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Jay Gruden was appointed to be the next head coach of the Redskins on Thursday . The Washington Post originally reported the news , announcing the two sides were creating an agreement and only an "unexpected problem" could keep the deal from being completed . Gruden along with the Redskins have a news conference scheduled for 4 p .m . ET .

Although it's not the Gruden who will be on the top of every candidate wish list , it still seems like a good hire for the Redskins .

Gruden , who had an effective career in the Arena Football League as a player and coach , and has been with the Bengals since 2011 , did wonders with quarterback Andy Dalton ( just not in the postseason ) . Dalton has 11 ,360 yards and 80 touchdowns in three seasons , good numbers for a quarterback who is generally derided for without having the physical skills to be elite .

Now Gruden inherits a quarterback who may have one of the NFL's most intriguing skill sets in Robert Griffin III .

Griffin was the NFL's offensive rookie of the year in 2012 , blew out his knee in a playoff game at the end of the season and never looked right in 2013 , Mike Shanahan's last year as Redskins coach . He hadn't developed much due to a lost offseason , but the Redskins must be hopeful that Gruden and his expertise get Griffin and the offense back on the upward plane it appeared to be on two seasons ago .

After big game in the second half, Chargers win over Bengals 27:10. A few thoughts on the San Diego Chargers’ 27-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Wild Card round. 

What it means: San Diego’s Cinderella season lives on. The Chargers kept Cincinnati’s 22-year playoff drought alive, and in the process earned their first postseason victory since the 2008 season. San Diego advances to the AFC divisional round, where the Chargers will face a familiar foe in the Denver Broncos. The Chargers split with the Broncos during the regular season, losing 28-20 in San Diego on Nov. 10, and winning in Denver 27-20 on Dec. 12. 

Turnover bonanza: San Diego's defense forced the Bengals into four turnovers on Sunday – a fumble by running back Giovani Bernard and three costly miscues by quarterback Andy Dalton – a fumble and two interceptions. The Chargers only scored six points off those turnovers, but defensively San Diego did a nice job of putting consistent pressure in Dalton’s face. 

Cool-hand Rivers: While Dalton once again struggled in the postseason, Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers showed the value of having a franchise quarterback. Philip Rivers didn’t throw for a ton of yards, but he didn’t need to. Rivers finished 12 of 16 for 128 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown to tight end Ladarius Green. More important, Rivers and the San Diego offense finished with zero turnovers. 

Stock watch: Scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent during the offseason, Chargers linebacker Donald Butler showed way San Diego should consider keeping him around. Butler finished with a team-high 11 tackles, a forced fumble and a tackle for a loss. 

What’s next: The Chargers travel to Denver to face the Broncos in the AFC divisional round playoffs on Sunday, 4:40 ET.  

Article source: ESPN

CINCINNATI (AP) -- Running back Giovani Bernard slipped through the line, caught Andy Dalton's short pass, then turned and saw something shocking.

One of the NFL's top defenses had given him a big opening.

The elusive rookie turned the catch into a 27-yard touchdown on Monday night, one of his two scores that made all the difference in the Cincinnati Bengals' 20-10 victory over the struggling Pittsburgh Steelers.

''I saw green grass,'' said Bernard, a second-round pick from North Carolina. ''Once you see green grass, you've got to take it. You don't get many chances like that. When you do, you've got to take it.''

He wasn't the only rookie putting their new imprint on an old rivalry. Top pick Tyler Eifert made a 61-yard catch that set up Bernard's 7-yard run for his first NFL touchdown. Together, they gave a preview of what the Bengals (1-1) could become with two new pass catchers in the offense.

''Gio's done a good job,'' Dalton said. ''We drafted him to be versatile, move around the backfield and make big plays. And that's exactly what we've gotten out him.''

The Bengals piled up 407 yards on one of the NFL's toughest defenses, holding the ball for more than 35 minutes.

The Steelers fell to 0-2 for the first time since 2002, done in by another game of self-destruction on offense. Pittsburgh had two turnovers in scoring range and couldn't hold the ball long enough to give their defense a breather, failing to get a first down on seven of their 12 possessions.

''There's not a lot of positives going on right now,'' said Ben Roethlisberger, who was 20 of 37 for 251 yards with one touchdown and a deflected interception. ''We can't start doubting each other. Right now, there's a general feeling of being upset.''

It was a chance for the Bengals to show they've supplanted the Steelers in the AFC North. They beat Pittsburgh 13-10 at Heinz Field last December to reach the playoffs, and now have moved ahead of them again with a rare Monday night win.

Cincinnati is 10-20 in Monday night games.

''This doesn't define anything until you look back at the end of the year,'' coach Marvin Lewis said.

The Bengals put the ball in the Dalton's hands in the first half, letting him pass away while they all but abandoned the run against one of the NFL's top defenses. Dalton had an up-and-down game, finishing 25 of 45 for 280 yards.

Cincinnati's rookies provided the big plays.

Eifert got open between cornerback Ike Taylor and safety Ryan Clark for his 61-yard catch. Bernard finished the long drive with a 7-yard run, his first touchdown in the NFL, for the early lead.

The Steelers needed to get their offense moving after a horrid opener. They ran for only 32 yards and Roethlisberger was sacked five times during a 16-9 home loss to Tennessee. Worse, the Steelers lost Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey for the rest of the season with a torn knee ligament. Fernando Velasco, signed a week earlier, started in his place Monday.

They weren't significantly better in Cincinnati.

Roethlisberger got Pittsburgh's offense moving in spurts. He completed all five of his passes on a touchdown drive that pulled the Steelers into a 10-all tie at halftime, including completions of 19 and 43 yards to Emmanuel Sanders.

Shaun Suisham kicked a 44-yard field goal, and the Steelers had a chance to add to the lead in the first half. But another mistake - and they've had a lot of those already - provided the game's first turning point.

Pinned at their 3-yard line after a punt, the Steelers drove into scoring position. Roethlisberger completed a 34-yard pass to tight end David Paulson, who fumbled the ball as he was tackled. Adam ''Pacman'' Jones forced the fumble and recovered it at the Cincinnati 13-yard line.

Another of Roethlisberger's passes went off Jerricho Cotchery's hands and was picked off at the Bengals 13-yard line in the fourth quarter, essentially sealing it.

The most intriguing question: Could Steeler-turned-Bengal James Harrison leave a mark on Pittsburgh's mess of an offense?

Nope. He didn't have a sack or a tackle.

Notes: The Bengals rushed for 127 yards, with BenJarvus Green-Ellis getting 75 on 22 carries. Bernard ran eight times for 38 yards. ... The Bengals have consecutive wins over the Steelers for the first time since 2009. ... Roethlisberger was sacked twice by a defense that failed to get one in Chicago.

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org

The 2013 NFL season got off to a great start in Week one. The Cincinnati Bengals will play host to the Pittsburgh Steelers as both teams try to get back on the right track after tough Week one losses.

Big Ben and company will do all they can to rebound from a terrible loss against Tennessee. With Maurkice Pouncey likely out for quite a while, per Scott Brown of ESPN.com, that job just got a lot tougher. 

For Cincinnati, it's a similar story. It looked a lot better than its Week two opponents, but Andy Dalton will have to take better care of the ball if the Bengals want to find themselves at .500 after Week two.

Our predictions is:

Cinncinati won, with over 6 points difference between Pittsburgh

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