We didn’t get quite the same participation from bloggers representing AFC North teams as we did teams from the AFC South. But as you read the write-ups you’ll see the two who did answer our call are just as passionate as anyone about their teams.
As with the South, I’ll start with my picks and then let the bloggers have their say.
Andy Tellijohn, Zoneblitz.com
Baltimore
Cincinnati
Pittsburgh
Cleveland
The Anquan Boldin pickup was huge and I am a huge fan of Ray Rice at running back. I think the offense now has the weapons to A) make Joe Flacco a true, top-notch quarterback in the league and B) potentially match the strong play the Ravens’ defense has displayed for years, which is good because the one thing I think could hurt the Ravens is the secondary. There are some good wideouts in Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, cough, cough, who will be effective when Ben Roethlisberger returns.
I think the Bengals and the Steelers are about equal. The difference will be those first four games. If Dennis Dixon/Charlie Batch can keep the team at 2-2 or better the Steelers will push for the playoffs and maybe the division. If Roethlisberger returns to a 1-3 or 0-4 team, the Steelers will miss the playoffs. The Bengals will hang right there with the best, though I think they are just a notch short of the Ravens heading into the season.
I like some of the things Cleveland is doing right now but it’s a tough division and it’s going to take another year or two before some of those changes pay off.
Here’s what our blogger friends think will happen:
Joe Barnes, Baltimore Ravens
www.ebonybird.com
Baltimore
Cincinnati
Pittsburgh
Cleveland
Call me a homer all you want, but it’s tough to argue against the Ravens right now. Sure their defensive secondary has lost a couple of talented guys to injury, but more things are looking good then bad for them. Anquan Boldin and Derrick Mason should have big seasons as Joe Flacco passes the ball more, and the defense looks stout as usual, aided by the recent pickup of cornerback Josh Wilson from the Seahawks.
The Bengals also look very good. Adding Terrell Owens was a genius move, in my opinion, and the defense is improving quickly. I look for Carson Palmer to have a big year, but I don’t see Cedric Benson coming close to the numbers he put up last year. I feel like the secret is out now, and teams can gameplan for the Bengals’ rushing attack much better than they did last season.
Look for the Steelers to continue their downward spiral since their Super Bowl victory, especially being without Fat Ben Roethlisberger. He’s been their rock, and losing his production and leadership to start the year is a big blow, even if they do have it for the majority of the season.
And as always, the Browns dwelling in the basement of the division. Things are looking better, but they’re still looking pretty bad as a whole. Colt McCoy is not the answer, and the team doesn’t have much talent aside from Josh Cribbs. They need a complete overhaul in Cleveland if they want to keep up with the other three powerhouses in the division anytime soon.
Daniel Wolf, Cleveland Browns
www.dawgscooper.com
Cincinnati
Baltimore
Cleveland
Pittsburgh
The AFC North has been known as a gritty and grind-it-out on the ground style of division for many years in the past, but with the addition of a few premier wide receivers into the division, it has now become more in line with the rest of the pass-happy NFL.
Receivers Terrell Owens and Anquan Boldin are the two biggest addition to the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens and both are cause for the rest of the division to improve their secondary due to the talents of these guys.
The Cleveland Browns have made the most notable improvement to their recently horrid secondary by trading for veteran cornerback Sheldon Brown and their top two draft picks were in the secondary too with first round corner Joe Haden and second round safety T.J. Ward.
The Ravens’ secondary has been bitten by the injury bug and they are a bit thin, the Bengals have two great young corners, and the Steelers have Troy Polamalu as long as he can stay healthy which means the world for the rest of their defense.
If there is one team to keep an eye on it is the Browns because even though they have improved their secondary to help cover the talented receivers in this division, they have also gone slightly in the opposite direction of the other AFC North teams and instead of focusing on revamping their passing game with big name receivers, they went back to the old fashioned ways of the division and beefed up their running attack.
This was done not only because the Browns have one of the premier left sides of their offensive line, but due to that fact that have to play on the shores of Lake Erie and weather plays more of a factor in their home-field advantage more so than the other three divisional opponents.
In Cleveland come November and December it can get cold, really cold along with windy and snow. Lake-effect snow is even worse because it can come out of the blue and a clear December day game in the first half of a contest, can suddenly be a blizzard due to the Great Lake.
With that being said, the Browns will revert back to the old days of the AFC North and have a heavy focus on running the ball most of the time.
Does this mean the Browns will win the division in 2010?
Probably not, but anything is possible in the NFL.
What is a high chance of happening is that the Browns will dig their way out the of basement and a new AFC North cellar dweller will be crowned in 2010.
With all the drama and internal disorder that has plagued the Steelers this past offseason, along with Ben Roethlisberger’s suspension to start the season, if the Steelers start off slow then they may claim that new title of cellar dweller.
The Bengals and Ravens looks to be the contenders and the division will probably fall in line with the Bengals finishing in first, Ravens in second, Browns in third, and finally the Steelers in the basement.
Obviously, predictions in any sports in not an exact science, but here is just one journalists opinion on the out come of the AFC North.
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