The Baltimore Ravens (9-3) snapped their habit of losing to teams with a less than .500 record with a comfortable 24-10 victory over A.F.C. North rivals, the Cleveland Browns (4-8). With many Cleveland fans still angry about the relocation of their beloved team to Baltimore during the N.F.L. expansion, this game often takes an even higher meaning for them, and they will be disheartened to have not caused an upset.

The main injury concern before the game surrounded Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis, who continues to suffer from a toe injury, and although sources reported he probably could have played, the Ravens had him rest, ensuring that he is fully healed for the end of the season as well as the playoffs, which are looking more and more favorable for Baltimore.

Although the first quarter was scoreless, the visiting Ravens took the lead halfway through the second quarter with a 6-yard touchdown rush from running back Ray Rice, and Baltimore proceeded to extend the lead to 10 points with a successful field goal from Billy Cundiff.

The Browns cut the deficit back to seven points with a field goal of their own in the third quarter, but could not maintain it for long as the Ravens struck back with a one-yard touchdown from Ricky Williams, the tailback finishing off a 73-yard drive which had taken just three plays.

Baltimore really wrapped the game up when Ladarius Webb returned a punt for a 68-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, and although Cleveland managed to grab a consolation touchdown after a 22-yard pass to tight end Evan Moore, it was too little too late for the home side, who will now be resigned to finishing bottom of the A.F.C. North.

The dominant running game of the Ravens was just too much for the Browns, with Rice rushing for 204 yards on 29 carries, and Williams amassing 76 yards on 16 carries, with both backs registering a touchdown apiece.

With Lewis still out, Baltimore Head Coach John Harbaugh will also be pleased with the performances of inside linebackers Dannell Ellerbe and Jameel McClain, who effectively shut down the running game of Peyton Hillis and Chris Ogbonnaya. They were not the only defensive highlights for the Ravens, as rookie Pernell McPhee continues to impress, sacking Colt McCoy twice during the course of the game, whilst cornerback Jimmy Smith continues to grow into his role in the Ravens defense, collecting another interception in what was a composed performance from Baltimore.

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In a game of two sides who have underperformed this season, the Cleveland Browns (4-6) emerged victorious at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-7) in a close-fought match, the final score 14-10 to the Browns.

The Browns continue to be haunted by their lack of options at running back, with both Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty still ruled out due to injuries. The Jaguars were also missing key personnel in the form of Rashean Mathis, who was placed on Injured Reserve earlier in the week.

Although the Jaguars have been disappointing this season, they got off to the perfect start when running back Maurice Jones-Drew powered into the end zone from the six-yard line early in the second quarter.

Not to be outdone, the Browns responded in similar fashion, with running Chris Ogbonnaya getting the rushing touchdown from the one-yard line, leveling the scores as both sides headed into the halftime interval.

There was very little to separate the sides as they entered the second half, but the Browns nearly took the lead when Colt McCoy threw into the end zone from the six-yard line, only for the pass to be intercepted by Jaguars safety Dawan Landry.

Cleveland did finally propel themselves into the lead early in the fourth quarter when McCoy found wide receiver Josh Cribbs for a three-yard touchdown pass, putting the home side seven points ahead.

Although the Jaguars managed to kick a field goal and cut the deficit to four points, they couldn’t put anything else on the scoreboard and will head home disappointed to have lost to a side whose form has been as poor as their own.

Cleveland Head Coach Pat Shurmur will be pleased to have picked up the victory ahead of a tough end to the season which sees the Browns having to contend with the threat of all of their divisional rivals at least once.

The gradual improvement made by Ogbonnaya over the last few games, culminating in him running for 115 yards on 21 carries, will also please Shurmur. If Ogbonnaya can develop into a real threat running the ball, then his presence will allow McCoy to target the threats of Greg Little and Cribbs more efficiently.

With the Bengals up next for Cleveland, they will be hoping that they can welcome back some of their key injured players, as the Bengals continue to look dangerous despite losing to both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens in their last two games.

