Colin Cowherd Shares Bold AFC North Take

Colin Cowherd is no stranger to bold takes. As with many sports talking heads, the money is made by making bold predictions. As the season gets closer, analysts are sharing their bold predictions for 2023. Cowherd had one bold prediction about the AFC North.

Colin Cowherd On The AFC North In 2023

This division has a lot of firepower. The Bengals are Super Bowl contenders and the Ravens are feeling much better about their chances after signing Lamar Jackson to an extension. The Browns have quietly reloaded and are hoping for a bounceback year from Deshaun Watson. The Steelers are relying on second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett and a dominant defense to take them to the playoffs and Cowherd thinks this is enough. He believes the Steelers will make the playoffs while the Ravens will not.

The Case For It

It all centers around star defensive player T.J. Watt and injuries.

“If T.J. Watt plays, they win,” Cowherd said. “Last year, 8-2 when T.J. Watt played. Last two years, 17-7 when he plays. He’s healthy, they win. The second reason is, their top 7 or 8 players don’t get hurt…their chief rivals, the Ravens, outside of Mark Andrews, all get hurt….the third reason is they won 6 of 7 and won 4 straight. Their defense was unbelievable….the Pittsburgh Steelers, not the Baltimore Ravens, are a playoff team.”

The Ravens are often injured especially Jackson. If Watt is able to stay healthy, Cowherd sees them in the playoffs. The reports out of OTAs have been positive for Pickett and the legend of Mike Tomlin always finishing above .500 lives on. It isn’t hard to see a world where the Steelers make it while the Ravens falter.

As the season gets closer, expect more people to agree with Colin Cowherd on the AFC North division. While both the Steelers and Ravens have questions, both should be in the mix in the AFC in December.