AFC North
In the AFC North, all eyes are on Cleveland. The Browns probably made the biggest splash this offseason, reuniting college teammates Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. The Steelers dropped all of their big ticket names while the Ravens ushered in the next era.
Cleveland Browns
While all of the attention has been put on the Baker Mayfield, Odell Beckham Jr., and Jarvis Landry teaming up, there is an even better story to tell coming out of Cleveland. Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi is the guy that has caught everyone’s attention with his incredible NFL journey. From giving up the lat $200 in his pocket to sleeping on the grass, Sheehy-Guiseppi knows the meaning of sacrifice. Sheehy-Guiseppi returned a punt for 86 yards and a touchdown and his team let him know they were just as excited for him as he was. This is by far the best story coming out of the preseason.
Cleveland’s defense is also quite impressive going into this season. With additions Olivier Vernon and Sheldon Richardson joining Myles Garrett, that is an opposing quarterback’s nightmare. Separately all three of these players can get to the quarterback, but having to block all three at one? Good luck offensive lines.
Pittsburgh Steelers
No Antonio Brown. No Le’Veon Bell. It’s just Ben left standing in Pittsburgh as one of the most dominant offensive trios has all gone their separate ways. Roethlisberger is a 37-year-old quarterback who has taken A LOT of hits over his career. Juju Smith-Schuster will be asked to carry the offensive burden and account for Brown’s absence.
This defense isn’t quite the Steel Curtain especially after losing leader Ryan Shazier last season. T.J. Watt could turn into his brother and completely dominate, especially after registering 13 sacks. That’s asking a lot of a young player even if he does share the same bloodline as J.J. The team got lucky when Joe Haden went down that it was not a serious injury. Haden was unable to get off the field himself, but the injury is being described as a “minor ankle injury“.
Baltimore Ravens
The Lamar Jackson era has begun. The Baltimore Ravens made it official when they chose to trade Super Bowl winning quarterback Joe Flacco to Denver. This team is completely different from last season in it’s run-first approach with Jackson. Mark Ingram was also added to the offense to really bolster the rushing game. The biggest question mark will be Jackson’s ability to throw for touchdowns with a very young receiving corps. It’s not just the offense that looks different.
Baltimore icon Terrell Suggs left the Ravens and headed to Arizona this offseason. Four-time Pro Bowler C.J. Mosley also departed in free agency to the New York Jets. The team did add Earl Thomas who instantly strengthens the Ravens’ secondary far beyond last season. If the Browns don’t live up to their incredibly high expectations, the Ravens could easily steal this division.
Cincinnati Bengals
Before the season even started, the Bengals were dealt a tough blow. Nine-year receiver A.J. Green underwent ankle surgery after being carted off during practice and is expected to miss multiple games this season. This team went through this last season when half of their team went down with injury, including Green and quarterback Andy Dalton. Before the injuries, the Bengals were 4-1 so maybe they can surprise everyone and win the division, but already without Green it seems like an uphill battle.
