until next week, those who track such declarations expect 74 players with remaining collegiate eligibility to leave school for the pros.

That follows a record 56 underclassmen who declared for the draft in 2011 and a record-breaking 65 last season.

Not all will get drafted, of course, since nearly a third failed to get picked last season.

But expect the draft to be laden with underclassmen at the top, including perhaps the top two players in Texas A&M tackle Luke Joeckel and Florida State defensive end Bjoern Werner.

Werner headlines a host of underclass pass-rushers that include A&M’s Damontre Moore, Georgia’s Jarvis Jones and LSU’s Barkevious Mingo.

CORRALING COLIN: The NFC championship could boil down whether  Atlanta can contain San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick in the pocket.

Green Bay failed miserably at that and yielded 181 rushing yards to Kaepernick, who rushed for two touchdowns and passed for two others.

The Falcons ranked 29th in the league in rushing yards allowed per play (4.8 yards) and last in rushing yards allowed after contact (2.1), according to ESPN Stats & Info.

Atlanta also appears vulnerable, given its mixed results against mobile quarterbacks this season.

Russell Wilson rushed for 60 yards and compiled 445 offensive yards in the Falcons’ 31-30 escape in the Division round.

In two regular season games against Atlanta, Cam Newton rushed for 202 yards. And Robert Griffin III rushed for 98 yards against the Falcons in just over a half before leaving with an injury.

No one would cherish a Falcons victory more than defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, who was 18-37 as 49ers head coach before being fired in the middle of the 2008 season.

REMATCHES R’ US: Baltimore’s trip to New England sets up the first AFC Championship game rematch in consecutive seasons since the Browns and Broncos met back-to-back in 1986 and 1987.

Baltimore suffered a heart-breaking loss to the Patriots last season, ala Cleveland’s loss to Denver via The Drive in 1986, when Lee Evans dropped Joe Flacco’s winning touchdown pass in the end zone and Billy Cundiff hooked a 32-yard game-tying field goal attempt for force overtime.

Neither Evans nor Cundiff made the Ravens’ roster this season, but Flacco is back and last week posted the fifth road playoff victory of his career.

Tom Brady, however, is 5-0 in AFC Championship games at Gilette Stadium and is seeking his sixth Super Bowl appearance in 12 seasons.

Check out NFL Notes by Bruce Hooley every week here at ChrisSpielman.com

The Cleveland Browns’ coaching search will kick into overdrive Friday when owner Jimmy Haslam and CEO Joe Banner interview Oregon coach Chip Kelly after he coaches in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl against Kansas State.

Kelly is the “it” name out there this off-season and may want to head for the NFL before the NCAA levies sanctions on both him and Oregon for payments made to Will Lyles, a purported high school talent scout.

Haslam and Banner would be wise to consult with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell before hiring Kelly, just to make sure any disciplinary measures applied by the NCAA don’t also carry forward to the NFL.

Remember, when Jim Tressel left Ohio State amid an NCAA scandal, the Indianapolis Colts made him sit out six games before allowing him to serve as their replay consultant. Goodell noted after that he would have applied a similar penalty if the Colts did not.

Goodell also levied a five-game suspension against ex-Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor for “decisions that undermine the integrity of the eligibility rules for the NFL Draft.” That came after Pryor petitioned for the NFL Supplemental draft in the aftermath of his NCAA violations at OSU coming to light after the date to declare his eligibility for the regular draft.

Kelly may be looking at some serious NCAA sanctions of his own, given Lyles comments to YahooSports.com in March of 2011.

Lyles said Oregon paid him $25,000 for the influence he carried over Texas high school recruits, like LaMichael James and Lache Seastrunk. Lyles claimed Kelly and others at Oregon contacted him shortly before Yahoo! broke the story, insisting he submit retroactive reports on recruits he had never provided to make the $25,000 payment appear legitimate.

TRY, TRY AGAIN: Cincinnati lost twice to Houston last season, including in the first round of the playoffs, so the Bengals should hold a healthy grudge against the Texans when the teams square off Saturday at 4:30 p.m. in Reliant Stadium.

The Bengals have to hope quarterback Andy Dalton and wide receiver A.J. Green have more success against the Texans this season. Last year, Green fell short of 60 receiving yards in both losses to Houston.

The Texans claimed a 31-10 playoff victory at Cincinnati’s expense without starting quarterback Matt Schaub or backup Matt Leinart. Rookie T.J. Yates got the victory that day against the Bengals’ Andy Dalton in the first playoff game in NFL history matching first-year quarterbacks.

There will be another Sunday at 4:30 p.m., when Seattle’s Russell Wilson goes against Washington’s Robert Griffin III in the NFL playoffs.

HE’S BEEN ‘SCHAUWFUL’: Houston blew the chance for home field advantage throughout the playoffs with losses to Minnesota and Indianapolis the final two weeks.

Schaub had 21 touchdown passes against nine interceptions during the Texans’ 11-1 start, but had one TD and three picks over their 1-3 finish.

HELP FROM CHARLIE: Green Bay plays host to Minnesota Saturday night in a rematch of their riveting matchup last week in Minneapolis that the Vikings won, 37-34, with a late field goal.

The Packers hope the return of safety Charles Woodson, who’s missed nine straight games with a broken collarbone, will help slow down Adrian Peterson. Peterson rushed for 199 yards against Green Bay last week, after gaining 210 in Green Bay’s 23-14 victory on Dec. 2.

Woodson sat out both games.

THE PETERSON FACTOR: Green Bay has won five of the six games Peterson has played at Lambeau Field, despite him averaging 106 yards and scoring five touchdowns.

The Vikings are 0-3 on the Frozen Tundra when Peterson tops 100 yards.

Peterson has done a lot better than that somewhat frequently at Green Bay’s expense, gaining 175 or more yards against the Packers four times in 12 career games against them.

INSIDE INFORMATION: It would be foolish to doubt Indianapolis now, given the way the Colts shocked the NFL by rebounding from a two-win season to gain the playoffs in a year during which head coach Chuck Pagano’s leukemia diagnosis and treatment galvanized his team.

Beyond the emotion of all that, and the excellence of rookie quarterback Andrew Luck setting an NFL record by leading seven comeback victories, Indianapolis has a pretty significant ace up its sleeve this week at Baltimore.

Pagano was the Ravens’ secondary coach from 2008-2010 before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2011.

He should have intimate knowledge of Baltimore’s defensive schemes. What’s more, Pagano is a master at scheming pass coverage, which could imperil Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco extending his NFL-record streak of winning at least one playoff game each of his first four seasons.

LAST DANCE FOR RAY: Unless Denver, Houston and New England all lose, Baltimore will play its final home game of the season Sunday, which means Ray Lewis will play his final home game in M&T Bank Stadium.

Lewis, who will return to action after sitting out much of the season with a torn triceps, announced Thursday he will retire following his 17^th NFL season..

His 13 Pro Bowls trail only Bruce Matthews (14), Jerry Rice (13), Reggie White (13) and Tony Gonzalez (13). Lewis’ decisioin sets up a tremendous induction weekend in Canton five years hence, when both he and Gonzalez – who has also announced his retirement at season’s end — enter the Hall of Fame on the first ballot.

Lewis was a seven-time All-Pro, two-time defensive player of the year, Super Bowl MVP in 2000 and is the only player in NFL history with at least 40 career sacks and 30 interceptions.

That’s quite a resume for a guy who was just the 26^th overall pick in the 1996 NFL draft, and the fourth linebacker taken behind Kevin Hardy (2), John Mobley (15) and Reggie Brown (17).

