Divisional Analysis: AFC North

I’m excited to see how the West will be won, but now it’s time to head North. North as in AFC North. For years this division has featured some of the NFL’s (and history’s) best defenses, and even features the 2012 (Baltimore) and 2008 (Pittsburgh) Super Bowl champions. The AFC North is currently experiencing some changes, as the Bengals and Browns are improving and Baltimore and Pittsburgh are…not. As we move closer and closer to the start of the season (training camps are opening! :D) we’ll have more and more to talk about. Let’s get into it!

This may surprise you, but the most interesting team in this division right now is the Cincinnati Bengals. They may not be interesting in personality (bracing myself for a very hum-drum Hard Knocks), but they are quite the story. Third-year quarterback Andy Dalton has led the Bengals to back-to-back playoff appearances (both first-round losses to Houston) and it looks like he’ll do it again. Cincinnati drafted TE Tyler Eifert, who will be an immediate help for Dalton’s passing game and will allow veteran TE Jermaine Gresham to do more blocking, which he excels at. They also drafted RB Giovani Bernard to back up the Law Firm, and they’re expecting him to be the more explosive of the two ball-carriers. Rumor has it that Bernard may even take the top spot, so watch out for that when training camp rolls around. With an improved defense led by Geno Atkins and newly-acquired veteran James Harrison, the Bengals have done enough to convince me that they’re tops in the AFC North. On a side-note the best thing about this team will always be Ochocinco. 

Remember Super Bowl XXXXVII when the power went out and the referees missed a prominently displayed holding violation at the end of the game? Yeah, the game that the Ravens won. Well shortly after, there was a mass exodus out of Baltimore. Ray Lewis, Paul Kruger, Ed Reed, Danell Ellerbe, and even Anquan Boldin bolted for greener pastures. On the plus side, the team signed former Broncos DE Elvis Dumervil. So, there’s that. Unfortunately for the Ravens, it appears that the other teams in this division are upgrading while they are not. The training camp alert here is wide-receiver watch; Baltimore has yet to establish a number two receiver after Torrey Smith. A losing record? That’s drastic, but Ray Rice may feel that he’s going nowhere fast with all that running this season.

What is the most-mocked team in sports history? If you answered the Cleveland Browns, you’re correct! Any sports fan knows that “God hates the Browns” and everyone’s “taken the Browns to the Super Bowl”. As unfortunate as Cleveland has been historically and recently, it seems their fate may finally be changing. Cleveland has signed veterans Paul Kruger and Des Bryant to add to a defensive unit that collected 38 sacks and 36 tackles for loss in 2012. Trent Richardson has emerged as a solid starter at running back, but Cleveland’s wide receiver situation has yet to be figure out. The real intrigue of training camp, though, is what role recently-signed draft pick Barkevious Mingo will find himself in. also, who will be starting opposite Joe Haden in the secondary? A rookie head coach and plenty of unanswered questions will most likely keep Cleveland out of the post-season, but this team is taking strides in the right direction.

Finally, the Once and Future King (anybody?), the Pittsburgh Steelers. Every year analysts talk about how old and slow the Steelers are, and every year they get pissed off and go to the playoff purely out of defiance. However, they’re steadily slowing down. They missed the post-season in 2012, losing games to the Bengals and the Browns. And in 2011 well, we all remember 2011. So what’s their status? Are they reloading or falling deeper into the rabbit hole? It certainly appears to be a dark hour, as Mike Wallace, James Harrison, and Casey Hampton bolted, to name a few. For a team that has relied so heavily on their veteran nucleus, it remains to be seen what will happen to Pittsburgh now that the nucleus has been decidedly broken up. It’s not all doom and gloom for the Steelers though, rookie Jarvis Jones represents hope for the defense and Le’veon Bell may be a solid replacement for Rashard Mendenhall. There should be a great training camp battle for #1 receiver now that Mike Wallace is in Miami. And hey, if this is the end of Pittsburgh’s dominance, they can always take after Raider fans and cling tightly to the past.

I say the Bengals win this division. They’ve convinced. After that, I have no idea. You know something’s wrong when I can’t even confidently say that the Browns will be in last place. As always, I’m eager for your thoughts. Don’t be afraid of the comments section. Check back soon for NFC North analysis!