The last
decade in the North was dominated by Pittsburgh and Baltimore who’s rivalry
shaped the division with similar styles of play and success. 2013 brought a
change that had been building for a couple of seasons as both the Ravens and
Steelers got longer in the tooth. The Bengals built up a roster that not only
could compete but attack the defenses on multiple fronts. The Bengals took the
crown in 2013 will they succeed at repeating or will the old stalwarts reign
once again.
Quarterbacks
Baltimore Ravens – 1) Joe Flacco 2) Tyrod Taylor
Cincinnati Bengals – 1) Andy Dalton 2) Jason Campbell
Cleveland Browns – 1) Brian Hoyer 2) Johnny Manziel
Pittsburgh Steelers – 1) Ben Roethlisberger 2) Bruce Gradkowski
Joe Flacco
has a super bowl victory and a ring and big ole contract to show for it, but
the key question for him is whether that super bowl run was a bout of favorable
randomness or a sign of future promise that showed up in randomness. Flacco is
a big armed quarterback that can stretch the field vertically but the high risk
high reward scheme that the Ravens have run exaserbates the accuracy issues
that Flacco has dealt with since entering the league. If he can keep the bad
decisions to a minimum and make marginal strides in his accuracy he will be a
good option at QB. Andy Dalton has some of the same issues as Flacco but
without the arm which is a problem. Dalton plays well enough that you aren’t
going to replace him but struggles enough that paying him top starter money is
a scary proposition for the future of your team. Dalton needs to be better on
the outside the hash throws and with his accuracy on the touch passes over the
middle. Dalton has positives and has a pretty nice array of targets to throw
to, now we just need to see the consistency and growth from Dalton. The Browns
probably have the most fun QB battle in year one, unlike the other two first
round quarterbacks Manziel actually has a starter that has showed some upside
and could be a problem for him in the future and not just the starter in front
of him year one. I think Hoyer is the better QB right now on the Browns roster,
the flashes he showed last year before being injured were intriguing enough
that if healthy and without lingering effects he should be the starter this
season. Hoyer is a bit older but he still has work to do, due to the fact that
he sat behind Brady for three seasons before leaving. If he can make strides in
his accuracy and decision making outside the numbers he has a chance to make
the Browns think about who to slot in if the season takes a turn for the worse.
Roethlisberger is the old standby now in the AFC North and the best quarterback
of the bunch. Hamstrung the last few years by a well below average offensive
line and a running game that hasn’t figured out who to feature has left much of
the load to be placed on Big Ben’s shoulders. His ability to keep plays alive
is among the best in the league, his arm strength is unquestioned but the
biggest concern health for the lower body has taken a beating throughout his
career. As far as the backups are concerned Taylor is unexperienced and came
into the league raw. Campbell is one of the most competent backups in the league
and provides a stability if the starter goes down, but not the QB you want
starting all season. Manziel is the exciting rookie of the bunch, but there is
uncertainty if he will be ready to start this season as he continues to clean
up his mechanics and footwork. Gradkowski is unspectacular and doesn’t inspire
the greatest confidence but should be able to hold down the role for a couple
of weeks if necessary. Final Rankings:
PIT, CIN, BAL, CLE
Running Backs
Baltimore Ravens – 1) Ray Rice 2) Bernard Pierce 3) Lorenzo Taliaferro
Cincinnati Bengals – 1) Giovani Bernard 2) Jeremy Hill 3) BenJarvus Green-Ellis
Cleveland Browns – 1) Ben Tate 2) Dion Lewis 3) Terrance West
Pittsburgh Steelers – 1) Le’Veon Bell 2) LeGarrette Blount 3) Dri Archer
The Ray
Rice, Bernard Pierce combination would have been a very intriguing combination
a couple years ago but last season both running backs performed at a level that
would have been scoffed at before the season. Some of this is surely because of
a drop in line play but for Rice especially it is a rather worrisome development
for an aging running back with a lot of wear and tear on the tires. The Ravens
added Lorenzo Taliaferro in the draft from Coastal Carolina and he will
probably be more of a spell back and every now and then contributor to the
backfield than a major force in his rookie year. Cincinnati has relied on veterans
from elsewhere to populate there backfield in recent seasons to an alright
amount of success. But the drafting of Giovani Bernard two seasons ago and
Jeremy Hill in this year’s draft show a focus to get younger at the position.
