With top coaching candidate Chip Kelly opting to return to Oregon and remain as a college head coach and their other target, Doug Marrone, choosing the Buffalo Bills, it's back to the drawing board for the Cleveland Browns in their search for a new head coach.

The Browns were the ones to give up on Kelly after not trusting he'd be 100 percent committed to the team or to being an NFL coach. They are now linked to Montreal Allouettes (CFL) head coach Marc Trestman, who has a glut of NFL experience, primarily working with offenses and quarterbacks, with ESPN's Jamison Hensley citing multiple reports. 

Yahoo! Sports' Jason Cole also confirms the Browns' interest in Trestman, as well as in Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians.

Baltimore Ravens

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There were a lot of heavy emotions in M&T Bank Stadium prior to the Baltimore Ravens' Wild Card playoff contest against the Indianapolis Colts.

The game would be the last played by Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis in his home stadium, win or lose, while last year's defensive coordinator and this year's Colts head coach Chuck Pagano returned to town after missing most of the season while being treated for leukemia.

It pitted an upstart team with a highly-touted rookie quarterback against a Ravens team looking for a playoff victory for a fifth straight season. To say there was pressure—on both teams—would have been a gross understatement.

Ultimately, experience and home-field advantage won out, with the Ravens handily defeating the Colts, 24-9.

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For the second consecutive year, the Cincinnati Bengals went one-and-done in the NFL playoffs, losing, as they did last season, to the Houston Texans. The 19-13 loss spells the end of their season and the beginning of getting geared up for next year, when the outcome will hopefully be much sweeter. Here's what may lay ahead for the Bengals in the immediate future.

The first thing to think—or maybe even worry—about is the possibility of both or either of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and offensive coordinator Jay Gruden heading elsewhere as a head coach. Gruden's already on the Philadelphia Eagles' short list, and they should be inquiring about his interest on Monday, while Zimmer's name has been bounced around though not yet connected to any particular team.

Though Gruden's coaching stock took a hit in the playoff loss (the Bengals had just 207 total yards of offense in the game, converted no third downs and possessed the ball for a mere 21:07), he could still catch on in Philadelphia or elsewhere, considering the great offensive line he's helped build and the relative success he's had in developing second-year players Andy Dalton and A.J. Green in a short amount of time. 

Zimmer, on the defensive side, has been a genius, especially where the defensive line is concerned. Though the Bengals had no sacks in the loss to Houston, they had 51 on the year heading into the postseason. He created beasts out of the likes of Geno Atkins, Michael Johnson and Vontaze Burfict. 

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The Cincinnati Bengals haven't won a playoff game since 1990—over 8,000 straight days without a postseason win. That streak unfortunately will continue into the 2013 season, with the Bengals losing to the Houston Texans on Saturday, 19-13.

Though the vaunted Bengals defense could have played better—they didn't sack Texans quarterback Matt Schaub once, their front seven bit hard on the play-action pass repeatedly while also allowing running back Arian Foster to rush 32 times for 140 yards and a touchdown, and coverage was shaky at best (looking at you, Rey Maualuga), the real killer for the Bengals in this game was their offense.

It started off badly for Cincinnati, with just 53 net first-half yards—59 rushing and negative six passing—and just 7:07 in time of possession. Good coverage left A.J. Green without a target, Andy Dalton connected on passes to just Marvin Jones, Jermaine Gresham and BenJarvus Green-Ellis and pressure led to inaccuracy. 

Though the second half was slightly better for the Bengals offense with Green finally becoming part of their plans, with five total catches on 11 targets for 80 yards—56 of those coming on three consecutive receptions in the third quarter—it still didn't produce touchdowns. The Bengals had just two field goals from their second-half drives and ended the game converting none of their nine third downs. Dalton also threw an interception in the fourth quarter, and the ensuing Texans drive resulted in a field goal and a 19-10 lead.

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The Cleveland Browns are currently searching for a new head coach and general manager, and the fate of the rest of the coaching staff has yet to be determined. That means anything can happen with the roster, especially where the Browns' soon-to-be free agents are concerned.

Presently, 18 current Browns are set to be unrestricted or restricted free agents. Let's take a look at those who are most crucial to the team and determine the likelihood that they'll stick around in 2013.

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It's been since the 1981-1982 seasons that the Cincinnati Bengals have reached the playoffs in back-to-back years and since 1990 that they've won a postseason game. The Bengals have successfully broken the former slump, but it won't be until Saturday that they'll have the chance to snap the latter, when they take on the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round.

This is the best time for the Bengals to be facing the Texans. At one point, Houston was on the brink of being the No. 1 seed in the AFC, possessing both a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the postseason. Between Weeks 1 and 13 they had lost just a single game. However, with the end of the season came a Texans collapse, with three losses in their last four games. Their bye week and top seeding disappeared.

That doesn't mean the Texans aren't a dangerous team or that pulling off a win on Saturday will be easy for the Bengals. However, this isn't the Texans team from the middle of the season. There is a clear path for a Cincinnati victory, and here's how they can walk it.

Defense, All Day

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The Baltimore Ravens are AFC North champions and play host to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday in the Wild Card Round of the 2012 NFL playoffs. The Ravens are just one of 12 teams that made it to the "second season," and this year marks the fifth time they've done so in as many seasons. 

During that span, they Ravens fell short of the Super Bowl each time, though they've been in the AFC Championship twice. Here's how they can make another run at the Lombardi trophy starting with a win over the Colts in Baltimore on Sunday afternoon.

Keep Running the Ball

Now that former offensive coordinator Cam Cameron is out, replaced by Jim Caldwell, the Ravens are finally running the ball often and, with Ray Rice as their lead back and Bernard Pierce behind him, extremely well.

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The Cincinnati Bengals don't have an overwhelming number of current players set to be unrestricted or restricted free agents in 2013, and with owner Mike Brown notoriously stingy with his money, if players about to walk are viewed as important enough, it's likely they could come up with the cash to pay them, as long as Brown is willing to spend it.

But, if history is any indication, certain useful free agents will move on to greener pastures (and more green in their pockets) without action by the team. Here are the biggest names for the Bengals who are headed into free agency in 2013 and whether or not the team is likely to retain them.

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