HIGH ROADS, LOW ROADS AND THE TITLE ROADS

By STEVE KING

In the days leading up to his team’s big game last Sunday against the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium, Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens said that the road to the AFC North championship runs through Baltimore.

Almost to a man, his players echoed those sentiments.

It was a road well-traveled for the Browns, who scored a whopping 30 points in the second half alone en route to a resounding – and surprising to many, since they were the clear underdogs — 40-25 win that was made that close only because the Ravens scored a throwaway touchdown in the final minute after Cleveland had cleared the bench.

So, does the road to the title now go through … Cleveland?

Well, yes, perhaps, but …

Speaking of division games, and impressive and stunning routs, did you see the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 27-3 beatdown of the Cincinnati Bengals at Heinz Field on Monday Night Football?

I said at the start of the season that the road to the championship goes through Pittsburgh. When the Steelers started 0-3, it appeared as if that road was under heavy construction, if not closed altogether. But the way they played against Cincinnati, it appeared that their road was reopened.

Yes, the Steelers are not the Steelers as we have grown accustomed to seeing. They have a lot of holes. And their future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, is out for the season with an elbow injury.

Also, let me remind that you that they’re still only 1-3, a record that isn’t going to scare the AFC’s two best teams, the Kansas City Chiefs and defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, who beat Pittsburgh within an inch of its life, 33-3, in the opener.

But there are still plenty of things – tons of things, really — working in the Steelers’ favor, and I’ll talk about that in my next post.