AFC North Season Preview
Photo Credit: Steelers Depot
The AFC North is littered with talent and is among the best divisions in all of Football. Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals are the favorites to come out of the North while the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and the overlooked Pittsburgh Steelers can all make a case for the number one spot.
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The Bengals are just two years removed from their Super Bowl loss to the Los Angeles Rams and they’ve played in the last two AFC Championship Games. Cincinnati has proven its ability to beat the beasts of the AFC in the Kansas City Chiefs, who are in the midst of a dynasty. Joe Burrow may not be as healthy as people think as he suffered a non-contact calf injury in July but the NFL season is a marathon, not a sprint. Burrow is expected to suit up and play week 1 against the Browns. This electrifying offense has all of the tools to lead the NFL in scoring and they’re without a doubt a Super Bowl contender for the third straight season.
One player that can make a huge impact for them defensively is second year safety out of Michigan, Daxton Hill. The 22-year-old is in line for a bigger role with the departure of Jessie Bates III as he signed with the Atlanta Falcons during free agency.
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The Baltimore Ravens made a few additions this offseason while also losing some key names as well. The Ravens went out and signed WR Odell Beckham Jr. to a one-year, $15M deal, that’s worth up to $18M with incentives. Baltimore gave Lamar Jackson another weapon by spending a first-round draft pick on Boston College WR Zay Flowers. The Ravens’ season last year took a downward spiral after Jackson suffered a grade 2 knee PCL sprain that kept him out for the last six games of the season, including the Wild Card game against the Bengals. Former Baltimore DE Calais Campbell, signed with the Atlanta Falcons, C Ben Powers signed with the Denver Broncos and CB Marcus Peters signed with the Las Vegas Raiders.
One player that can make a huge impact for the Ravens and elevate them to the next level is Flowers. There has been nothing but positive reports coming out of training camp and the team has been raving about him. He should compliment OBJ and Mark Andrews well, giving Jackson a plethora of weapons. Teams can’t just stack the box against Baltimore anymore.
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There is a lot of buzz surrounding the Cleveland Browns heading into the 2023 season. Deshaun Watson is poised to return to his Houston Texan-self and with the addition of former Jets wide receiver Elijah Moore, that gives him another weapon as well. Former Chiefs Safety Juan Thornhill, was an underrated addition to the secondary that needed the help on the back end. Cleveland also added defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson to bolster their defensive line.
One player that’s in line for a breakout season is Moore. Moore just couldn’t find his footing in New York, but he shined at times in his rookie season with Gang Green. The lack of just mediocre quarterback play could’ve been to blame for Moore’s lack of success or the inexperience of the coaching staff or he just wasn’t the right fit for the organization. Moore will be the number two target for Watson alongside Amari Cooper, while Cleveland also has Donovan Peoples-Jones, as well. Their run game should continue to be among the top of the league as Nick Chubb is one of the league's top rushers of this generation.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most overlooked teams headed into the season. Their offense may not put up as many points as the teams in their division, but their defense has the ability to pose problems for any offense in football. Edge rusher T.J. Watt will be healthy to start the season for the black and yellow. The Steelers’ all-time record when Watt plays is 59-26-2. Pittsburgh’s all-time record when Watt doesn’t play is 1-10. Their success is highly attributed to Watt’s availability. Minkah Fitzpatrick is arguably the league’s best safety and he brings this defense to another level. Head Coach Mike Tomlin has also never finished a season with a losing record, since taking over the Steelers in 2007.
One player that can breakout and help his team compete with even the Bengals for first place in the AFC North is second-year quarterback out of Pittsburgh, Kenny Pickett. Since his first appearance against the Jets last season in week 4, he has continued to progress and get better every game. Second-year WR George Pickens out of Georgia is in line for a breakout season as well and possibly Pickett’s number one target. The addition of rookie OT Broderick Jones out of Georgia, helped bolster their offensive line.
