The Baltimore Ravens found themselves an offense last year that could hold up their end of the bargain with their stellar defense. Pittsburgh had an off year and still finished 8-8. The Cincinnati Bengals played pinball with the scoreboard on offense to cover for a lack of defense. And Cleveland was still looking for the glory days to return. Will anything change this season?
From bottom to top, the AFC North in the 2007-08 season:
Cleveland Browns: Patience is a virtue, as Brady Quinn can tell you after sitting there all day in that New York City theatre on Draft Day. It's about time for the Browns ownership to lose theirs. Time will tell if Quinn is the leader for this franchise, but he doesn't have a great history to follow (Tim Couch, Jeff Garcia, Cameron Frye, Derek Anderson anyone?) and not a great line in front of him. Then, they let Reuben Droughns walk to the Giants, and replaced him with a faded Jamal Lewis. And they made no real improvements to a defense ranked 27th in the league. Patience has its limits. This season may tell where the Browns' limit is. Prediction: 6-10, fourth place
Cincinnati Bengals: The legal problems, as bad as they are, aren't the reason Cincinnati has been mediocre two of the past three seasons, but it's a part of it. The over-emphasis on offense isn't the reason, either, but it's a part of it. The in-fighting that has boiled over into the press at times isn't it, either. A lack of star power (QB Carson Palmer, WR's Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh) can't be blamed. It's all of those things, mixed in with a big serving of lack of defense (30th last season, and now without two good players in Kevin Kaesviharn and Brian Simmons) to make a .500 Souffle. Now place it in the oven and bake it for an hour at 350. Serves 53. Prediction: 8-8, third place
Pittsburgh Steelers: If you need any other indicator of the success of the Steelers in the past 38 years than the fact that new head coach Mike Tomlin is only the third coach for Pittsburgh in that time frame, well, there are plenty, and possibly plenty ahead. This team faced coaching uncertainty as Bill Cowher mulled retirement and their starting quarterback dashing himself to pieces in a motorcycle wreck and still finished at .500. This year, with QB Ben Roethlisberger at full strength, RB Willie Parker being his usual solid self and the defense still among the best in the NFL, this team will return to the playoffs that seem to be more of a birthright than something that has to be earned for the gold and black. Prediction: 10-6, second place, wild card team
Baltimore Ravens: QB Steve McNair has brought something new to Baltimore, something that hasn't been there since the days of Johnny Unitas: a stable starting quarterback. In addition to that good news, there's the acquisition of Willis McGahee at running back, the return of WR's Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton, TE Todd Heap, and the continued emergence of WR Demetrius Williams. There's the good new news, and now the good old news: the defense is still the better unit. Ray Lewis returns to lead a unit that is loaded with All-Pros, like Ed Reed, Chris McAllister, Trevor Pryce, Terrell Suggs, and Bart Scott. The Ravens continue to serve notice that the road out of the AFC North runs through Charm City. Prediction: 12-4, division champion
So, Baltimore looks to repeat and to return to the Super Bowl, and Pittsburgh will look to stop that from happening. Welcome back to the AFC North.
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