Three Ohio State players also went in the 1996 first round ahead of Lewis – Terry Glenn (7), Ricky Dudley (9) and Eddie George (14).

RECORD ROOKIES: The Robert Griffin-Russell Wilson matchup in Seattle’s game at Washington gets the attention, but neither rookie offered their respective record-setting season solely on their own merits.

Griffin’s 102.4 passer rating is the highest ever by a rookie and the third-best in the NFL this year. He threw 20 touchdowns against only five interceptions, while also setting a rookie record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 815.

Wilson tied Peyton Manning’s rookie record with 26 touchdown passes, throwing 16 touchdowns against only two interceptions to fuel the Seahawks’ 7-1 finish. His 100.0 passer rating would have established an NFL record if not for Griffin.

Washington has won seven straight and Seattle five in a row, but they did that as much with strong running games as their rookie quarterbacks.

The Redskins led the NFL with 2,709 yards, getting 1,613 of those from rookie Alfred Morris.

Seattle’s Marshawn Lynch gained 1,590 yards to finish third behind Morris, powering a Seattle rushing attack that finished third in the league with 2,579 yards.

ONE WEEK TO REST: The playoff spotlight will burn hottest toward Atlanta’s Matt Ryan once the first round concludes this weekend.

Ryan is 0-3 in the post-season, with more interceptions (4) than touchdown passes (3).

The Falcons will enjoy home field throughout the playoffs, which should loom large given Ryan’s 33-5 home record during his career. However, in his one previous home playoff game, Ryan threw two interceptions in a 48-21 loss to Green Bay.

There will be only slightly less pressure on San Francisco’s Colin Kaepernick, even though he will be making his first playoff start.

Kaepernick’s leash is short because San Francisco reached the NFC championship game last season behind Alex Smith, whose concussion opened the door for Kaepernick to get the nod from head coach Jim Harbaugh.

Check out NFL Notes by Bruce Hooley every week here at ChrisSpielman.com

The Cleveland Browns’ coaching search will kick into overdrive Friday when owner Jimmy Haslam and CEO Joe Banner interview Oregon coach Chip Kelly after he coaches in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl against Kansas State.

Kelly is the “it” name out there this off-season and may want to head for the NFL before the NCAA levies sanctions on both him and Oregon for payments made to Will Lyles, a purported high school talent scout.

Haslam and Banner would be wise to consult with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell before hiring Kelly, just to make sure any disciplinary measures applied by the NCAA don’t also carry forward to the NFL.

Remember, when Jim Tressel left Ohio State amid an NCAA scandal, the Indianapolis Colts made him sit out six games before allowing him to serve as their replay consultant. Goodell noted after that he would have applied a similar penalty if the Colts did not.

Goodell also levied a five-game suspension against ex-Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor for “decisions that undermine the integrity of the eligibility rules for the NFL Draft.” That came after Pryor petitioned for the NFL Supplemental draft in the aftermath of his NCAA violations at OSU coming to light after the date to declare his eligibility for the regular draft.

Kelly may be looking at some serious NCAA sanctions of his own, given Lyles comments to YahooSports.com in March of 2011.

Lyles said Oregon paid him $25,000 for the influence he carried over Texas high school recruits, like LaMichael James and Lache Seastrunk. Lyles claimed Kelly and others at Oregon contacted him shortly before Yahoo! broke the story, insisting he submit retroactive reports on recruits he had never provided to make the $25,000 payment appear legitimate.

TRY, TRY AGAIN: Cincinnati lost twice to Houston last season, including in the first round of the playoffs, so the Bengals should hold a healthy grudge against the Texans when the teams square off Saturday at 4:30 p.m. in Reliant Stadium.

The Bengals have to hope quarterback Andy Dalton and wide receiver A.J. Green have more success against the Texans this season. Last year, Green fell short of 60 receiving yards in both losses to Houston.

The Texans claimed a 31-10 playoff victory at Cincinnati’s expense without starting quarterback Matt Schaub or backup Matt Leinart. Rookie T.J. Yates got the victory that day against the Bengals’ Andy Dalton in the first playoff game in NFL history matching first-year quarterbacks.

There will be another Sunday at 4:30 p.m., when Seattle’s Russell Wilson goes against Washington’s Robert Griffin III in the NFL playoffs.

HE’S BEEN ‘SCHAUWFUL’: Houston blew the chance for home field advantage throughout the playoffs with losses to Minnesota and Indianapolis the final two weeks.

Schaub had 21 touchdown passes against nine interceptions during the Texans’ 11-1 start, but had one TD and three picks over their 1-3 finish.

HELP FROM CHARLIE: Green Bay plays host to Minnesota Saturday night in a rematch of their riveting matchup last week in Minneapolis that the Vikings won, 37-34, with a late field goal.
The Packers hope the return of safety Charles Woodson, who’s missed nine straight games with a broken collarbone, will help slow down Adrian Peterson. Peterson rushed for 199 yards against Green Bay last week, after gaining 210 in Green Bay’s 23-14 victory on Dec. 2.

Woodson sat out both games.

THE PETERSON FACTOR: Green Bay has won five of the six games Peterson has played at Lambeau Field, despite him averaging 106 yards and scoring five touchdowns.

The Vikings are 0-3 on the Frozen Tundra when Peterson tops 100 yards.

Peterson has done a lot better than that somewhat frequently at Green Bay’s expense, gaining 175 or more yards against the Packers four times in 12 career games against them.

INSIDE INFORMATION: It would be foolish to doubt Indianapolis now, given the way the Colts shocked the NFL by rebounding from a two-win season to gain the playoffs in a year during which head coach Chuck Pagano’s leukemia diagnosis and treatment galvanized his team.

Beyond the emotion of all that, and the excellence of rookie quarterback Andrew Luck setting an NFL record by leading seven comeback victories, Indianapolis has a pretty significant ace up its sleeve this week at Baltimore.

Pagano was the Ravens’ secondary coach from 2008-2010 before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2011.

a master at scheming pass coverage, which could imperil Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco extending his NFL-record streak of winning at least one playoff game each of his first four seasons.

LAST DANCE FOR RAY: Unless Denver, Houston and New England all lose, Baltimore will play its final home game of the season Sunday, which means Ray Lewis will play his final home game in M&T Bank Stadium.

Lewis, who will return to action after sitting out much of the season with a torn triceps, announced Thursday he will retire following his 17th NFL season.

His 13 Pro Bowls trail only Bruce Matthews (14), Jerry Rice (13), Reggie White (13) and Tony Gonzalez (13). Lewis’ decisioin sets up a tremendous induction weekend in Canton five years hence, when both he and Gonzalez – who has also announced his retirement at season’s end — enter the Hall of Fame on the first ballot.

Lewis was a seven-time All-Pro, two-time defensive player of the year, Super Bowl MVP in 2000 and is the only player in NFL history with at least 40 career sacks and 30 interceptions.

That’s quite a resume for a guy who was just the 26th overall pick in the 1996 NFL draft, and the fourth linebacker taken behind Kevin Hardy (2), John Mobley (15) and Reggie Brown (17).

Three Ohio State players also went in the 1996 first round ahead of Lewis – Terry Glenn (7), Ricky Dudley (9) and Eddie George (14).

RECORD ROOKIES: The Robert Griffin-Russell Wilson matchup in Seattle’s game at Washington gets the attention, but neither rookie offered their respective record-setting season solely on their own merits.

Griffin’s 102.4 passer rating is the highest ever by a rookie and the third-best in the NFL this year. He threw 20 touchdowns against only five interceptions, while also setting a rookie record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 815.