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The Houston Texans (6-3) enjoyed a comfortable 30-12 victory over the visiting Cleveland Browns (3-5) at Reliant Stadium. The win improves what is already the Texans’ best start to a season in franchise history, and Head Coach Gary Kubiak will be pleased with what he saw from his side, not least from rookie linebacker Brooks Reed, who collected two sacks and generally looked solid in defense, helping the keep the Browns to just 172 yards.

With Cleveland only managing to put up 107 points in their opening seven games, their offense was always likely to struggle, especially against Houston, who have the third best defense in the NFL, allowing just 286.8 ypg. However, with the Browns currently fifth in the yards allowed table, and dangerous wide receiver Andre Johnson still sidelined with injury, Defensive Coordinator Dick Jauron will be left wondering what happened to his side.

The Texans put themselves into a commanding position in the first quarter, registering two touchdowns, the first a 27-yard rush from Ben Tate, and the second was a darting run from quarterback Matt Schaub from two yards out. Arian Foster compounded Cleveland’s problems when he rushed for 19 yards and a touchdown in the second quarter, extending Houston’s lead.

With just under five minutes left to play, Colt McCoy sparked Cleveland’s fans hopes of a comeback, when he found Josh Cribbs for a two-yard touchdown pass, but it proved too little too late for the Browns, who had looked second best all game long.

The game was won on the ground, with Foster recording 124 yards on 19 carries, and Tate racking up 115 yards on just 12 carries. Stripped of both Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty, the Browns could not make a similar impact on the ground, with running back Chris Ogbonnaya only managing to rush for 28 yards from his 13 attempts.

Cleveland, lacking an effective running option, turned to the passing game. With Mohamed Massquoi out for a second consecutive game, McCoy targeted Cribbs consistently. Although Cribbs did grab a touchdown pass to help his team, the wide receiver could only average ten yards per reception, and rarely troubled an in-control Houston defense.

Browns Head Coach Pat Shurmur will be hoping that both Hillis and Massaquoi can return to full training this week, as their meagre haul of 12 points just goes to highlight how toothless the Browns offense has looked of late.

The Browns will look to pick themselves up in Week 10 when they face the St Louis Rams at home, one of the few teams to have actually scored less points than the Browns prior to the Week Nine games. Meanwhile, the Texans will visit the inconsistent Buccaneers as they attempt to further cement their place at the top of the AFC South.

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The San Francisco 49ers (6-1) improved their record with a 20-10 victory over the visiting Cleveland Browns (3-4) at Candlestick Park. Although the Browns were tipped by many to fall short against the 49ers, Head Coach Pat Shurmur will be disappointed that his side was unable to kick on from their hard-fought win over the Seahawks a week ago, and move beyond the .500 mark.

The Browns were without both first choice running back, Peyton Hillis, and wide receiver, Mohamed Massaquoi, who currently leads the team in receiving yards. With these omissions, it looked as if they may struggle offensively, especially against the in-form defense of the 49ers.

Throw into the mix that Cleveland have only had nine plays of 20 or more yards so far in the season, by far the worst record in the league, and the Browns looked up against it from the off.

With Cleveland’s defense performing so well against the Seahawks last week, allowing just 137 yards, Defensive Coordinator Dick Jauron will have been unhappy that San Francisco managed to put together two drives, culminating in a rushing touchdown and passing touchdown for Fred Gore and Michael Crabtree respectively, without his side being able to offer anything in return.

While Gore was dominating the rushing game for the 49ers, making 134 yards on 31 carries, the Browns, bereft of Hillis, were struggling to make a similar impact, with Chris Ogbonnaya leading for Cleveland with 37 yards from 11 carries.

Despite Colt McCoy putting in a valiant effort — completing 22 of his 34 attempts for 241 yards — the 49ers defense held strong;  linebacker Navarro Bowman had an impressive performance with a game-high 11 tackles to his name.

The visitors did put themselves in with a good chance of securing a comeback in the fourth when McCoy found Josh Cribbs for a 45-yard touchdown pass with just over six minutes left in the game. This reduced San Francisco’s lead to just seven points, making it a one possession game and setting up a tense ending.

