One of the most straight forward and easy predicted divisions in the NFL , the AFC North has been dominated by the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens in 13 of the past 17 seasons. This year will be no different.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
The Pittsburgh Steelers seem primed for another division championship and could win their seventh Super Bowl at years end. It is Lombardi Trophy or bust this year for Pittsburgh.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is 36 and has already considered retirement twice. The time is now the Steelers to cap their decade long run before Big Ben calls it quits. A field goal proving to be their downfall in the 2017 divisional round ended their hopes last season. That won't happen again this season.
Expect the Ben Roethlisberger, LeVeon Bell and Antonio Brown led offense to still rank towards the top in the league. Offense will never be Pittsburgh's fault.
The fault in the recent years has been the defense. Additions Morgan Burnett and first-round pick Terrell Edmunds should help a secondary that ranked 30th last season get the ball back into the hands of the offense even more this season.
Pittsburgh will be dangerous on offense and have the defense to put a stop to any teams scoring efforts. The linebacking core could use improvement and will continue to miss Ryan Shazier but that won't put a damper on what should be another deep playoff run.
Verdict:
The Pittsburgh Steelers will finish the season 12-4 with wins against the Chargers and Panthers at home which will set them apart from the rest of the AFC. They will also travel to Jacksonville for a revenge victory from the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last season.
A Super Bowl win could end Ben Roethlisberger's career on a high note but either way, Steeler nation should expect nothing less than an appearance in the biggest game in all sports.
BALTIMORE RAVENS
The Baltimore Ravens missed the playoffs last year on the final game of the season. A heartbreaking loss to division foe the Cincinnati Bengals.
Gunslinger Joe Flacco is still under center for the time being which will keep the team afloat while first-round draft pick Lamar Jackson adapts to the NFL style of play. Jackson should not see the field this season unless in for run specific plays. That being said, the Ravens will find themselves in the same spot as last season.
The Ravens improved the 29th ranked receiving core by signing veterans Michael Crabtree, Willie Snead, and John Brown. Not the biggest names but a drastic improvement from last years core. The new additions will help Flacco and take pressure off the lackluster run game led by Alex Collins.
A staple of the past, the defense has seen its better days but still ranked just outside of the top ten in 2017. Cornerback Jimmy Smith will miss the first four games of the seasons due to suspension. Luckily, it should not prove to costly as three out of their first four games are played against offenses ranked lowest in the league (Bills, Bengals, Broncos).
Verdict:
The 2018 seasons will be a mirror of 2017. The Ravens have the ninth easiest schedule in the NFL and with an average offense and subpar defense an 8-8 record looks sustainable.
Away games against the Titans, Panthers, Falcons, Chiefs, and Chargers could prove detrimental to Baltimore's playoffs hopes but five games versus teams who were under .500 in 2017 will keep them in the Wild Card hunt.
The season opener against the Bills and rookie quarterback Josh Allen should get the Ravens into the win column early and start them on a journey to being a .500 team by years end.
CINCINNATI BENGALS
Remember when the Cincinnati Bengals were supposed to fire head coach Marvin Lewis after consecutive losing seasons? Remember when the Lewis led Bengals never reached the second round of the playoffs despite reaching the Wild Card round seven times?
This offseason was supposed to be a restart for the Bengals. That was not the case. Cincinnati doubled down and signed Lewis to a two year extension keeping him around through 2019. A mistake for a team seemingly stuck in mediocrity.
The Bengals, who finished 7-9 last season, have the roster built for a playoff run. AJ Green is a top five receiver and Joe Mixon came into his own late last season. Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins anchor down the defensive line while Vontaze Burfict has the talent to be a top linebacker, if he can keep the suspensions to a minimum.
Unfortunately the NFL is a quarterback driven league and Andy Dalton ranked 19th with a 79.4 overall grade according to profootballfocus.com. A below average QB and a rather weak secondary will prove costly but the third easiest schedule will make the Bengals look better than they actually are.
Verdict:
Finishing the 2018 season with a 6-10 record will hopefully provide the Bengals' front office with the mindset to hit the reset button. It is time to move on from Marvin Lewis before another year is wasted in mediocrity.
CLEVELAND BROWNS
The Browns were left with a bitter taste in their mouth after becoming the second team to ever finish 0-16. Cleveland has been the laughing stock of the league for almost two decades but expect that to change in the upcoming seasons.
Do not anticipate Cleveland to win 10 games this season but in a few years we could be talking about Baker Mayfield leading the Browns to the playoffs. Mayfield's time will have to likely wait until week eight depending how the season is going. Until then, Tyrod Taylor will be at the helm trying to get Cleveland their first win since December 24, 2016.
A team that has used 25 quarterback since 2002, stability is key. During his three year tenure in Buffalo, Taylor was just that, stable. He averaged a 62.6 completion percentage, 2,952 yards and 21 total touchdowns while leading the Bills to playoffs once in 2017. Taylor is the right man for the job until Head Coach Hue Jackson hands over the reigns to Mayfield.
Expecting Hue Jackson to survive a third season is a daring prediction but one worth making if the Browns win more than three games or are competitive against elite teams. That also may be a daring prediction. Winning six games seems like a stretch for a team that was winless the season before but the Browns have shown promise in preseason.
Verdict:
Adding leadership to a team that had no direction was a must and the Browns did just that. Jarvis Landry, Tyrod Taylor along with new offensive coordinator Todd Haley will introduce a winning culture to a team desperate for their first win in almost two years.
Five wins may be a stretch but attainable if Cleveland can take advantage of teams late in the year. Hosting the Bengals in week 16 should be an easy win especially if Mayfield's fresh legs are under center. Other possible victories include games at Denver, if Case Keenum reverts back to his days in a Rams uniform, and Houston depending on how healthy Deshaun Watson and the defense is.
Expect the Browns to be a tougher team this season. Veteran presence throughout will give Cleveland stability and add depth to a previously weak roster. 5-10 is another losing season but if Baker Mayfield can prove to be worthy of the number one overall pick, the Browns should have playoff hopes for 2019.
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