Wilson tied Peyton Manning’s rookie record with 26 touchdown passes, throwing 16 touchdowns against only two interceptions to fuel the Seahawks’ 7-1 finish. His 100.0 passer rating would have established an NFL record if not for Griffin.

Washington has won seven straight and Seattle five in a row, but they did that as much with strong running games as their rookie quarterbacks.

The Redskins led the NFL with 2,709 yards, getting 1,613 of those from rookie Alfred Morris.

Seattle’s Marshawn Lynch gained 1,590 yards to finish third behind Morris, powering a Seattle rushing attack that finished third in the league with 2,579 yards.

ONE WEEK TO REST: The playoff spotlight will burn hottest toward Atlanta’s Matt Ryan once the first round concludes this weekend.
Ryan is 0-3 in the post-season, with more interceptions (4) than touchdown passes (3).

The Falcons will enjoy home field throughout the playoffs, which should loom large given Ryan’s 33-5 home record during his career. However, in his one previous home playoff game, Ryan threw two interceptions in a 48-21 loss to Green Bay.

There will be only slightly less pressure on San Francisco’s Colin Kaepernick, even though he will be making his first playoff start.

Kaepernick’s leash is short because San Francisco reached the NFC championship game last season behind Alex Smith, whose concussion opened the door for Kaepernick to get the nod from head coach Jim Harbaugh.

Check out NFL Notes by Bruce Hooley every week here at ChrisSpielman.com

Cleveland’s season finale Sunday at Pittsburgh looms as a fitting farewell to Pat Shurmur’s reign of error, given he might be forced to start practice-squad quarterback Thad Lewis against an angry Steelers’ defense. Lewis is one of the guys Shurmur kept around because of his personal affinity for him until a roster squeeze forced the Browns to re-assign him to the practice squad at the end of fall camp.

Now, with rookie Brandon Weeden and backup Colt McCoy both felled by the ferocious Denver pass rush, Lewis took all the first-team reps on Wednesday and looks to build on the (wink, wink) illustrious legacy of Duke University quarterbacks in the NFL.

Shurmur and general manager Tom Heckert, who’s also likely to get the boot on Monday from new Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and his CEO Joe Banner, fell in love with lots of the wrong players during their three-year stay.

Heckert’s draft choices and free-agent or undrafted free-agent signings in the secondary — beyond No. 7 overall pick Joe Haden in 2009 — include T.J. Ward, Sheldon Brown, Buster Skrine, Dimitri Patterson, Eric Hagg, Usama Young, Larry Asante, Johnson Bademosi, Trevin Wade, Sabby Piscitelli, Abe Elam, Brodney Pool and Hank Poteat.

Given a defensive backfield with such Heckert-acquired luminaries, it doesn’t matter if the opposing quarterback is an untested rookie like Kirk Cousins, who threw for 329 yards two weeks ago, or NFL Hall-of-Famer Peyton Manning, who torched the Browns for 339 yards last week in Denver.

Heckert, Shurmur and Mike Holmgren — the guy who brought them in to fatten agent Bob LaMonte’s retirement nest egg — also made their share of mistakes at quarterback. That position, only the most important on the field, fell flat with Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace, then McCoy. Many Browns fans are also ready to bail on Weeden, although the 29-year-old first-round may be redeemable once Shurmur’s Check-down Charlie Offense is run out of town.

Weeden went down with a right shoulder injury on the second Denver sack in the Browns’ 34-12 loss to the Broncos, which brought on McCoy. Denver sacked him on his first snap, and three more times over the final quarter, while Shurmur exhausted his timeouts to extend the game and continue to throw.

That angered some Browns players and, it turns out, injured McCoy’s shoulder sufficiently that he couldn’t practice Wednesday. It’s probably just as well, given the flashbacks another matchup against the Steelers might inspire in McCoy, who took a brutal,concussion-causing hit from James Harrison at Heinz Field a year ago.

McCoy was so shell-shocked Sunday in Denver he admitted afterward to throwing some balls intentionally into the dirt to avoid “getting knocked out.”

The trip to Pittsburgh will end a Browns’ season for the sixth time in their 14 post-expansion season. Cleveland is 0-5 in those games, including one AFC wild-card playoff loss.

SEE YOU NEXT WEEK: Cincinnat (9-6) hasn’t played AFC North rival Baltimore (10-5) since the season-opener, but their game Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium could be the first of two in a row.

The Bengals, who last at the Ravens, 44-13, on Sept. 10, would go back to Baltimore for a playoff game if they lose Sunday and New England (11-4) loses to visiting Miami (7-8).

It’s more likely the Bengals will open the post-season at New England, or perhaps Houston or Denver, depending upon how the AFC playoff seeds shake out.

Baltimore ended a three-game losing streak in style last week, pounding the Giants, 33-14. Cincinnati’s defense is playing well and has fueled the team’s 6-1 closing spurt.

The Ravens currently own the No. 4 seed and would play host to No. 5 Indianapolis next week, unless they move up with a win over Cincinnati and a Patriots’ loss.

Baltimore has lost all but two of its last seven games in Cincinnati, but has won four straight against the Bengals thanks to seven touchdowns from running back Ray Rice over that stretch. Rice ran for 191 yards at Cincinnati last year.

YOU GO, JOE: Browns left tackle Joe Thomas remains a bright spot in a dismal franchise’s history. Named to his sixth Pro Bowl in as many seasons on Wednesday, Thomas becomes one of 15 players to earn that honor in each of their first six years.

Thirteen of those players eventually made the NFL Hall of Fame, which Thomas set as a goal upon being drafted No. 3 overall in 2007. If he realizes that dream, Thomas would join players like Jim Brown, Dick Butkus, Joe Greene, Franco Harris, Barry Sanders, Merlin Olsen Emmitt Smith and Lawrence Taylor in parlaying 6-for-6 Pro Bowl success at the start of his career into induction in Canton.

Thomas has started every one of his 80 career games and has never missed a snap.

FIRST FOR PHIL: Most guys who make the Pro Bowl toward the end of their careers get the honor as a career-achievement award. That’s not the case with Browns kicker Phil Dawson.

The 37-year-old, who’s spent every one of his 14 seasons in purgatory in Cleveland, earned his first trip to Hawaii this year by making 28-of-29 attempts, including all six from 50 yards and beyond.

Dawson’s .966 success rate leads the AFC and his 29 touchbacks on kickoffs more than doubled his previous career-best of 12.

Dawson is the NFL’s most accurate kicker with 300 or more field goal attempts, having converted 304 of 361, or 84.2%. He’s 23-of-32 from 50 yards and beyond, but 13-of-14 the past two years.

NUMBERS LIE, OR NOT: This why you can’t trust quarterback rating as a measure of a passer’s worth.

Weeden’s rating (72.6) is the worst among the NFL’s five rookie starters at his position and ranks last in the league. But Andrew Luck ranks 29^th and Ryan Tannehill 28^th.

No sane person would argue Tannehill is better than Luck, who set a single-season rookie passing yardage record and set an NFL record by directing seven comeback wins in his first season.

Robert Griffin III’s rating of 104.1 traces to his ratio of 20 touchdowns against only five interceptions. But Alex Smith, benched in San Francisco for Colin Kaepernck, has the same rating as RG3.

Seattle’s Russell Wilson is getting some mention as NFL rookie-of-the-year over both Luck and Griffin. Wilson is within one touchdown pass of matching Manning’s NFL rookie record of 26, yet Wilson’s 98.0 QB rating is lower than Smith’s.

HOT TAMALES: Seattle (10-5) has the glow of the NFC’s hottest team after its 42-13 dismantling of San Francisco (10-4-1), which positions the Seahawks to win the NFC West if they win Sunday against visiting St. Louis and the 49ers lose at home to Arizona.

