AFC North football is back! There has been a lot of headlines coming out of the division. From key additions, departures and the breaking news around Deshaun Watson’s suspension. Lets dive into the teams and how I think the division will shake up.
AFC North Division Standings
1. Cincinatti Bengals
Record Prediction 12-5
The bengals are coming off an impressive Super Bowl run. Ultimately they fell short to the Rams but they played like winners. If not for the amazing sack by Aaron Donald with Jamaar Chase running downfield wide open we possibly would have seen the Bengals win. (yuck) Joe Burrow is the real deal, the defense is much improved as of late and they have a top 5 wide receiver trio in the league. I expect the Benagals to win the division and make another playoff run.
2. Steelers
Record Prediction 10-7
Now I know a lot of people are going to call me crazy for thinking the Steelers will have a winning record. Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season as the Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach. Hear me out…….
Pittsburgh has led the league in sacks for the last 5 years and have made key additions to the defense.( Larry Ogunjobi, Levi Wallace and Myles Jack) That side of the ball has improved significantly. Their schedule also has some games I just can’t see them losing with this defense. Browns, Jets, Eagles, Colts, Falcons in my eyes are guaranteed wins. These teams are not great teams by any means and with Watson being out for 11 games and the Steelers always having the Colts number Its definitely possible. The final note to add, the last 2 years they’ve had the worst version of Ben Roethlisberger we’ve ever seen. With an improved offensive line and a young mobile QB at the helm It’s just not possible for them to be worse.
3. Baltimore Ravens
Record Prediction 9-8
The Ravens were devastated with injuries last year and had a very up and down season. They also lost their top wide receiver Hollywood Brown who they traded to the Arizona Cardinals on draft day. With his absence it will really depend on how the next men up perform. I can see Mark Andrews seeing a lot more double teams coming his way. The D is mostly still in tact and has some notable additions like the First rounder from Notre Dame in Kyle Hamilton. Overall I believe the Ravens have a tough schedule ahead of them and with a lack of true weapons they will be third in the AFC North.
4. Browns
Record Prediction 6-11
The browns are a hard team to predict. They have some fairly winnable games on the schedule. Outside of the quarterback uncertainty this team is built to win. I have no faith in Jacoby Brissett. He was on a very similar team in the Colts and was not able to deliver. Good O-line, Good defense and a strong run game. I think the first 11 games will be very hard for the Browns to come out on top. Ironically enough Watson agreed to an 11 game suspension. How ironic, the Browns play the Texans week 12. Reports say Watson has looked good in camp and is in good shape. I expect them to go on a late run to end the season. You can see more about Watson’s suspension here.
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