AFC North preview: Ravens, Bengals, Browns and Steelers
AFC NORTH
BALTIMORE RAVENS
Coach: John Harbaugh (14th season in Baltimore, 129-79 regular season, 11-8 playoffs).
Last season: 11-5 (second in the division), lost in the AFC Divisional Round at Buffalo.
Key additions: WR Rashod Bateman, WR Sammy Watkins, G Kevin Zeitler, OT Alejandro Villanueva.
Key subtractions: LB Matthew Judon, OT Orlando Brown, G D.J. Fluker, RB Mark Ingram, C Matt Skura, WR Willie Snead.
Looking ahead: Analysts love to talk about the playoffs-in-winter advantages of a strong running game. But, the 2019 and 2020 Ravens with league-leading running attacks remind us that you also need a quarterback and a passing game that don’t go cold. The playoff loss in Buffalo showed Baltimore’s style leaves too little margin for error against the best teams until QB Lamar Jackson and the passing game make defenses defend the length and breadth of the field.
CINCINNATI BENGALS
Coach: Zac Taylor (third season, 6-25-1 in regular season, 0-0 in playoffs).
Last season: 4-11-1 (fourth in the division).
Key additions: WR Ja’Marr Chase, OT Reilly Reiff, G Jackson Carmen, DT Larry Ogunjobi, DE Trey Hendrickson, , CB Chidobe Awuzie, CB Mike Hilton.
Key subtractions: WR A.J. Green, RB Giovani Bernard, DE Carl Lawson, CB William Jackson, CB Mackensie Alexander, LB Josh Bynes, DT Christian Convington, OT Bobby Hart.
Looking ahead: The Bengals aren’t the first franchise to nervously ask a young, star quarterback “How’s the knee, Joe?” Knee injuries can take some time for full recovery and the Bengals will be Greg Cook-ed if second-year QB Joe Burrow, coming off a season-ending knee injury, keeps getting popped with 3.2 sacks per game. The Striped Ones addressed pass protection and an anemic pass rush (17 sacks). Well enough?
CLEVELAND BROWNS
Coach: Kevin Stefanski (second season, 11-5 in the regular season, 1-1 in the playoffs).
Last season: 11-5 (third in the division), lost in the AFC Divisional Round at Kansas City.
Key additions: S John Johnson, CB Troy Hill, DE Jadeveon Clowney, CB Greg Newsome, LB Anthony Walker, LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.
Key subtractions: DT Sheldon Richardson, DT Larry Ogunjobi, LB B.J. Goodson, CB Terrance Mitchell, S Andrew Sendejo, DE Olivier Vernon.
Looking ahead: Saying “the Browns look like they’re about to become consistently good” still feels like “this time, Lucy won’t pull the ball away.” But RB Nick Chubb, QB Baker Mayfield, WR Jarvis Landry and a healthy WR Odell Beckham give the Browns the AFC North’s most balanced offense. Myles Garrett gets to the quarterback consistently. Add two more defensive standouts and they will be the most balanced team. And, yes, that’s Jadeveon Clowney under Key Additions, the best player in NFL history to be on four teams in four years.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Coach: Mike Tomlin (15th season with the Steelers, 145-78-1 regular season, 8-8 playoffs).
Last season: 11-5 (first in the division), lost in the AFC Wild Card round to Cleveland.
Key additions: C Kendrick Green, RB Najee Harris, RB Kalen Ballage.
Key subtractions: C Maurkice Pouncey, RB James Conner, LB Bud Dupree, OT/OG Matt Feiler, OT Alejandro Villanueva, LB Avery Williamson, TE Vance McDonald, CB Mike Hilton.
Looking ahead: The last season of QB Ben Roethlisberger, seemingly as old and consistent as the London clock, feels like the start of an orderly transition or the rare Steelers crater. They creaked home, going 1-4 to end the regular season before Cleveland pushed them into the grave. Can they revive a dead running game and keep their dominant pass rush that lead the league in sacks (again) and helped them tie the Dolphins for the league in interceptions?