If the 49ers win, or Seattle loses, San Francisco wins the NFC West and plays host to a playoff game

But despite Seattle outscoring its last three opponents, 150-30, Green Bay looms as the hottest team in the NFC, not because of its 55-7 throttling of Tennessee on Sunday, but because the Packers have won four in a row and nine of 10 since starting 2-3.

Everyone wondered back then what could be wrong with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but two of those losses came in the infamous Monday Night Football/Replacement Official debacle against Seattle and the other came against an inspired Colts team the week of head coach Chuck Pagaono’s leukemia diagnosis.

No one knew then that Indianapolis would wind up an AFC wild card.

RECORD RUN: The Packers can capture the No. 2 overall seed with a win Sunday at Minnesota, where Adrian Peterson’s pursuit of the NFL’s single-season rushing record takes a back seat to the Vikings’ pursuit of their first playoff berth since 2009.

Minnesota (9-6) can win its way in by breaking a five-game losing streak against Green Bay, which would probably set up a rematch next week in the wild card at Lambeau Field.

Should the Vikings lose to Green Bay, they would need Chicago (9-6) to lose at Arizona, Dallas (8-7) to lose at Washington (9-6) and the Giants (8-7) to lose at home against Philadelphia (4-11) in order to make the playoffs.

Chicago is best-positioned to take advantage of a Minnesota loss. The Bears would advance to the post-season with a win at Arizona and a Vikings’ loss.

Peterson gained only 86 yards on 25 carries in the Vikings win Sunday at Houston, so he needs 208 against Green Bay to break Eric Dickerson’s record of 2,105 yards set in 1984.

Peterson had rushed for 100 or more yards in eight straight games, including 212 in a loss to the Packers on Dec. 2 and 212 against St. Louis two weeks ago.

Getting that sort of production against the Packers again will be much more difficult, since Green Bay is healthier on defense now and is playing extremely well.

The Packers have held both Chicago and Tennessee to less than 200 total yards the past two weeks, which included limiting the Titans’ Chris Johnson to 28 yards rushing.

BRING BACK CHARLIE: Ben Roethlisberger’s return was supposed to spark the Steelers’ run to the playoffs. Instead, it extinguished the flame on Pittsburgh’s chances, drowning them in a hail of ill-advised, Big Ben interceptions.

An overtime giveaway at Dallas set up the winning field goal two weeks ago, and Sunday Roethlisberger rescued a stagnant Cincinnati offense with a Pick Six and a late-game interception that set up another winning kick.

The Steelers went 0-3 after Roethlisberger returned from a rib injury suffered in a win at Kansas City, and thus will miss the post-season for just the second time in head coach Mike Tomlin’s six seasons.

Roethlisberger may get well Sunday against visiting Cleveland, against whom he has started and lost only once in his career. He sat out Pittsburgh’s 20-13 loss in Cleveland on Nov. 25 because of his injured ribs.

Charlie Batch filled in for Roethlisberger that day, then quarterbacked Pittsburgh to its last victory the following week at Baltimore.

Since then, the Steelers have sandwiched home losses to San Diego and Cincinnati around a road loss at Dallas.

Pittsburgh has lost four in a row at home, and last won at Heinz Field on Nov. 12 against Kansas City in overtime.

GIANT MYSTERY: Tom Coughlin’s two Super Bowl victories give him license to coach the Giants as long as he wants, but this will be a torturous off-season for him and the defending Super Bowl champions, barring a series of unlikely circumstances that provide a second life in the playoffs.

To gain a wild card berth, New York needs the Lions to defeat Chicago, Green Bay to win at Minnesota and Washington to beat or tie Dallas.

Otherwise, the Giants will fail to make the playoffs for the third time in the season following their four Super Bowl wins.

It’s head-scratching to explain how a team that blew out the Saints, 52-27, can follow that with a 34-0 loss in Atlanta and a 33-14 loss at Baltimore.

In nine years, Coughlin’s team has never started worse than 5-3, but never finished the second half of the season better than 5-3. Last year, New York started 6-2, then sank to 6-6 before winning two of its last three to get into the playoffs, after which no one could stay with them.

Another 6-2 start this year deteriorated into a 2-5 second half, with one of those two wins an inexplicable 38-10 rout of Green Bay, which is the only game the Packers have lost in their last 10.

BEHOLD, THE RECORD-HOLDERS: New NFL records set so far this season include:

Luck’s 4,051 passing yards tops Cam Newton’s 4,051 from last year.

Dallas tight end Jason Witten’s 103 catches edges Tony Gonzalez’s mark of 102 at that position.

Drew Brees’ 4,781 passing yards make him the first player in NFL history with three straight seasons of 4,500 yards or more.

Minnesota kicker Blair Walsh established a new mark with nine field goals of 50 yards or more.

BYE, BYE, BEANIE: Chris “Beanie” Wells didn’t carry the ball again Sunday after he dropped it inside the 5-yard line, giving Chicago the first of two defensive touchdowns in its 28-13 win over Arizona.

That may also be Wells’ last carry as a Cardinal if the team doesn’t want to risk owing him an injury settlement by playing him Sunday at San Francisco.

Wells has played 16 games only once in his four seasons, that his rookie year, when he didn’t start a game.

He gained just over 1,000 yards last season, when he sat out two games.

The former Ohio State Buckeye and first-round draft choice never gave Arizona the rushing threat it expected upon taking him with the next-to-last pick of the first round in 2009.

The Cardinals would owe Wells $1.1million next year if they pick up their club option, but he doesn’t expect that to happen, referring to his off-season release as, “inevitable.”

Check out NFL Notes by Bruce Hooley every week here at ChrisSpielman.com

 Randy Lerner made one of his biggest mistakes as owner of the Cleveland Browns by hiring Mike Holmgren as team president and counting on him to do a job well that he’d never done well before.

The Browns infamously won only 13 games during Holmgren’s two-plus seasons before he got the axe from new owner Jimmy Haslam, whose first move involved hiring former Philadelphia Eagles executive Joe Banner as the team’s new CEO.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that Banner plans to involve himself more heavily in matters in Cleveland than he ever had authority to control in Philadelphia, where he served as a salary cap expert, contract negotiator and the brains behind the business side of the organization.

With the Browns, that latter role, and perhaps more, will fall to new Browns’ president Alec Scheiner, 39, who Haslam lured away from the Dallas Cowboys this week.

Scheiner reviewed every contract related to corporate sponsorship in Jerry Jones’ $1 billion Cowboys Stadium, and he’ll do the same for the Browns.

Scheiner seems uniquely qualified to hit a home run in both marketing the team and improving fans’ game-day experience — areas the Browns have lagged behind the rest of the NFL. But if Scheiner is doing that job, Banner won’t be, which likely frees him to try his hand at football-related matters Andy Reid and others handled in Philadelphia.

That’s where Banner and Reid clashed, leading to a power struggle Banner lost, ultimately causing his boyhood friend, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, to part ways with him.

Banner is undoubtedly a smart guy, but only time will tell if he’s smart enough to excel in a role he hasn’t previously performed.

Widespread rumors have Banner hiring former Browns’ player personnel director Michael Lombardi for a similar role in Cleveland’s new management structure, thus forcing current general manager Tom Heckert to resign, if he isn’t fired outright.

Both would be wildly-unpopular decisions with the team’s fans, and Lombardi seems almost universally disliked by Cleveland media members who remember his first go-‘round with the team.

Banner, though, doesn’t care about winning popularity contests, so the vitriolic reaction toward Lombardi’s possible hiring won’t sway him off that decision if Banner is so inclined.

