Can Cleveland win a game? When will Mayfield see the field? Is Andy Dalton on his last leg in Cincinnati? Will Joe Flacco hold onto his starting job or will Lamar Jackson do enough to snatch it in his rookie season? Is this still Pittsburgh’s division? Cleveland might be terrible but at least they are entertaining and Big Ben, Bell and Brown are big enough draws to make the AFC North somewhat entertaining. Two playoff teams from the North? Let us look:
Cleveland Browns: Whether you believe in this team or not, you have to admit that they’ve certainly done enough to make themselves relevant in terms of intrigue. Being on Hard Knocks, Baker Mayfield and free beer are just a few of the things keeping the Browns on the radar but ultimately they have to answer one simple question: Can they win football game(s)? Head Coach Hue Jackson is 1-31 over the last two seasons. There’s countless coaches that are fired for far better records but the Browns truly believe they’ve taken all their lumps and are on the rise. After a solid draft that featured two top five picks in Baker Mayfield at #1 and CB Denzel Ward at #4, Cleveland feels pretty good about the future. But what about the now? Currently, the plan is to keep Mayfield on the bench while Tyrod Taylor runs QB. I would like to see the Browns throw their rookie to the wolves and take this season purely as a learning year but Jackson insists he wants his young QB to learn. Learn what? How to lose? Might as well do it while playing. But I digress. The Browns were the worst team in scoring last year (14 points per game) so everything else is a secondary concern. Who can get in the endzone for this group? They signed RB Carlos Hyde in the offseason and traded for Jarvis Landry so on paper, not bad moves. But Landry can’t refrain from starting brawls in camp and Hyde will be running behind a line that said farewell to their leader in Joe Thomas. Tyrod Taylor will be the guy (as I write this at least) but like many teams with 1st round rookies, the question is for how long? Defensively they were not bad in 2017. 14th overall in yards allowed per game, Cleveland has some things to build off. They have an interesting battle going on between the DB’s with T.J. Carrie and E.J. Gaines while rookie Denzel Ward should lock down the first or second spot as a rookie. I like their linebackers (Joe Schobert, Jamie Collins and Christian Kirksey) but they struggled agains the pass. So…will fans get free beer this year? 10 local bars have installed fridges full of Bud Light and will offer the beer for free when the Browns win their first game this season. Yes, fans will drink! Probably in week 7 against Tampa Bay. Hope there’s a lot of free booze……Browns fans are going to need it. 4-12
Cincinnati Bengals: Marvin Lewis is back for his 16th season which is somewhat of surprise as many believed him to be out the door one way or the other. At one time it seemed the window wise wide open for the Bengals to be a consistent playoff team but they never really got to the next level in terms of competing for an AFC Championship let alone a SB. Andy Dalton was suppose to get them there. Yes, he threw for over 3,000 yards and 25 TD’s in 2017 but it’s getting difficult to find a QB in the NFL that doesn’t have a similar stat line. He’s not been a bad QB at all. Certainly not bad enough for the Bengals to consider a change but he’s not really top tier either. That puts Cincinnati in a tough spot. Chris Carter once said that if you don’t have a QB that can get you to the SB you are waisting your time. While Dalton is solid, he’s not a SB caliber quarterback. Then again, neither was Nick Foles. The Bengals are taking the “enemy you know is better than the one you don’t,” approach. In order for Dalton to lead this team past a modest playoff entry, he’ll need loads of help. He has one of the best WR’s in the game in A.J. Green but just ask the Giants how much a good QB and a great WR will get you. Dalton and Green will need someone else to step up offensively. Joe Mixon had over 600 yards rushing last year and is slated as the number one running back for 2018. Tight End Tyler Eifert and WR Brandon LaFell will be asked to step up as well. As for the defense they are in desperate need of a run stopper. LB Vontaze Burfict is a monster…when he’s on the field. He will miss the first four games of the season because of a league suspension and with the new, “softer” NFL, one has to wonder how many more games he might miss in 2018. Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap are great defensive linemen but depth up front and in the linebacking position will prove to be difficult to get around. I see the Bengals as an ok team but their schedule has teams like New Orleans, KC, Atlanta and at Carolina…not to mention two battles against the Steelers. They will be lucky to get to .500. I have them going 6-10.
Baltimore Ravens: The quarterback watch is on in Baltimore. After the Ravens selected Lamar Jackson in the first round, fans wondered if that marked the end of the Joe Flacco era. But Flacco plays his best under pressure (perhaps that was the idea in drafting Jackson). He’s never been an amazing QB but if his team can make it to the playoffs then look out. When they won the SB a few years back it was Joe Flacco that led them there. But since then, the Ravens have managed to get to the playoffs only once. The pressure will not only be on Joe Flacco, but head coach John Harbaugh as well. GM Ozzie Newsome contemplated moving on from his head man in the offseason but decided against it. But if both Flacco and Harbaugh want to remain employed by the Ravens, they’ll have to get back into the post season ASAP. WR Michael Crabtree is now the number one WR and rookie tight end Hayden Hurst is expected to learn quickly in a starting role. Alex Collins was a nice surprise for the Ravens last season after they picked him up in late September. He had nearly 1,000 yards and is expected to do big things with a full season in Baltimore. Defensively the Ravens are a middle of the road group. With Terrell Suggs STILL leading the brigade, Baltimore always has a shot to crack the top ten in D. FS Eric Weddle, CB Brandon Carr and MLB CJ Mosley should make for a solid group but like the Bengals, I don’t see enough big names in the right areas to make this bunch a playoff team. 8-8.
Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers went 13-3 last season in what was supposed to be Big Ben’s fading year. After rumors of his retirement fueled much of the 2017 training camp, Roethlisberger went out and threw for over 4,000 yards and 28 TD’s. I expect nothing less from him in 2018 but like we’ve discussed with the Saints, Patriots, Packers and Giants, how much longer can the veteran QB last? Pittsburgh must be asking the same question as they drafted Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph in the 3rd round. As for the rest of the offense, we need look no further than the other two members of the “triple B’s,” in Antonio Brown and Le’veon Bell. Brown and Bell are two of the best offensive players in the NFL. Brown had 101 receptions for over 1,500 yards while Bell had 85 receptions along with 1300 rushing yards. That kind of production from your WR and RB alone should get just about any team to the playoffs. Bell has some major contract issues and might not be a Steeler beyond 2018 but Pittsburgh believes they are a contender now and are ok taking a chance slapping another franchise tag on him. On the defensive side of the ball there’s not a lot of critique. They were 5th overall and top ten against the rush. When Ryan Shazier went down with a devastating spinal injury it certainly rocked the rest of the roster. He was the heart and soul of the defense and without him, they lost their fire. However, they were still a group of QB sacking machines finishing 2018 with 56, a league best. Cameron Heyward, and LB Vince Williams will be monsters again and TJ Watt, JJ’s little brother, should take a huge step this year. I like this team a lot. 12-4.
AFC North: Steelers (12-4) Ravens (8-8) Bengals (6-10) Browns (4-12)