Unfortunately for the Browns, though, San Francisco worked themselves into decent field position before David Akers kicked a field goal to make it a two possession game, effectively ending any hopes Cleveland had of heading home with the victory.

The Browns remain on the road, travelling to Houston to play the Texans next week in what will be another difficult match for Shurmur’s side, and what could very well be a game that plays a big part in whether Cleveland will regard this season as a success.

The 49ers, who will also be on the road next week, playing the Washington Redskins, are looking like they could make a real impact in the playoffs this season, and are already four games clear of their nearest divisional rivals, the Seahawks.

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The AFC North division is one of the most competitive and entertaining in the NFL from top to bottom. Every team has a fierce rivalry with each other. Every game is played with 100% intensity and effort, making watching these games an incredible experience for fans. For a while now Baltimore and Pittsburgh have been the clear frontrunners here. That being said, Cincinnati is perennially a tough team to beat, and usually on the verge of the playoffs come the later weeks in the season. Also Cleveland, who had been at the bottom of the barrel for a while now, has injected some new young talent, and is looking to start their turnaround. The 2011 season could see an even more balanced AFC North than fans have seen in years.

Cleveland Browns: The Browns are at a crossroads. They have a quarterback in Colt McCoy who seems as though he’s ready to lead this team. McCoy has shown both the skill and the intangibles to be a very solid quarterback immediately, and maybe more in the future. I remember watching their game against the Jets last season, seeing Colt drive the ball down field with ease using both his arm and his legs to shred one of the better defenses in the NFL. At that moment I knew that this team was on their way up. McCoy isn’t alone either. He has a stud in the backfield in Peyton Hillis who had an absolute breakout season last year. Hillis racked up 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns, not to mention countless highlights of him leaping over one defender and running over the next. With Rob Ryan running the defense, this team is only a few weapons and some experience away from being a serious contender in this division.

Cincinnati Bengals: Inconsistency is the word. From the playoffs in 2009 to a four win season in 2010, there was a serious drop-off in Cincinnati. The Carson Palmer era seems to be over, and the Andy Dalton years are just beginning. Rumor has it that the starting job is already his. That being said, something about this franchise just screams under-performance. Ochocinco apparently wants out and nobody knows if Terrell Owens will be able to come back from off-season surgery and perform at a high level. If Dalton is relying on Jordan Shipley to be his number one target, there will undoubtedly be another rough season. Even off the field this team can’t win. Every time fans turn around their beloved Bengals are back in the news shining a negative light on the franchise for one thing or another. Maybe new leadership under center will turn things around, but it will take some time. Prepare for some rebuilding years Cinci fans.

Baltimore Ravens: Anquan Boldin came on the scene in 2010 and made a serious impact on this offense. Joe Flacco added a serious weapon to his already bolstering arsenal, and immediately showed good chemistry with Boldin, connecting down-field game after game. I’m shocking myself in writing about a Ravens offense first, but it’s catching up to their powerhouse defense that we have known and loved for years. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed might have some mileage on them, but nobody’s worried, they’re still some of the best in the league at their positions. There really aren’t very many weak links in this Raven’s team, they’re ready now. Year after year Flacco gets better, and fans are just waiting for the year where they can overthrow the Steelers. Could 2011 be the year? I’ll leave it at a maybe, but it’s going to take some big game performances to get the deal done. Their time will come as long as they can get it done before they lose their veteran leaders to retirement. Expect to see them back in the playoffs, and from there you never know.

Pittsburgh Steelers: What’s to say here? Sure, they lost in the Super Bowl, but they were beaten by an excellent team that was on an incredible roll. Mike Tomlin has a resume at 39 that most coaches never will have in their entire career. Big Ben is one of the best clutch quarterbacks in the league no matter how ugly his stats or mechanics may be. The defense is back to the days of the “Steel Curtain.” I could probably go through every single player on the defensive side of the ball and rave about them, but I’ll spare readers the extra words and just tell you they’re all really, really good. They’ve got youth, they’ve got offense, defense, special teams, veterans, coaching, experience, rings…they’ve got it all. I refuse to believe I’ve seen the last of Ben Roethlisberger or Troy Polamalu in the Super Bowl. When it’s all said and done, this team might rival some of the great Pittsburgh teams of the past.