NEVER ENOUGH: Is there anyone in football, or in the world, who tires of winning or making money? Question is, which might Alabama coach Nick Saban like more?

Saban could be on the Browns’ short list of coaching candidates when, not if, incumbent coach Pat Shurmur is fired. That’s almost sure to happen on New Year’s Eve, the day after Cleveland finishes the season at Pittsburgh.

Saban, a former Browns’ defensive coordinator under Bill Belichick, when Lombardi contributed heavily to the draft, is likely to intrigue Haslam as the franchise’s coach of the future.

Haslam is a huge University of Tennessee fan and among its biggest financial boosters. That means he’s a Southeastern Conference guy all the way, and what better coach could an SEC devotee get for his football team than Saban?

And, what bigger solid could a Tennessee booster do the Volunteers than to hire Saban away from Alabama?

Saban makes $5 million or so annually to mow down opponents at Alabama, but he might make up to twice that if reports of a $10-year, $100-million offer from Haslam prove true.

Browns’ running back Trent Richardson, who starred for Saban at Alabama, sounds skeptical.

“I can’t see him coming to the NFL,” Richardson said Wednesday. “I would be very shocked. How can you get tired of winning? He’s got so much going there. He has no reason to level.

“…Rumors are rumors. I don’t buy into it. That’s one thing he taught me to do – not buy into rumors.”

As for Saban, he said this week of the rumors regarding his return to the NFL, “No matter what I say, nobody ever believes me.”

That could be because five years ago in Miami, Saban flatly stated he would not be the next Alabama head coach, and inside of two weeks later he was introduced in Tuscaloosa.

NUMBERS GAME: Cincinnati (8-6) has won five of six to recover from a 3-5 start and gain control of its playoff destiny. In that sense, the numbers appear to favor the Bengals. But in another vein, the numbers tell a depressing story.

Coach Marvin Lewis’ team will reach the post-season if it wins at Pittsburgh (7-7) and home against Baltimore (9-5) next week. Trouble is, Cincy has lost five in a row to Pittsburgh and four in a row against the Ravens.

Baltimore has clinched a playoff spot, but could still lose the AFC North to Cincinnati with losses this week against the visiting Giants (8-6) and a Bengals sweep of their last two games.

The Bengals lost to the Steelers (24-17) and Baltimore (44-13) in the teams’ first meetings this fall.

HOW’S THAT WORK? Jets’ coach Rex Ryan, for all his bluster, must be among the most powerless coaches in the NFL.

There’s no other way to make sense of Ryan’s explanation for why things haven’t worked out for Tim Tebow, who cost the Jets (6-8) a fourth-round pick in a trade with Denver.

“I think we had a vision of using Tim in different ways,” Ryan said this week upon naming No. 3 QB Greg McIlroy, not Tebow, the Jets’ starter Sunday against visiting San Diego (5-9). “Obviously, we used him as a personal punt protector. I thought maybe we would use him in other ways or something.”

Wouldn’t’ the method New York employed Tebow be Ryan’s call?

Tebow has 102 rushing yards on 32 carries and is 6-of-8 passing for 39 yards.

He received his first complete offensive series of the season Monday night in a loss to Tennessee.

“Did I expect to have a little more success running the wildcat? Maybe I did,” Ryan said. “I’m sure I did.”

Whatever.

SUBJECT TO CHANGE: With two weeks left in the regular season, the fight for the No. 1 overall pick in the April draft looks like a battle between Kansas City and Jacksonville. Both are 2-12, with the Chiefs hosting Indianapolis and finishing at Denver and the Jags getting New England at home and Tennessee on the road.

After that comes Oakland (4-10), Philadelphia (4-10) and Detroit (4-10) battling for picks No. 3-5.

San Diego (5-9) sits sixth, with Cleveland (5-9) seventh.

Cleveland could move up, given road games at Denver and Pittsburgh. San Diego plays at the Jets and then hosts Oakland.

Pittsburgh is currently 17^th and Cincinnati 18^th.

MAYBE HE ISN’T: “Eli’s Comin’ “ was a popular 60s rock song, but New York Giants fans are beginning to wonder if the quarterback who led the G-men (8-6) to two Super Bowls is planning to show up this season or not.

Eli Manning hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass in four of his last seven starts entering a 4:25 p.m kickoff, and must-win, Sunday at Baltimore.

The vaunted Giants’ pass rush hasn’t been much to speak of lately, either, registering two sacks in the team’s last five games.

Manning has thrown both eight touchdown passes and eight interceptions in his last seven starts, during which the Giants are 3-4.

CRIMES AGAINST ‘VIEWMANITY’ It’s probably a good thing there are no more Monday Night Football games this season after the quarterback exhibition Mark Sanchez and Jake Locker perpetrated on the American public.

Sanchez threw four interceptions and suffered a game-ending lost fumble in the Jets’ 14-10 loss to Titans. That raised Sanchez’s turnover total the past two years to an even 50.

Locker, though, wasn’t much better in victory.

The second-year pro from Washington completed 13-of-22 passes for 149 yards, which is pretty representative of how he’s thrown the ball all season.

That explains why the Titans made a major play for Peyton Manning last spring, and why the team is 5-9 entering a game at Green Bay.

Locker is completing just 57% of his passes and has thrown for both nine touchdowns and nine interceptions.

SAY IT AIN’T SO, JOE: Given all the bad quarterbacking in the league this year – not just Sanchez and Locker, but the Arizona Cardinals’ Ryan Lindley and John Skelton, Jacksonville’s Blaine Gabbert and occasionally Cleveland’s Brandon Weeden — the lowest QBR rating of the season in a single game belongs to Baltimore’s Joe Flacco.

Twice.

ESPN invented QBR to give a more understandable measurement of a quarterback’s rating. The statistic is still not all that clear, but what is clear is that Flacco has been abominable both in Week 7 vs Houston and last Sunday against Denver.

His pick-six late in the second-quarter expanded a 10-0 Denver lead and essentially decided the outcome..

Baltimore must decide after the season whether to invest heavily in Flacco, who believes he deserves Top Five quarterback money.

With likely six playoff appearances in as many years, Flacco would be hard to let walk as a free agent, given a weak quarterback draft class and no clearly-superior free agent. But, given the lack of alternatives, Baltimore will probably overpay to avoid a return to the Brian Billick era when quarterbacks like Elvis Grbac, Kyle Boller, Tony Banks and Jeff Blake rotated through the door.

CRAZY NUMBERS: It still hasn’t been a year since Vikings running back Adrian Peterson tore knee ligaments last Dec. 24, putting his availability for 2012 in doubt. But as the Vikings (8-6)get ready to play at Houston (12-2), Peterson is 293 yards of Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards.

Peterson has 500 more yards rushing than No. 2 back Marshawn Lynch and 356 more yards from scrimmage than Detroit wideout Calvin Johnson, which is why many think Peterson will win league MVP honors if Minnesota makes the playoffs.

Here are some more mind-numbing numbers on Peterson. He’s run for 1,313 yards in his last eight games and has accounted for 44 percent of the Vikings’ offense and produced a third of their touchdowns.

The Vikings were 3-13 a year ago, but are 8-6 now.

But the most amazing number of all is that Peterson is averaging 6.3 yards per-carry, which is more than quarterback Christian Ponder (5.95) averages per pass attempt.

Quarterbacks have won the last five MVPs, including two by Peyton Manning, whoc is likely Peterson’s top competition for the award.

LaDainian Tomlinson was the last running back to win MVP in 2006, and O.J. Simpson in 1973 is the last winner from a non-playoff team.

