Tuesday, September 4, 2018

2018 NFL Season Preview: AFC North

The AFC North is clearly one of the weakest divisions in the NFL. The Steelers are solid, and should be fine. However, the Ravens and Bengals are two teams that are unbelievably mediocre. Whenever you look at their records, remember that every season they get two free wins against a Browns team that appears more and more incapable of winning every season. And speaking of the Browns... it takes some serious dedication to go a perfect 0-16. I think everyone knew that Cleveland would one day accomplish this feat, but still, seeing it finally happen must have been somewhat cathartic for fans of the most hopeless franchise in the history of the NFL. So, who will win this horrible division?

Pittsburgh Steelers (Last Season: 13-3)
2018 Prediction: 11-5
I don’t have many interesting things to say about this team. I generally agree with the consensus opinion here, which is that the Steelers are one of only two teams worth a damn in the AFC this season. I’m sure another team will emerge as a contender and a potential threat to the Pittsburgh/New England stranglehold on the AFC; however, there are no clear favorites to make that move at the moment. So, for now, I’ll assume that the Steelers will assume their typical place, one step behind the Patriots in the AFC.

The only concern for this team is an aging Roethlisberger. Fortunately, he has the skill position players around him to help slow the aging process. Antonio Brown can still outrun anyone to the ball. Bell is one of the best in the league at running back. And Smith-Schuster is the kind of young, explosive WR that can open up the passing game for the Steelers. Meanwhile, the Steelers ranked top 5 in overall defense last season. So the opposite side of the ball should not be a concern. This team is good and consistent. So, there is no reason to assume they will deviate from expectations this season.  

Baltimore Ravens (Last Season: 9-7)
2018 Prediction: 9-7
The Ravens will certainly be the biggest threat to the Steelers this season in the North. However, as has been the case recently, I don’t expect them to truly challenge for the division. Flacco is the type of mediocre quarterback that will be good enough to get you to the playoffs, but he is certainly not an elite talent in this league. However, if there were ever a year to make a statement, it would be now. With a fresh group of talented receivers in Crabtree, Snead, Brown, and Hurst (though he just got injured) Flacco has some great new options to throw the ball towards. To go along with that, Baltimore returns two great options in the backfield, Alex Collins and Javorius Allen, two backs that make up one of the better running units in the NFL.

The defense should be good as well, as new defensive coordinator Don Martindale looks to improve upon last season’s 6th best scoring defense. However, even with all of these positives, I still expect this team to remain in mediocrity, good enough to challenge for a wild card berth and not much more. With the Steelers ahead of them and the two Ohio teams behind them, a third straight second place finish in the AFC North is nearly assured for the Ravens.

Cleveland Browns (Last Season: 0-16)
2018 Prediction: 7-9
Look, the Browns are certainly not going to contend for a playoff spot, but they are definitely going to be better than last season. While it is fitting for a franchise as despondent as the Browns to have finished a season with an infamous record of 0-16, a decent case can be made that they were better than that. Still, a winless season is a winless season, even if they did lose 6 games by only a single score, which included two overtime losses.

Looking ahead, this team is young and talented, thanks to having stockpiled the top picks in the draft for the past 20 or so seasons. Additionally, they have proven talents at skill positions, in Carlos Hyde, Jarvis Landry, and Tyrod Taylor. Most might not be high on Tyrod, but he has quietly been one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the league. Over 3 seasons with the Bills, Taylor was a solid 22-20. Normally I wouldn’t think twice about a mediocre record like that, but this was for the perpetually horrible Bills. So, it is worth noting, especially when you consider his elite TD to INT ratio of 51 to 16. I expect the Browns to have a solid bounce back season; however, I am not bold enough to consider them to be a serious playoff contender.

Cincinnati Bengals (Last Season: 7-9)
2018 Prediction: 6-10
Aw, what are the Bengals but a slightly less sad version of the Browns? Other than the Buckeyes, Ohio is the home of many of the most horrid sports teams in the country. This state prides themselves on being the lovable losers, so it makes sense that the pride of Ohio professional football is the Bengals. The Bengals, a team who “impressively” made it to the playoffs in five straight season (2011-2015), only to lose in the first round EVERY TIME. Cincinnati has never won a playoff game in my lifetime. As a Raider fan, it comforts me to know that there is something worse out there.

Anyways, as far as the roster goes, the Bengals will once again be relying on the unreliable Red Rocket to lead this team on offense. A total lack of big offseason moves will certainly not help a team that struggled to eke out 7 wins last season. With the Browns not handing out automatic wins this year, I see the Bengals as finishing last among the Ohio teams this year. My only question is, when does Cincinnati start considering options outside of Andy Dalton?

So, as you can see, the AFC North is horrible. I wonder if the AFC South is any good…



No comments:

Post a Comment