If given the job without having to split carries at around the 50/50 pace he
has had to the last couple years with Green-Ellis then Bernard has the talent
to be a very good back but if handcuffed by the staff again it limits the
upside of the collective backfield. On an altruistic level, Ben Tate and Dion Lewis
make a very interesting and solid comination of size and speed, but Tate is an
oft-injured career backup and that is a scary thought. The Browns are one
injury away from giving Terrance West a lot of carries on a team that lack
splash at the skill positions. The Steelers on the other hand have second year
back Le’Veon Bell who does have some concern about the amount of work he saw at
the college level and the foot injury that kept him out early last year, but
Blount has shown to be a solid number two who can hold down the backfield if
needed. Archer is one of the most intriguing rookies this season because of his
quick twitch ability but he shouldn’t be more than a spell option and special
team savant in his rookie year. Final
Standings: Cin, Pit, Bal, Cle
Receiving Corps
Baltimore Ravens – 1) Torrey Smith 2) Steve Smith 3) Jacoby
Jones 4) Marlon Brown TE1) Dennis Pitta TE2) Owen Daniels
Cincinnati Bengals – 1) A.J. Green 2) Marvin Jones 3) Mohmaed
Sanu 4) Dane Sanzenbacher TE1) Jermaine Gresham TE2) Tyler Eifert
Cleveland Browns – 1) Josh Gordon 2) Andrew Hawkins 3) Nate
Burleson 4) Austin Miles TE1) Jordan Cameron
Pittsburgh Steelers - 1) Antonio Brown 2) Markus Wheaton 3) Lance
Moore 4) Martavis Bryant TE1) Heath
Miller TE2) Matt Spaeth
The Baltimore
Ravens have routinely been one of the most downfield centric passing attacks in
the NFL and with an arm like Joe Flacco’s throwing the ball that is not a
surprise. The players on the roster match up with this fact, both Torrey Smith
and the starter at the slot Jacoby Jones are players that can stretch the field
vertically with good speed and an ability to win one on one battles deep down
the field. The addition of Steve Smith provides a player with consistent hands
but who is showing signs of fading due to age and a drop in athleticism. The
biggest factor in the redzone, however may be Dennis Pitta, the tight end who
showed signs of a monster year in 2013 before going down with a leg injury
early. A.J. Green has developed into one of the top 5-10 wide receivers in the
league and is a big physical presence on the outside for Andy Dalton. The biggest
issue for me here who steps up out of the next three wide receivers on the
roster. Jones made strides in 2013, his second season, with 51 catches for
around 700 yards which shows signs of a playmaker in the making but he needs to
show the consistency game over game and pick up more catches to show he is a
serious target for Dalton. Sanu is more of a possession type but much like
Jones he didn’t get the targets last season that say he will bust out. The
biggest x-factor for the 2014 team is the use of the Gresham and Eifert who
have the ability to change the game up the seams. Eifert is coming into his
second year and has the talent to be a game changer but with Gresham in front
of him I think you could see a lot of two TE sets for the Bengals to utilize
two good TEs with a shallow receiving corps. Josh Gordon burst onto the scene
in 2013 as a great vertical threat for a Browns team that hasn’t had a lot of
skill position talent for some medicore at best quarterback play the last few
seasons but with Gordon facing an almost assured season long suspension this
receiving corps looks like many of the Browns sets of the past. The intriguing
guy here for me is Andrew Hawkins who came over from the Bengals this
offseason. Hawkins has great feet and a quick twitch ability to get open out of
breaks, as seen in this practice footage.
If he can translate that into game film he could breakout much like Gordon did
last season. Burleson is a good receiver with solid hands but doesn’t really
bring much in the way of explosiveness to the table. Jordan Cameron is probably
the best bet to be the most consistent pass catcher early on for the Browns no
matter who the quarterback is to start the season. The Steelers lost Emmanuel
Sanders to the Broncos in free agency which is a hit but I like some of the
young talent on the roster and the addition of Lance Moore from the Saints.
Antonio Brown has established himself well since the departure of Mike Wallace,
a few years back, he has shown an ability to battle for jump balls despite
being smaller and has been a consistent deep threat for Roethlisberger when
there is time to let the play develop. Markus Wheaton is the boom or bust
player here, didn’t have much of an impact in his rookie year out of Louisiana
Tech but he is a very good athlete and should grow into a starting role as the
year moves along. Moore brings a steady veteran presence but there is always a
bit of hesitancy when projecting forward for players moving from great offenses
in free agency. The biggest question is whether the Steelers can get anything
out of rookie Martavis Bryant who is raw but brings a deep play threat that should
see single coverage with defenses focusing on the run and Brown. Heath Miller
is a solid force in this offense but he is aging and is probably little more
than a safety valve for Big Ben at this point in his career but that is a
useful option when things break down as they often do behind a below average
offensive line. Final Rankings: Bal,
Pit, Cin, Cle
There is talent on offense in the dvision and a good if unspectacular set of quarterbacks. Cincinnati has the best set of talent but a quarterback that has questions makes them an uncertainty. Pittsburgh has the best QB in the conference and a promising young running back to shoulder the load and take pressure off of Ben, but the receiving corps needs to make strides for a young group. Baltimore has a good amount of talent wihthin the pass catching group but they need to find consitency in an offense that is predicated on stretching the field. The Browns don't have the talent at receiver and have major question marks at QB and RB that limit the upside for the upcoming season.