HEY, VERN? San Francisco’s four wins in five games since head coach Jim Harbaugh chose Colin Kaepernick over Alex Smith at quarterback gives the image the 49ers (10-3-1) are hitting on all cylinders.

Well, all but one.

Tight end Vernon Davis, the team’s most-reliable threat last year in the post-season, has been largely missing in action since Kaepernick’s second game.

Davis caught six passes for 83 yards and a TD in Kaepernick’s debut vs. Chicago and said that “felt like somebody took the handcuffs off me.”

Davis has been in a straightjacket of sorts ever since, catching four passes for 29 yards in four games.

Kaepernick will be tested Sunday at Seattle (9-5), with the Seahawks needing a win to clinch a wildcard berth.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW: Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has apologized to head coach Mike Tomlin, offensive coordinator Todd Haley and owner Art Rooney II after popping off about the team’s offense after a 27-24 overtime loss in Dallas.

Roethlisberger, whose interception set up the Cowboys winning field goal, griped about the lack of employing the no-huddle attack and a failure to target tight end Heath Miller.

“I let my frustrations jump out after a game, I don’t usually do that,” Roethlisberger said. “Usually, I keep it under control. I was just frustrated with myself and I’ll be better at that.”

Roethlisberger has occasionally bickered with previous offensive coordinators Bruce Arians and Ken Whisenhunt, but those disagreements went away quickly because the Steelers were winning.’

If Pittsburgh loses at Cincinnati and doesn’t make the playoffs, the off-season in Pittsburgh could get very interesting.

The Steelers, who have lost four of five games, can clinch a return to the post-season by defeating both the Bengals and Browns at home the last two weeks.

Check out NFL Notes by Bruce Hooley every week here at ChrisSpielman.com

Washington’s trip to Cleveland has been circled on the calendars of Browns’ fans since Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert flinched on a Friday night in March and St. Louis instead traded the No. 2 overall pick and the right to select Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III to the Redskins.

Griffin appears likely to play against the Browns after practicing Wednesday on a sprained right knee he suffered late in regulation of an overtime victory against Baltimore.

Backup Kirk Cousins, who threw a late touchdown pass and scored the tying two-point conversion to force overtime, would start if Griffin cannot.

Should Griffin play, and be close to the form he’s shown all season, it will give Cleveland quarterback Brandon Weeden the opportunity to gain his second victory this season over a quarterback who created more buzz as a possible Brown than Weeden has as the team’s starter.

Weeden went 25-of-41 for 264 yards and two touchdowns in Cleveland’s 17-13 loss at Indianapolis on Oct. 21. That might have been his best performance of the season,. Statistically, at least, it trumped the 16-of-29, 186-yard effort from No. 1 overall pick Andrew Luck, who didn’throw for a touchdown, but did run for one that day at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Browns (5-8) could have trumped Washington’s offer for the No. 2 overall pick if they had agreed to include the second-round choice in 2013 that Cleveland later used to grab wide receiver Josh Gordon in the Supplemental Draft.

St. Louis gained Washington’s No. 1 picks in 2012, 2013 and 2014 for the pick that led to the Redskins (7-6) drafting RGIII.

Cleveland had two No. 1 choices in this past draft, and agreed to swap those and its No. 1 in 2013 to St. Louis, but would not also include a second-rounder.

Had the Browns made the trade, they would have Griffin, but they wouldn’t have Trent Richardson, Weeden, Gordon or a No. 1 in the upcoming draft.

WATCH OUT, ROOK: Cincinnati (7-6) seems to have the personnel to make life rough for Eagles rookie quarterback Nick Foles on Thursday night in Philadelphia.

The Bengals lead the league with 42 sacks, which can’t be good for a Philly offensive line that’s played nine different guys this season.

Foles suffered six sacks Sunday against four-man pressure, but directed a win over Tampa Bay despite the pressure.

Cincinnati is 2-2 against rookie quarterbacks this season, splitting with Weeden, defeating RGIII and losing to Miami’s Ryan Tannyhill.

TIME TO PROVE IT: Denver (10-4) is the AFC’s hottest team, winning eight in a row as it heads for Baltimore (9-4). The Ravens, despite losing to Washington and firing offensive coordinator Cam Cameron on Monday, will easily be the best team the Broncos have played during their winning streak.

Losing to first Charlie Batch and then rookie backup Kirk Cousins somehow fell on Cameron, even though Sunday Baltimore featured running back Ray Rice and gained a season-high 186 yards rushing to answer one of the bones of contention against Cameron this season.

Quarterback Joe Flacco is out of excuses now. He’s butted heads with Cameron over the Ravens’ failure to use the no-huddle employed extensively in the preseason, but the real trouble with Baltimore’s offense is Flacco’s uneven pocket awareness and his recent failure to locate deep threat Torrey Smith downfield.

Flacco threw one interception against Washington and also lost a fumble. Meanwhile, Smith caught only one pass on just three targets.

Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, of course, is among the best in NFL history at spreading the wealth to his receivers. Of course, that’s much easier given the weak opponents Denver has been playing.

It has fashioned the franchise’s longest winning streak since the 1998 Super Bowl year by playing only one team currently with a winning record –  Cincinnati. The overall winning percentage of the eight straight teams Denver has beaten is .356.

No wonder the Broncos have triumphed by an average score of 30-18. During their streak.

COULD BE INTERESTING: Houston (11-2) has been conceded the AFC South since mid-season, but the Texans’ 42-14 loss at New England on Monday raises doubts about whether they can hold off Indianapolis (9-4).

The Colts and Texans will meet for the first of two games in three weeks Sunday at Reliant Stadium. A Houston win clinches the division, but a loss thickens the plot and sets up the return match in the season finale at Indy.

The Colts have won three in a row and seven of eight games. They would become one of just two teams in NFL history to make the playoffs after losing 14 games or more the previous season.

Miami first accomplished that turnaround in 2008.

Luck has directed six fourth-quarter comeback victories, a first since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.

PUT UP OR SHUT UP: If Atlanta (11-2) wants to silence the doubters in the aftermath of losing to lowly Carolina, the Falcons get the perfect chance Sunday against the defending Super Bowl champion Giants (8-5).

Of course, it’s not the post-season yet, so Eli Manning and the Giants probably aren’t fully engaged, but it would still be a big step for Atlanta to avenge the 24-2 playoff loss it suffered at New York in January.

The two teams could meet again in the post-season this year, but that game could be in Atlanta this time if the Falcons can close out strong and secure home field advantage.

Matt Ryan and Co. have clinched a playoff berth, but they’ve yet to earn a bye.

Atlanta doesn’t fit the profile of the last two Super Bowl winners, given its hot start.

Both Green Bay in 2010 and the Giants last year rallied in December after being on the cusp of missing the playoffs. The Packers needed wins in their last two regular season games, and three playoff wins on the road, to reach the Super Bowl. The Giants also needed two wins to end the regular season after losing five of six, and had only one playoff game at home.

LOVE YOU, MAN: It’s hard to offend some people, and for that, Braylon Edwards can be glad.

The former Browns No. 3 overall pick is back with the New York Jets soon after being dumped by the Seattle Seahawks, even though Edwards called Jets’ decision-makers “idiots” just last week.

Edwards leveled that salvo on Twitter for New York’s handling of quarterback Mark Sanchez.

In 2009 and 2010, Edwards was one of Sanchez’s favorite receivers, catching 88 passes for 1,445 yards and 11 touchdowns before the Jets let Edwards go in free agency in 2011.

Edwards caught just 23 passes in two years since leaving New York, which took him back because of injuries that decimated its wide-receiving corp.

