LogFAQs > #926807649

Okay, I have noticed that these writeups are significantly longer than what I've done in seasons past, so I will cut down on what I say with the remaining six divisions.

AFC North

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

There is one sure thing in this division, and it's that the Ravens defense will be great or even elite. Year in and year out they are near or at the top of fewest yards and points allowed per game. Stifling doesn't begin to describe how formidable they are. It's even scarier that only three starters are over the age of 30. The Ravens' problems have always been on offense, and as my dumb and lame Madden Tiers suggest, there's reason to believe that the offense will improve. Yes QB Ben Roethlisberger has been a disappointment, and their best receiving weapon is their TE Eric Ebron, but this team has always been about running the ball. HB Doug Martin has recorded YPC of at least 4.3 in every season. They have transformed an elite run-blocking FB David Romaka into an elite dual-threat FB. Where the improvements may come from are their entirely new interior OL. Gone are the dreadful G Jonathan Martin (he's prof's problem now), oft-injured C Casey Rabach, and fading G Stephen Neal. In are the #10 run-blocking G, 1st round pick C Ryan Kelly, and 2nd round pick G Jeff Allen. Even a slight improvement over what they had last season and this team should see consecutive AFC North crowns.

The Steelers have the evenly spread talent to be in the thick of the playoff race, but they have a few things going against them. First and foremost is the brutal schedule. There's no stretch where they will seemingly have a bit of a reprieve, putting the onus on them staying healthy, which they already aren't after the preseason. The second is that they are shifting to a 4-3 D. They had a successful four game or so stretch as 4-3 D a few seasons ago, but the fact is that this defense has developed under a 3-4, and it is far from a guarantee that they will catch lightning in a bottle twice and make a seamless adjustment yet again. The third is that history suggests that Reggie McNeal will not replicate what he did in his half-season tryout for the Steelers. Scrambling QBs are by nature inconsistent and personal stats aside, while they tend to result in the offense being more dynamic, the Steelers do not have the offensive firepower to take advantage of that, especially with Jamario Thomas now lost for a quarter of the season. If the offense and defense regress a little like I expect them to and find themselves in the ranks of the average or above average on both sides, it will be very hard to see them as a playoff team.
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KCF can't actually be a real person but he is - greengravy
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