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