AFC North Preview

By: Tyler Ward and Stephen Patterson

1. Baltimore Ravens (Head Coach: John Harbaugh)

Key arrivals: WR Anquan Boldin, WR Donte Stallworth, S Ken Hamlin, QB Marc Bulger, DL Corey Redding, DT Terrence Cody (draft), LB Sergio Kindle (draft), TE Ed Dickson (draft), TE Dennis Pitta (draft)

Key departures: WR Kelley Washington, CB Samari Rolle, DE Dwan Edwards, QB John Beck

Joe Flacco

TW: The Ravens are going to be one of the best teams in the league this season. The addition of wide receiver Anquan Boldin is what sends them over the top. QB Joe Flacco has needed receiving help since he got drafted and with Boldin, Flacco could be due for a huge season. They also added Donte Stallworth, who could give the Ravens a deep threat - with those two additions, the Ravens arguably have the best receiving core in the NFL, consisting of Boldin, Stallworth, Derrick Mason, Mark Clayton and tight ends Todd Heap, Ed Dickson, and Dennis Pitta. RB Ray Rice could be a sleeper for the MVP award, as he is an all-around threat. Rookie tight end Ed Dickson, in my opinion, was the best tight end in the draft and he could possibly be the replacement to former Pro Bowler Todd Heap. Surprisingly, their defense could hold them down, as Ed Reed has been injury-prone the last few seasons. But, if Reed is not ready for the start of the season, Ken Hamlin could fill in admirably, as he has shown that he is one of the hardest-hitting safeties in the league. Their top two draft picks, NT Terrence Cody and LB Sergio Kindle, will have to play well and stay injury-free if the Ravens want their defense to be at it's finest. Ray Lewis, however, will be ready and still has enough in his tank to be considered one of the best defensive players in the NFL this season. Irregardless if their defense is subpar, the Ravens are definitely one of my favorites to make the Super Bowl.

- TW's Prediction: 13-3

SP: If Baltimore can stay healthy throughout the season, especially towards the end and during the postseason, they are one of my favorites to win it all this year. There defense has been exceptional over the past decade, and even with young new faces Terrence Cody and Sergio Kindle (depending on his status), they are still very dangerous when healthy. The secondary will be a big question mark for the Ravens, as injuries have already plagued Ed Reed (hip), among others. The team will probably bring in help throughout the season to help play at CB because of all the injuries at that position. The offense will be one of the best in the NFL this season. With the addition of Anquan Boldin, Joe Flacco now has enough options to shred almost any defense in the league at will. Ray Rice is also one of the Top 5 running backs in the league and will most likely put up big numbers again this season with defenses spread thinner due to the improved passing game.

- SP's Prediction: 12-4

2. Cincinnati Bengals (Head Coach: Marvin Lewis)

Key arrivals: WR Terrell Owens, WR Antonio Bryant, S Gibril Wilson, CB Adam "Pacman" Jones, K Mike Nugent, TE Jermaine Gresham (draft), DE Carlos Dunlap (draft), WR Jordan Shipley (draft), WR Dezmon Briscoe (draft), DT Geno Atkins (draft)

Key departures: WR Laveranues Coles, RB Larry Johnson, OG Bobbie Williams, K Shayne Graham

TW: I like what the Bengals have done, especially in the draft this year. The Bengals, like the Ravens, will have one of the best receiving cores in the NFL. The duo of Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco could form one of the best tandems. Carson Palmer, for the first time in his career, actually has an opportunity to have an all-around offense. Their running game has been ressurected with Cedric Benson - the first time since the Rudi Johnson era. Their defense could potentially be one of the best in the league, especially with the additions of Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins. Antwan Odom has to play well in his return, as he was a sack machine last season before having a season-ending injury. Other than Odom, their defensive line is questionable. Jonathan Joesph and Leon Hall should play well this season, as they are both Pro Bowl-caliber players. However, they have a hard schedule ahead of them, playing teams like Indianapolis, New Orleans, Baltimore (2x), New York Jets, Atlanta, Miami, Pittsburgh (2x), and San Diego. I think the Bengals will have a tough road ahead of them, but they are definitely a threat to make a postseason run.

Chad Ochocinco & T.O.

- TW's Prediction: 10-6

SP: The Bengals had one of the most active offseasons in the NFL this summer, adding a whole new core of receivers and upgrading several key positions on defense. While the additions of Antonio Bryant and Terrell Owens will undoubtedly improve the receiving core for the Bengals, the question remains to be answered if that pair of receivers, along with Chad Ocho Cinco, can all co-exist together on the same team. The health of Carson Palmer is also something Cincinnati must always be concerned about, as he has been injured quite a bit throughout his career. The Bengals are definitely one of those teams that has almost no chance to win games without their star QB. On a different note, look for Jermaine Gresham to have an immediate impact this season and be one of the top rookie TEs. They have a solid defense, which is one of the main reasons they won this division last season, and if anything, it has only improved in the offseason. Unluckily for Cincinnati, even with all of their offseason additions, they will not be able to capture the same success as last season, and will fall slightly short of a second consecutive division title.

