Not only is it cold up North, the AFC Division is one of the toughest in the NFL. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, and Cincinnati Bengals (three playoff contenders), always make sure of it.
Even if last year there wasn’t as much competition, the Steelers were the only team that made it to the postseason, this year the Bengals and Ravens are bound to make a push.
Let’s look closer at the predictions.
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Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens are expected to win nine games. Last year, Baltimore’s team won eight games even if they had an inconsistent running game, that linebacker Terrell Suggs was got back in the game after a season-ending injury the previous year, and a defense that dropped the ball in more than a few games they should have won.
This year, Steve Smith has retired and Jeremy Maclin has come in as his replacement and expected to be their top receiver.
Maclin should mesh well with offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, who worked with him over in Philadelphia.
Mike Wallace is also part of the receiving team, who last year seemed to work well with Joe Flacco, posting his first 1,000-yard season since moving from the Steelers.
The Steelers have also built up their defense, bringing on Brandon Boykin, Al-Hajj Shabazz, Marlon Humphrey, Tyus Bowser and Chris Wormley, effectively solving what’s been a major problem in years past.
The Ravens open against the Bengals on the road and shouldn’t have too much of a problem winning that game.
Their schedule isn’t all too hard, which gives confidence they should do well this year.
Ever since John Harbaugh took over as head coach, the Ravens have improved after every bad season, and I expect this year it’ll be the same.
Total Wins: OVER 9
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals are expected to win 8.5 games. They won the division back in 2015, and didn’t lose any players to free agency that year, so the fact they only won six games last year was surprising.
Cinci’s defense was decent last year, but the offense look shaky on more than a few occasions. The Bengals improved their ground game in the offseason, taking on former Oklahoma star Joe Mixon.
Quarterback Andy Dalton has a couple of good players down field in Ross and A.J. Green, and Mixon should make waves in his rookie year.
There’s a glaring problem I see in this year’s offense, its line. They’ve lost Andrew Whitworth and Kevin Zeitler to free agency, which adds more pressure to Jake Fisher and Cedric Ogbuehi’s shoulders.
The defense should be among the top half of the league and they shouldn’t have too many problems.
The Bengals kick off their season with games against the Ravens and Texans at home, but then they have a tough road game against the Packers and another game against Cleveland before making their way back home to play the Bills prior to their bye week.
Bearing a strong running game, a healthy Dalton and Green, the Bengals should win at least nine games.
Total Wins: OVER 9
Cleveland Browns
The Browns are expected to win 4.5 games. Last season they were among the worst teams in the NFL after chucking most of their veterans in the previous season.
This year, they made some trades to bring on quarterback Brock Osweiller. They also drafted new blood on their defense with number one overall pick Myles Garrett, on whom they have high hopes to turn things around.
They’ve also made major changes to the the offensive line, with the additions of Kevin Zeitler and J.C Tretter, who should give Osweiller decent protection.
On defense, Garrett, Jabrill Peppers, Emmanuel Ogbah and Carl Nassib should do a good job of going after quarterbacks.
However, even if the total is at five, it’s hard to see the Browns winning given their schedule.
Can they beat the Jets at home? Possibly, but can they win against the Bengals and/or Ravens? Not likely.
While I expect this team to improve, I just don’t see them winning five games in this tough of a division.
Total Wins: UNDER 5
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers are expected to win 10.5 games this year. Heading into the season, Pittsburgh is the early favorite to win the AFC because of all the talent they have on their offense.
Their defense has also been improving over the past two years, which should position them as one of the toughest teams to beat this year.
However, while they’re a great team on paper, they’ve had their fair share of injuries and have been sidetracked over the years, with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger missing six games in the past two season, Martavis Bryant being suspended for substance abuse problems in that span, and running back LeVeon Bell looking for a new contract.
But, if the ranks stay healthy, and Bryant doesn’t fall into the suspension trap again this season, I don’t see why they shouldn’t win less than 10.5 games.
In fact, it’s entirely possible they make a run to the Super Bowl once more. Considering they were just one game away from the big game last year, and how they’ve improved this year, it’s not far-fetched to believe they will.
When all is said and done, I believe the Steelers will win the AFC North for the second time in a row.
Total Wins: OVER 10