Defense
Baltimore Ravens – 3-4 Key Players: NT Haloti
Ngata, CB Ladarius Webb, CB Jimmy Smith, SS Matt Elam Impact Needed: DT
Cody Terrance, ILB C.J. Mosley, OLB
Elvis Dummervil, FS Terrance Brooks
The Ravens
have had a fierce defense for the past decade but have lost many of the key
pieces that made them one of the most impressive in the league. The last couple
years have seen them have to replace stalwarts, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. The
Ravens have attempted to do this by drafting Arthur Brown and C.J. Mosley at
inside linebacker and Terrance Brooks at FS. The key returning pieces are an
aging Haloti Ngata at the nose. He is still a beast in the middle but has lost
some of the athleticism that made him a terror in his prime. The defensive
backfield has put together an impressive cadre of young talent headlined by Jimmy
Smith at CB but also including Ladarius Webb and second year player Matt Elam who
is a head hunter but is a bit wild at times and needs to reign in his talent to
really make his impact felt. Along with Mosley and Brooks this squad needs
Terrance Cody or another of the NT depth to show signs of being able to spell
Ngata consistently and Elvis Dummervil to provide a spark on the outside to
hassle opposing quarterbacks. This isn’t the Ravens defense of old but it does
have pieces in place to be a very good unit in the near future.
Cincinnati Bengals – 4-3 Key Players: DE Carlos
Dunlap, DT Geno Atkins, WLB Vontaze Burfict, CB Terrance Newman, CB Adam Jones,
CB Leon Hall Impact Needed: MLB Ray Maualuga, CB Darqueze Dennard, FS
Reggie Nelson
Cincinnati
saw a jump on defense in 2014 this is a unit that has had some of the best CB play
in the league but they hadn’t found the right combinations to create pressure
in the front seven consistently. The biggest surprise of the 2013 season was
the play of rookie linebacker Vontaze Burfict. Burfict was known to those who
watch college football as an aggressive beast of a linebacker who had a
propensity for big plays and huge mistakes. Burfict went undrafted but showed
the talent that intrigued so many. The biggest development was the line play in
2013, fueled by the play of Dunlap and Atkins, they applied pressure up the
middle early and often to force mistakes the backs could capitalize on. Hall
was injured in 2013, but if he can play at his previous levels this looks to be
a very good backfield once again. The biggest question marks are the depth at
CB, where first round pick Darqueze Dennard may need to play early because of
injuries and linebacker where incumbent Maulaluga has shown consistency issues both
physically at the point of attack and mentally. If the line and back play stays
as good as it was last season this should be one of the best units in football
and gives the Bengals a great chance to repeat as division champions.
Cleveland Browns – 3-4 Key Players: NT Phil
Taylor, OLB Paul Kruger, ILB Karlos Dansby, CB Joe Haden, CB Buster Skrine Impact
Needed: OLB Jabaal Sheard, CB Justin
Gilbert, SS Donte Whitner
Mike Pettine
takes over a team that saw a nice improvement on defense with a move to the 3-4.
The biggest difference for this team should be the addition of Paul Kruger form
Baltimore that adds a new dimension to the rush and outside leverage for a team
that didn’t have a consistente pass rush last season. Jabaal Sheard who moved
to OLB last year should have a better year this season after moving upright in
2013. The cornerback group looks good, Haden isn’t elite but he is a very good
player but has his flaws, Skrine is a very good slot corner and Whitner brings
a hard hitting note even if his pass coverage ability lacks a bit. This should
be a solid unit this season and if the offense doesn’t put them into too many
short fields this should be a unit that continues to improve.
Pittsburgh Steelers – 3-4 Key Players: DE Cameron
Heyward, ILB Lawrence Timmons Impact Needed: DE Stephon Tuitt, ILB Ryan
Shazier, OLB Jarvis Jones, CB William Gay, CB Ike Taylor
The Steelers
much like the Ravens aren’t what they used to be and with a group of aging players there is an exacerbation
of those issues. The good news for the Steelers is Dick LaBeau has shown a
propensity to adjust to his personnel each season and that certainly doesn’t
hurt. The key to the Steelers defense this season, however, is the assimilation
of young players. Shazier their first round pick at MLB, Tuitt at DE and Jarvis
Jones the second year outside linebacker will ultimately decide the upside of
this tale of two age groups defense and I am excited to watch what they do. Final Rankings: Cin, Bal, Pit, Cle
Cincinnati
is the most complete team in the conference even with the question marks about
Andy Dalton, but defensive health will be the biggest key to their success this
season. Baltimore is going to need to find consistency on offense, especially
in the running game but the defense shouldn’t be horrible and there is a nice
young corps on that side of the ball. Pittsburgh has questions on defense
talent wise and an offensive line that has been spotty at best but the weapons are
there for a high powered attack on offense and they should be a difficult team
to game plan for. Cleveland still has work
to be done, the defense is improving but the lack of skill position players on
offense, Hoyer’s recovery from injury and a front seven that needs work make
one timid to project too much success in the immediate future.
1) Cincinnati Bengals
2) Pittsburgh Steelers
3) Baltimore Ravens
4) Cleveland Browns
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