Steelers rout Browns to clinch AFC North

Ben Roethlisberger threw two touchdown passes Sunday as the Steelers clinched the AFC North title and a first-round playoff bye with a 41-9 rout of Cleveland, in what may have been Eric Mangini's last game as Browns coach.

"We love to win the division," Roethlisberger said. "This is a hard division. We hope this is just the beginning."

Roethlisberger threw a 56-yard TD to Mike Wallace on his first pass as the Steelers (12-4) built a 31-3 halftime lead over the host Browns (5-11), who didn't put up much of a fight.

The Steelers clinched the No. 2 seed and earned at least one more game at Heinz Field. Although the Ravens also were 12-4, Pittsburgh had the tiebreaker because of its superior record within the division - 5-1 to 4-2.

"We're excited to win the division and proud of doing it, but it's only hardware you pick up along the way,'' coach Mike Tomlin said.

The Steelers look ready for a lengthy playoff run. The Browns are ready for more change.

Mangini fell to 10-22 in two seasons with Cleveland. Today he's scheduled to meet with team president Mike Holmgren, who may fire him and appoint himself coach.

Mangini doesn't know what's ahead, but his demeanor was that of a beaten man. "It's a really disappointing way to end the season," he said. "There are not many positives to talk about."

The same could be said of Cleveland's uneven season, which featured upsets of the playoff-bound Saints and Patriots before a 2-6 finish. The Browns lost their last four.

Ravens 13, Bengals 7

Ed Reed had two interceptions and Ray Lewis recovered two fumbles as an opportunistic defense carried host Baltimore. The Ravens (12-4) will enter the playoffs with a four-game winning streak, but they face the prospect of playing all their games on the road - just like in the previous two years. They'll open their postseason Sunday at 1 p.m. at Kansas City.

"I think one reason why, for us, it never matters is because our defense, we travel very well," Lewis said. "We play extremely well on the road."

Ray Rice scored on a 7-yard run for the Ravens, who gave up 395 yards but forced five turnovers. Baltimore had lost three straight to Cincinnati (4-12), which had a chance until Carson Palmer threw an incompletion on fourth down from the Ravens' 2 with 10 seconds left.

Reed's second consecutive two-interception game gave him eight picks for the season in only 10 games. His returns totaled 48 yards, lifting him past Darren Sharper for second on the NFL career list with 1,438. Rod Woodson is first with 1,483.