THAT CAN’T BE RIGHT: San Francisco (9-3-1) would grab considerable buzz as a Super Bowl challenger with a win Sunday night at New England (10-3).

Stopping the Niners means stopping running back Frank Gore, but it’s a little-known fact that New England’s Stevan Ridley (1,082) has more rushing yards this season than Gore (1,035). Ridley has carried it 34 more times, which is also stunning given New England’s image as a throw-it-around offense and the book on San Francisco as a team which pounds the running game.

The Niners’ defense is formidable, but Tom Brady and the Patriots have scored 37 or more points five times.

The game marks the return of Randy Moss to New England, where he and Brady led New England to an 18-0 record in 2007 before a 17-14 loss to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII. Brady threw for 4,806 yards that season, with Moss catching 98 passes for 1,493 yards and 23 scores.

Check out NFL Notes by Bruce Hooley every week here at ChrisSpielman.com

 Cincinnati’s four-game winning streak entering a Sunday home game against Dallas has the Bengals among four AFC teams chasing the three remaining playoff spots, given berths clinched last week by New England, Houston and Denver.The Bengals’ penultimate game of the season in Pittsburgh on Dec. 23 shapes up as a playoff elimination game, but there’s a way Cincinnati (7-5) could win at Heinz Field and tie the Steelers (7-5) at 9-7 and still lose out on a trip to the post-season.

That would depend on who each team lost to down the stretch, and the impact of those results on each team’s record in the AFC North. If Cincinnati lost to visiting Baltimore Dec. 30 and Pittsburgh finished with a win over visiting Cleveland, the Steelers’ 3-3 mark in the division would trump Cincinnati’s 2-4 mark.

Baltimore (9-3) is hoping to get Ray Lewis (torn bicep) back next week and also hopes to nurse Terrell Suggs (torn bicep) through the rest of the year. The Ravens’ stunning 23-20 home loss to Charlie Batch and the Steelers makes some wonder if Coach John Harbaugh’s team might implode against a finishing schedule of Washington, Denver, the Giants and the Bengals.

The Ravens could lose three of those four, finish 10-6 and lose the AFC North to Cincinnati if the Bengals close with victories over Dallas, at Philadelphia, at Pittsburgh and home against Baltimore. A Ravens-Bengals tie at 10-6 hands the division to Baltimore because of its 4-2 division record to Cincinnati’s 3-3 mark.

PACKING AN ATTITUDE: Bengals cornerback Adam Jones had little to say last year when Cincinnati played one of his former teams, Tennessee. Jones’ approach has changed dramatically this week, with his other former team, the Dallas Cowboys, coming to town.

While Jones speaks fondly of Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones for providing a second chance in the NFL, he anticipates being so psyched for the game against Dallas that he “probably won’t sleep the night before.”

“I don’t have any friends on Dallas,” Jones said. “Well, just one. Number 21 (Mike Jenkins).That’s the only guy I can say I’m friends with. The rest of them, I don’t care about….In Dallas a lot of (stuff) is fairy tale. It’s not real life. They don’t tell you how it really is.”

LOMBARDI ALERT: Alarms are clanging in Cleveland over various media speculation that Michael Lombardi, the Browns’ director of player personnel from 1992-95, may be coming back to town as part of the team’s new management structure.

Lombardi is friends with Browns’ CEO Joe Banner, having worked for him in Philadelphia in 1998.

Browns fans remember Lombardi for some uneven drafts that occurred on his watch, including choices of Tommy Vardell No. 7 overall in 1992, Steve Everitt No. 14 in 1993, Antonio Langham ninth in 1994 and Craig Powell 30^th in 1995.

Lombardi has been an NFL analyst for an internet site he created, the National Football Post, NFL.com and the NFL Network since getting fired in Oakland as a personnel executive in 2007.

He has rarely passed on a chance to trash the Browns since leaving Cleveland, including labeling the team’s trade up for Trent Richardson in the past draft a “panic move” and questioning the selection of quarrerback Brandon Weeden No. 22.

Lombardi’s arrival in Cleveland would most assuredly mean the end of general manager Tom Heckert. There’s no way Heckert would maintain his current final authority over the team’s 53-man roster with both men in the same building.

While head coach Pat Shurmur is likely to be fired, Heckert’s departure would likely result from being marginalized and having his authority steadily diminished.

JOHNNY NEEDS LOVE: The latest John Gruden rumor has the Raiders romancing the man who led them to a pair of AFC West titles before Al Davis essentially traded him to Tampa Bay, where he rocked the Raiders the following season in Super Bowl XXXVII.

Oakland owner Mark Davis, who took over the team when his father died, told first-year coach Dennis Allen after a loss two weeks ago in Cincinnati that the team’s 3-8 record wasn’t “good enough.”

Oakland’s record has since gotten worse with a home loss to Cleveland, which broke a 12-game road losing streak.

“He’s frustrated,” said Allen, who appears headed for a bad night tonight with Denver (9-3) coming to the Black Hole. “He wants to win; we all do. He’s frustrated, and he expresses his frustration. So he and I had a long sit-down on the plane and talked about it.”

IT’S BOOM TIME: Rookie receiver Mohamed Sanu’s trip to injured reserve with a broken foot opened a spot for the Bengals to elevate former Ohio State running back Daniel “Boom” Herron from the practice squad.

Sanu had four touchdown catches among his 16 receptions and also threw a 73-yard TD in a 38-31 win at Washington.

Herron played in four preseason games, rushing for 42 yards on 25 carries and catching five passes for 26 yards.

ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: Eagles coach Andy Reid is walking the Green Mile as his 14^th season winds down, given eight straight losses to fall to 3-9 entering a road game Sunday at Tampa (6-6).

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said before the season that failing to make the playoffs would not be acceptable. Reid has fired his defensive coordinator and defensive line coach during the season, and this week installed rookie Nick Foles over Michael Vick as the team’s quarterback the remainder of the year.

All of those things portend Reid’s departure, but he claims Lurie has never broached the topic with him, even as things continue to spiral downward.

“We haven’t even gone there,” Reid said. “I’m sure we’ll talk about it at some time, but that’s not where we’re at right now.”

Lurie would owe Reid $6 million next season if he fires him.

SHAKY GROUND: San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh has another worry to go with a shaky effort last week from his newly-installed quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, in an overtime loss to the Rams.

Kicker David Akers missed twice in that game, including a 51-yarder in OT that would have won it, and has now made just 15 of his last 24 attempts.

Akers has missed a game-winning attempt in overtime in two of the 49ers last four games. The six-time Pro Bowler is just 21-of-30 this season after setting an NFL record with 44 field goals last season.

San Francisco worked out potential replacements Nate Kaeding and Billy Cundiff last week, but Akers will kick Sunday at home against Miami.

Check out NFL Notes by Bruce Hooley every week here at ChrisSpielman.com

 Pat Shurmur accomplished two things in his first three games as an NFL head coach that he hasn’t done since. If he doesn’t do them again Sunday, he won’t get many more chances to do them in Cleveland.

Shurmur took the Browns into Lucas Oil Stadium last season in Week Two and claimed a 27-10 victory over Indianapolis.

That proved the Browns’ only road victory of 2011, and Shurmur followed it with a 17-16 win over Miami the following week.

Cleveland wouldn’t win consecutive games again all year and it hasn’t won back-to-back this season in a 3-8 start.

That means it’s been 24 games – a full season and one-half – since the Browns won on the road or won twice in a row as they prepare to play at Oakland on Sunday.

Shurmur won’t get an easier chance to end Cleveland’s 12-game road losing streak or its failure to build momentum with two straight wins, given how dreadful the Raiders are playing.

