Here is part four of my eight-part NFL preview.
The AFC North has two of the NFL's worst teams in Baltimore and Cincinnati. The Ravens will bottom out this season and start their rebuilding process this upcoming offseason.
I don't see a solid future with the Bengals, seeing as they have all old veterans on defense. This could be a historically bad season for the division.
Pittsburgh Steelers Last Season: 10-6 Offseason Grade: B+ Predicted Record: 11-5
I really like what the Steelers did on draft day. Rashard Mendenhall is a very NFL-ready back, and he should help the running game be unstoppable. Running-back duos have proven to be very successful, looking at Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor last season.
Mendenhall could easily rush for 600-700 yards as a compliment to Willie Parker, not to mention being a red-zone threat.
By picking up Limas Sweed, the team got an excellent possession receiver and should do very well when it comes down to screen plays, similar to last year's Patriots with Wes Welker.
Don't get me wrong, Sweed won't take in 112 receptions, but he makes the team a solid threat in the passing game. They can go deep or hand the ball off to Mendenhall or Parker. The offense should be great.
If the defense is itself and avoids injuries, they should be very competitive. The schedule is too tough for the team to run the table and dominate. They should split with the Browns, who are really the only other competitive team in the division.
Cleveland Browns Last Season: 10-6 Offseason Grade: B+ Predicted Record: 11-5
The Browns have kept most of their players and added two very good defensive tackles in Shaun Rodgers and Corey Williams. The defense will be great under head coach Romeo Crennel.
The team is also very good on offense and should be score a surplus of points and be competitive with the best. They will dominate the Bengals and Ravens and probably split with the Steelers.
Their schedule is way too tough for them to dominate. They are just about equal with the Steelers and should have two great games against them.
Cincinnati Bengals Last Season: 7-9 Offseason Grade: D Predicted Record: 3-13
Okay, maybe they aren't that bad, but with their schedule, they will be awful this upcoming season.
Of their 16 games, 12 are against playoff-caliber teams. Sorry, but the Bengals are no longer a playoff-caliber team. I don't see this team improving any time soon, seeing that most of their defensive players are old and past their prime.
They have Carson Palmer, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Ben Utecht, Keith Rivers, and Jerome Simpson. Those are the only players that I can see being effective this year. Rivers will be great, something like Patrick Lewis last season, the one great player on a bad defense.
Palmer will find Housmandzadeh and Simpson, but the defense is too bad for this team to compete with all of these playoff-caliber teams. The Bengals aren't this bad with a normal schedule, but they would still go around 6-10.
They again have to rebuild their franchise. Chad isn't listed because I have no idea what Chad will do. All things considered, I can't predict a big year. Ankle injuries, not wanting to be there, and whatever comes next. I don't like the possibilities for this team.
Baltimore Ravens Last Season: 5-11 Offseason Grade: C+ Predicted Record: 4-12
The Ravens have taken some big steps toward the future, with the additions of Joe Flacco and Ray Rice. The running-back tandem will eventually be very successful and be a key component in the team's return to the playoffs.
Unfortunately, this will take a few years.
The defense is old and needs some fresh blood, whereas the offense is young and needs time. They are at a crossroads with age and youth. In three or four years, they could be decent. That's all I can say. They are better than the Bengals, but not really that good. Time will tell, and it should be fun to watch.
This season is one of development for these teams. In a few seasons, the Steelers and the Browns will be very good and will compete for an AFC title.
We're going to send you the most entertaining
Pittsburgh Steelers
articles, videos, and podcasts from around the web.
18 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete