AFC North Preview

In previewing the AFC North, Patrick and I had general agreement with the way the teams split: Pittsburgh and Baltimore at the top, Cincinnati and Cleveland at the bottom. But that was about it.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Patrick Says: They have basically the same schedule as Baltimore, so I would be shocked if they won less than 10 games. However, I feel they might start slow after the dreaded “Super Bowl hangover.” Whatever you think of him, Roethlisberger is a legitimate NFL QB; he wins games. As long as he stays healthy and James Harrison doesn’t kill anyone on the field and go to jail, they’ll win 10 games but finish second in the division.

Pete Says: I’m all in on the Steelers. The AFC North will be less top-heavy this season so the Steelers will probably only win 10 or 11 games, but it will be enough to return them the division title. Mendenhall might be the best back in the divison (sorry Ray Rice). Additionally Pittsburgh has the best receiving core and even a regressing Hines Ward is offset by the addition of Jerricho Cotchery.

Baltimore Ravens

Patrick Says: I’m going to say Baltimore wins the division this year. Their defense is always good. Flacco is a good quarterback. Ray Rice is a legitimate weapon out of the backfield. But here’s the reality: the Ravens play Cleveland and Cincinnati twice, and each NFC West team once. That should be 8 wins right there. For the rest of the 8, I say they play a little better than the Steelers.

Pete Says: I have Baltimore finishing second in the North…but just barely. I actually think that they’ll regress this season. The Ricky Williams pick up solidifies their rushing game, but – and I speak this as a Badger alum – Lee Evans is no one’s answer at wide receiver. Anquan Boldin is still a threat to have a good season, but teams that mix coverage and are able to single cover Evans while enfolding Boldin in a zone scheme will eat Baltimore alive. Flacco has shown flashed of okay-ness, but his ceiling is probably Eli Manning. And with no more Todd Heap to crush helmetless through entire strings of linebackers, the Ravens are destined to finish around .500.

Cleveland Browns

Patrick Says: Another poor year for the Browns. They have a new coach again. They have made a lot of roster changes this year, which is probably good. They haven’t really figured out the QB situation yet. They play in a tough division. Try again next year guys.

Pete Says: I wholeheartedly disagree with Patrick here. Not only do I think the Browns will do okay this year, I feel like they will end up near .500, perhaps even challenging Baltimore for second in the division. Yes, a new coach is in theory far more problematic in the wake of a shortened offseason, but we’ve all read/heard the stories of Colt McCoy meeting with Favre to learn the subtleties of the West Coast offense. The Browns have glaring issues at receiver, but Ben Watson is a solid tight end and having seen literally nothing from Montario Hardesty last year, it is entirely possible that Cleveland has a nice pair of backs on their hands. The decreased work load would ultimately benefit Hillis, too, who wore down at the end of last season. Don’t sleep on the Browns this year. It won’t exactly be Derek Anderson leading them to the playoffs, but at the same time the improvement will be something Cleveland can build on. They could be legit contenders in a couple years.

Cincinnati Bengals

Patrick Says: I have no real reason to think the Bengals will play near .500 football, but I feel that Dalton will play well in a starting role. In addition TO and Ochocinco are gone, they resigned Benson, drafted A.J. Green, and will somehow pull more games out than most people think. Also, they play the NFC West. That can’t hurt.

Pete Says: Patrick and I both have the Bengals slated in the 6 to 7 wins range. It’s tough to say why. They’re being defensibly held hostage by their best QB option (Carson Palmer) because owner Mike Brown has proven himself totally delusional, and their two best players this year will probably be rookies (Dalton and Green). But one thing Cincinnati does have going for it is tremendous potential. Jermaine Gresham has the makings of a very good tight end, and wideout Jerome Simpson has shown improvement that hints at possible number one stuff. You just can’t be sure that all the pieces fit or will even stay together. Perhaps the oddities of a shortened offseason will work in the Bengals’ favor.