Oakland has lost its last four games by a combined 169-79 margin, including three straight defeats by at least 21 points apiece.

Its defense is last in the league, allowing 32.4-points per-game. The Raiders have been even worse lately, allowing 42.3 points in losses to Cincinnati (34-10), New Orleans (38-17) and Baltimore (55-20).

Unlike most teams, Oakland is no better defensively when playing at home. Opponents have averaged 31.2 points at the O.co Coliseum.

Black Hole, indeed.

Of course, with Shurmur and the Browns, nothing is guaranteed. Quarterback Brandon Weeden is coming off the first concussion of his career and ranks last in the league in passer rating (70.9) and is tied for third in interceptions with 13.

Cleveland’s road losing streak started at Oakland last season in Week Six when backup quarterback Kyle Boller led the Raiders to a 27-16 victory.

The Browns have lost seven straight road games on the West Coast or in the Mountain Time Zone. That streak dates to a 24-21 win at Oakland on Oct. 1, 2006.

Since then, Cleveland has lost at San Diego, Oakland and Arizona in 2007, at Denver in 2009 and at Oakland, San Francisco and Arizona last season.

HELP ON THE WAY: Oakland is struggling so much rookie coach Dennis Allen may activate former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor and perhaps tailor a series of plays around his running skills.

Pryor has taken one NFL snap since Oakland spent a third-round pick on him in the Supplemental Draft two years ago.

“Terrelle’s growing, and there’s a potential that he might be up in the game as the third quarterback, and we’ll just leave it at that,” Allen said. “We’ll see what goes from there.

“I think somewhere down the line we need to see what he can do. Now, when that time is, I don’t know the exact answer for that yet. But there will be a time where we’ve got to look at him and see what he can do.”

Pryor Tweeted after the Raiders’ loss at Cincinnati, “I HATE LOSING.”

Predictably, he sounds extremely confident in his abilities.

“I’ve been doing a lot of footwork,” he said. “It’s amazing the accuracy that I have now. I’m able to step into my throws and throw exactly where I want the ball at, and I just keep getting better at that.”

THANKS, AGAIN: The Bengals’ win over Oakland did more than elevate them to 6-5 and into the thick of the AFC playoff race with a third straight win.

It also improved their draft position in round two for the pick they received from Oakland last season in the trade for Carson Palmer.

Every Raiders’ loss enhances the choice Cincinnati will own courtesy of shipping Palmer and his $15-million annual deal to Oakland.

The Bengals grabbed Dre’ Kirkpatrick in round one in April with the other draft choice, a first-rounder, they received from the Raiders.

Cincinnati is likely to get a choice between 35-40 this year.

Oakland surrendered both picks at the behest of former coach Hue Jackson, who loved Palmer and orchestrated the trade, only to be fired after last season.

It won’t be necessary for the Bengals to send Jackson a note of appreciation. Instead, they can convey their thanks in person.

Jackson is currently an assistant to the special teams and defensive backfield coaches with the Bengals.

STRAP IT ON: Indianapolis (7-4) is the league’s most-surprising playoff team at this point, but it faces a difficult task Sunday at Detroit (4-7) which is one of the NFL’s biggest disappointments.

The Lions have many flaws, but quarterback Mathew Stafford is No. 1 in passing yardage and wide receiver Calvin Johnson holds the same spot in receiving yardage.

That’s bad news for a banged-up Indy secondary, which is without Jerraud Powers (IR), its best cover corner, and could be without its other starter, Vontae Davis (sprained knee).

Even if Davis can play, he won’t be matched up with Johnson. That will fall to backup Darius Butler.

HELP ON THE WAY: Green Bay (7-4) and Minnesota (6-5) are counting on the return of injured wide receivers to make a difference Sunday in their game at Lambeau Field.

The Packers, thoroughly embarrassed by the Giants last week, get Greg Jennings (abdominal pull) back for the first time in eight games.

The Vikings, who have lost three of four, hope to have Percy Harvin for the first time after he went down three games ago with an ankle injury.

IF NOT ONE THING, IT’S ANOTHER: It’s hard to find two teams reeling more than Arizona (4-7) and the New York Jets (4-7), but their troubles trace to difference sources.

The Cardinals have lost seven straight after a 4-0 start because they can’t find a quarterback between Kevin Kolb, John Skelton and rookie Ryan Lindley.

The Jets have two quarterbacks who’ve won playoff games in Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow, but have no play-making wide receivers after a season-ending injury to Santonio Holmes.

New York signed Mardy Gilyard to fortify a receiving corp further depleted by concussions to Clyde Gates and Chaz Schilens and a hamstring injury bothering Jeremy Kerley.

Arizona has great receivers in Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd, but no one to get them the football.

FOOL’S GOLD OR STRIKE IT RICH: There’s no middle ground for San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh now that he’s made the switch from quarterback Alex Smith to backup Colin Kaepernick.

It will be the move that defines the Niners’ season, and the only acceptable payoff is getting to the Super Bowl. Even if Kaepernick gets injured and allows Smith back in the lineup, if the 49ers fall short, questions will abound about whether the blow to Smith’s confidence caused San Francisco to come up short.

Kaepernick certainly looked great in his debut, a 32-7 home win over Chicago two weeks ago, when the Bears were without Jay Cutler. But the notion that Kaepernick played similarly well in a 31-21 win last week over New Orleans is inaccurate.

San Francisco scored twice on interception returns in that victory, including once in the first-half’s final minute to absolve Kaepernick of a poor interception of his own that gave Drew Brees a chance to build on a 14-7 Saints’ lead.

Instead, Ahmad Brooks picked off Brees and took it back for the tying touchdown, sparing Kaepernick the challenge of playing from behind in a raucous Super Dome in the second half.

Kaepernick led San Francisco to a go-ahead touchdown in the third-quarter, then Donte Whitner returned Brees’ next pass for six more points and a 28-14 cushion.

After the Saints closed to within a touchdown, Kaepernick drove the Niners into position for a clinching field goal, only to again throw an ill-advised pass that New Orleans’ Malcolm Jenkins was set to intercept in the end zone until Randy Moss mugged him and got away with an obvious pass interference penalty.

Kaepernick may be the real deal, but Smith has to be the first quarterback leading the league in completion percentage (.70) and fifth in passer rating to get yanked in mid-season.

Smith was 20-6-1 as the Niners’ starter since Harbaugh took over the team last year. Smith helped San Francisco win its first division title since 2002 and play for its first NFC championship since 1997.

STONE HANDS: Two weeks ago when Pittsburgh (6-5) and Baltimore (9-2) met for the first time, the Steelers trailed in the AFC North by one game and had designs on the division title.

That’s over now, after losses to the Ravens and the Browns, both of which came with Ben Roethlisberger nursing an injured rib and sprained shoulder.

The Steelers have scored two touchdowns in nine quarters since Roethlisberger’s injury against Kansas City and have lost seven fumbles the past two weeks.

Head coach Mike Tomlin demoted running back Rashard Mendenhall, who fumbled twice at Cleveland, and receiver Mike Wallace when the depth chart came out this week.

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?  Denver (8-3) can clinch the AFC West with a win over visiting Tampa Bay (6-5) or a San Diego loss to Cincinnati.

The Broncos lost Willis McGahee for the season two weeks ago, but have since dusted off Knowshon Moreno. He rushed for 85 yards on 20 carries in a 17-9 win at Kansas City in his first appearance in uniform since Week Two and his first start since October of last season.

Denver has won seven in a row for the first time since 1998, when it won its second straight Super Bowl with John Elway.

Check out NFL Notes by Bruce Hooley every week here at ChrisSpielman.com