The Steelers are going to be tough to overcome for a long time, but getting out of this division might be their hardest task. Fans better believe that they will be given a run for their money as this division begins to balance out. Hard hits and clutch plays are the name of the game in the AFC North. If you haven’t been watching these divisional games in the past few years, start. Great football, great players, great moments. Whoever is able to come out of this division on top will surely be ready for anyone that gets the tough task of meeting them in the postseason. Be ready for some battles.

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Throughout the NBA playoffs, most recently the finals, the spotlight has been put on the referees and the way that they have treated star players on the court.

Though fans are currently focused on basketball, namely players like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade (who can seemingly get to the free throw line any time they choose to flail their arms or legs), the truth is that this phenomenon seems to be consistent across all sports.

The fact is that many officials will give the benefit of the doubt to the best veteran players. Whether this is a conscious action is another story.

When it comes to the NBA, some people are beginning to think that the league is altogether “fixed” in order to give an edge to some of the superstars. So many times when Dwyane Wade makes a strong move toward the basket, it seems that the referees have made the decision to call the foul before the actual outcome of the play. It seems that the powers at be are doing whatever they can to make these players get their rings.

Another key example of this can be seen week after week in the NFL. Premier quarterbacks such as Peyton Manning or Tom Brady can barely be touched at all without a roughing the passer flag coming out. However, do we see those same flags come out when young players like Colt McCoy take a big hit? I don’t think so.

In baseball, a popular hitter like Derek Jeter might get an edge on a close pitch if he is facing a rookie pitcher. Why? Maybe it just so happens to work out that way, but all probability points to the fact that players like Jeter not only know many of the umpires personally, but have a solid reputation across the league.

Of course fans want to see their stars do well and obtain gargantuan statistics, it’s just good for the leagues. That being said, are they being babied so much so that they are beginning to pick-up on it themselves?

For example, in crunch time of a basketball game, what is to stop LeBron from driving right into the chest of the opposing team’s big man, knowing that all game he has gotten his way with the referees? If he can wave his arms around after he throws the ball up and get to the free throw line regardless of contact, why wouldn’t he do that if it will help his team win? This is the mentality that has been so unfortunately spread among some of the league’s elite.

In other generations, there was too much pride for any of this to go on. Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon did everything they could to make the ball go through the hoop every time they attacked the rim. Simply knowing that they could probably get to the free throw line wasn’t good enough when they believed they could score every time they shot the ball. If they missed and got the call, so be it, but that surely wasn’t the goal. Some players have lost that edge these days.

Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy, who was fired from the league and faced criminal charges for fixing professional basketball games, has become somewhat of a whistle-blower as of late, claiming that the NBA is indeed fixed for superstar players to get their way. After some of the recent NBA Finals games he has posted YouTube videos with commentary regarding the unjust calls that are given to LeBron James, but not other players. Although he may not the the most honest person, he is an inside source, and that should send a meaningful message.

The “flopping” problem has gotten so bad that some fans and analysts have called for fines of players for intentionally trying to deceive referees to gain an edge (an idea that I most definitely can get on board with).

Is it the referees fault for being biased towards certain players? Is it the players fault for knowing they can work the referees to gain advantage? Is it the leagues fault for letting this all go too far?

I honestly believe it is a balance of all of these things. Some athletes need to get the mentality back that they can do anything, and not settle for being able to work the refs for a win. Nobody wants to see a pair of unwarranted free throws decide the NBA Finals. Nobody wants a bad roughing the passer penalty to give a free first down and change the course of an NFL playoff game.

I can only hope as a fan of the games, that the leagues and their respective officials will get together and right the wrongs that are plaguing our favorite sports. This is a problem that can and should be fixed very soon.

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