Ah…the AFC North. The most physically demanding division in
football, the division where the most bad ass mother f’ers inhabit the
trenches. Let’s break it down.
1. Baltimore
Ravens
The Ravens were a Lee
Evans dropped touchdown pass from beating the Patriots and advancing to the
Super Bowl last year, and a missed 32-yard Billy
Cundiff field goal from sending the game into overtime. They will try to
erase those infamous memories going into this year. It won’t be easy. Is this
the year? Let’s investigate.
Hate on Joe Flacco
all you want, I’m not saying the guy is John Elway, but he has won a playoff
game in each of his four seasons as a starting quarterback, advancing as far as
the conference final last season. And for the first time, the team was not
inhibited by his performance in the playoffs.—in fact, Flacco was outstanding
against the Patriots. I would like to say he earned his stripes in that game,
but he must cut down on the erratic performances if this team will take the
next step. Flacco doesn’t have to do much, he has the most dynamic and complete
back in the league in Ray Rice and
with a lack of outside threats, they will be relying on Rice to account for
most of the offense. They hope speedster Torrey
Smith can become a more reliable target and provide that big-play factor
that this offense has craved for so long. The Ravens have been knocking on the
door for a long time now--the defense has been a prolific force for over a
decade, but they have not been to Super Bowl since the legendary Trent Dilfer
parted ways. Sure, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed are getting older, but they are
first ballot hall-of-famers who still play their position at an elite level. They
are accompanied by Haloti Ngata,
probably the best defensive defense tackle in the NFL. The loss of Terrell Suggs for the first six games
will certainly hurt, but 2nd round draft pick Courtney Upshaw will certainly help. The defense will do their
job…can the offense step up? We’ll see.
Projected Record: 12-4
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
It’s kind of funny the similarities the Steelers and Ravens
share. Both finished 12-4 last year and they both have a bunch of big, scary
but aging animals on defense. They have been atop this division for a long time
now, and when the two clash, they display good old classic football: hitting
everything in sight and see who is left standing at the end. It’s hard for me
to distinguish the superior of the two, but I do feel like the Steelers are
burdened with more questions. Ben
Roethlisberger has two Super Bowl rings to his name and is probably the
toughest quarterback in the league, but he can only fight through injury for so
long. This offensive line has been dreadful for the past two seasons and Big
Ben is constantly running for his life. If they can give him some time to
breathe, he has two exciting players in Antonio
Brown and Mike Wallace to chuck
it to. Wallace has reported despite a lengthy holdout, and as we have learned
in the past…holdouts just never bode well for the player (chest pound Chris Johnson).
Anyway, the Steelers hope to get back to their identity which is ground and
pound after running only 42% of the time last season. It doesn’t help that they
will start the season without Rashard
Mendenhall and Isaac Redman is…well…Isaac
Redman. If the offensive line can clean up their act, if Redman can prove to be
an adequate replacement, they will certainly give the Ravens all they can
handle. Once again, I don’t feel the need to go into their defense much. They
finished first in the league last year again, the 3rd time out of 5
years under Mike Tomlin. Troy
Polamalu…James Harrison…Lawerance Timmons…LaMarr Woodley…need I say more?
Projected Record:
11-5
3. Cincinnati Bengals
Even though I have spent the last couple minutes praising
the two big brothers of this division...these guys have a good chance to invade
the top ranks and turn the tides. The Bengals shocked a bunch of people last
year when they snagged a wild-card bid got in the playoffs. Andy Dalton stepped in as a rookie
quarterback and played beyond his years—making smart decisions and being
accurate with the football. Having a fellow rookie and stud-in-the-making like AJ Green to sling it to definitely
doesn’t hurt. The two have developed a strong rapport and should only improve
this season. Cedric Benson is gone
and Benjarvus Green-Ellis comes over
from New England to take over the rushing duties. The Bengals will want to run
the ball frequently much like their divisional counterparts, and whether
Benjarvus (Green-Ellis just felt awkward to say) can handle the load still
remains a question. Look for this offense to make some big strides this year
with the progression of Dalton and Green. On defense, this unit was
under-the-radar very good last year. They allowed the fewest total yards in the
entire NFL, they lack any big name stars like Polamalu or Ray Lewis, but they
get the job done. They are more than
capable than hanging in with the big boys. Watch out for this team…I have them
at 3…but it wouldn’t shock me if they jump either the Ravens or Steelers, or
possibly both.
Projected Record: 10-6
4. Cleveland Browns
God. This team just really sucks. You know you suck when
your best player BY FAR is your left tackle (Joe Thomas). And the rest of the o-line is awful…like really awful.
I am trying to find some positive things to say but I am struggling mightily.
Twenty-eight year old Brandon Weeeden takes
over for Colt McCoy and will start
at QB week 1 despite a rough preseason. Trent
Richardson was the most highly touted runningback to come through the draft
since Adrian Peterson, but he has had two knee surgeries this offseason and
once again…is a rookie. Their receiving corps is not exactly stellar…headlined
by Greg Little, Mohammed Massaquoi, and
supplemental 2nd round draft pick Josh Gordon. I guess “headlined” may have been the wrong word to
describe that group of no names. Their defense ranked middle of the pack in
most categories last season, and Joe
Haden has established himself as one of the best young corners in the
league and one of the only bright spots on this team. Buckle up Browns fans,
the Dawg Pound, however you prefer to be called…it’s going to be a long season.
Projected Record: 4-12
PJ’s Picks
1.Baltimore Ravens
2. Cincinnati Bengals
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
4. Cleveland Browns
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