LogFAQs > #903829226

AFC North

1. Cincinnati Bengals
2. Baltimore Ravens
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
4. Mexico City Browns

The Cincinnati Bengals were easily the best team in the division last season. Every other team had a terrible turnover differential and were in the bottom 10 in at least total offense or defense.The Bengals had one of my favorite drafts this season, and they got rid of perennial disappointment QB Brad Smith for near-elite QB Carson Palmer. They also had a solid free agency beyond that. Picking them to win the division was a no-brainer, but I do want to point out that I would not be surprised by how this division shakes out order-wise in the end.

The single best unit in this division in the Ravens who have fielded Top 5 units in each of the past three seasons. The offense has always been a one-trick pony, and I assume Wiki was attempting to diversify when he acquired QB Ben Roethlisberger in the offseason. Big Ben had started 142 out of 144 games entering the season, but he's now lost for half of the season after fracturing his foot. The team right now is slightly worse than it was last season having traded away DT Randy Starks and TE Alge Crumpler retiring. Since Crumpler had been a fixture since the inaugural season, it remains to be seen how losing the previously highest-rated blocking TE in the league will affect the offense that I expect to once again be a one-trick pony for the first half. I think that the defense should keep them around .500 for the first half, but they might need to be above .500. The second half of their schedule may include four divisional games, but it also includes all four nonconference games, which won't be much of a factor in any tiebreakers if they are fighting for a Wild Card spot. Life without Big Ben is something they are familiar with (obviously), but now the stakes might be even higher.

The Steelers will see a lot of new faces with currently eight new players expected to start Week 1 and an old face promoted to starter. Not all of them will work out, but being optimistic and saying that four or five will pay immediate dividends, what is the ceiling for this team? I don't see them being in the first (Broncos/Dolphins) or second (Jags/Pioneers/Jets/Bills) tier among AFC teams, so they are in a fight with half of the AFC in that third tier for Wild Card spots, and I have as much or more confidence in most of those other teams.

The Browns had an excellent draft, but this team still has major issues on offense, namely QB and the overall skill level at OL. That defense though is choc full of playmakers, more than any other AFC North team. It's also possible that the combination of rookie HB Mark Ingram and a total remaking of that interior OL clicks from the start and the Browns become surprise playoff contenders. The safe bet though is that next season can be their year to push for a playoff spot, but they are certainly a team that can make things interesting this season.
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KCF can't actually be a real person but he is - greengravy
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