- SP's Prediction: 10-6

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (Head Coach: Mike Tomlin)

Key arrivals: WR Antwaan Randle El, WR Arnaz Battle, QB Byron Leftwich, S Will Allen, LB Larry Foote, CB Bryant McFadden, OT Flozell Adams, C Maurkice Pouncey (draft)

Key departures: WR Santonio Holmes, RB Willie Parker, CB Deshea Townsend, WR Joey Galloway

James Harrison

TW: Without Ben Roethlisberger for four games, it's going to be hard for the Steelers to get in the groove and win games. They got rid of Santonio Holmes, so they may have difficulty through the air. Although they added Antwaan Randle El and Arnaz Battle, neither are really #2 receivers. Their offensive line seems to be sketchy again this season, especially with their first preseason game last weekend. Flozell Adams, used as a left tackle his whole career, was moved to right tackle after signing with the Steelers this offseason - in the preseason game, Adams looked like he didn't know what he was doing at all. They did, however, add Maurkice Pouncey through the draft, so that should give the line some hope, but it looks like Roethlisberger will have another pressured season. RB Rashard Mendenhall has to remain healthy if the Steelers want to do anything on the ground. They got rid of Willie Parker, who could have played as an excellent #2 running back. Mewelde Moore will now be the backup to Mendenhall, so it's a very questionable ground game, especially if Mendenhall goes down with an injury. Their defense may help them out, as they brought back LB Larry Foote - along with Lawrence Timmons, James Farrior, LaMarr Woodley, and James Harrison, Pittsburgh should have a great linebacking core. But, I don't think the Steelers will mesh entirely well and they will end up having a subpar season.

- TW's Prediction: 8-8

SP: After a disturbing offseason and yet another off-field distraction for Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers will now have to play without him for at least the first four games of the season. My guess is that the troubled QB will miss the first six games of the season, the maximum he was suspended for, and even upon his return, the team will struggle. When you have someone like Roethlisberger in your locker room, it is a major distraction for everyone else and it causes a small divide as certain players side with or against the troubled star. Also, the loss of Santonio Holmes, who was dumped in the offseason for practically nothing after a nightclub incident, will affect this team on offense a lot more than most people think. Mike Wallace and Hines Ward will still be good, don't get me wrong, but Holmes has been that teams best receiver the past two seasons. And while many scouts, fantasy football experts, and analysts are high on Rashard Mendenhall this year, I personally don't think his numbers will be that impressive. If Pittsburgh is going to have any chance this season at having a respectable record, it will because of their stellar defense led by Troy Polamalu and James Harrison.

- SP's Prediction: 6-10

4. Cleveland Browns (Head Coach: Eric Mangini)

Key arrivals: LB Scott Fujita, TE Ben Watson, QB Jake Delhomme, QB Seneca Wallace, RB Peyton Hillis, LB Chris Gocong, CB Sheldon Brown, OL Tony Pashos, WR Bobby Engram, TE Alex Smith, CB Joe Haden (draft), QB Colt McCoy (draft), RB Montario Hardesty (draft)

Key departures: LB Kamerion Wimbley, QB Brady Quinn, QB Derek Anderson, DT Corey Williams, S Brodney Pool, OL Hank Fraley, WR Mike Furrey

TW: Surprise! The Browns are the gutter team in the AFC North! Didn't see that one coming, did ya'll? They added a lot via free agency, but in the end, it just won't work out..at least for this season. I think the Browns could do mildly well in a few years, but not now. Jake Delhomme is on the decline and with the Browns receiving core, the quarterback play could be iffy. Their running game is very underrated, as Jerome Harrison could possibly be a 1,000 yard back. Cleveland also drafted Montario Hardesty, so he should fill in as a decent backup. Mohamed Massaquoi could also have a breakout season, but it depends on how well Delhomme (and potentially Seneca Wallace and Colt McCoy) plays. Their defense will probably be middle of the pack, much better than last season since they acquired Pro Bowler Sheldon Brown and LB Scott Fujita in free agency. They used their #7 pick in this year's draft to select Florida CB Joe Haden, who could be a favorite to take the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. I like what Holmgren has done for the Browns, but I don't think they'll be a .500 team this season. They will struggle this season, but look for them to do much better in the next couple of seasons.

- TW's Prediction: 4-12

Jerome Harrison

SP: Luckily for the Browns, not many people have high expectations for them this season, and even the few people in Cleveland that do expect success won't be too disappointed, as LeBron James has already ripped the hearts out of most of them. Needless to say, it's highly unlikely the Browns will be around fighting late in the season for a postseason berth. It's much more likely that they will be battling for a high draft pick while stacking up losses. While Mangini will likely start the season with Jake Delhomme at QB, I expect Colt McCoy to getting some snaps in before the end of the season. Neither one of those quarterbacks are likely to win a lot of games this season, and they should be applauded just for keeping their team in games and give their RBs a chance to win for them. Jerome Harrison and Montario Hardesty will probably scoring a majority of Cleveland's touchdowns this season. The defense also has many holes in it, and if they are unable to stop opponents, things could get pretty ugly pretty quick. This is a rebuilding year for the franchise, but most within the organization expect at least moderate improvements in some aspects of the team. Hopefully their goals aren't set too high.

- SP's Prediction: 5-11