2012 AFC North Preview

     Here's the AFC North, aka "Two Old Teams, One Young One, and Another Crappy One, and a Pizza Place".

4. Cleveland Browns

2011 Record = 4-12, Last in AFC North

2012 Schedule = PHI, @ CIN, BUF, @ BAL, @ NYG, CIN, @ IND, SD, BAL, BYE, @ DAL, PIT, @ OAK, KC, WAS, @ DEN, @ PIT

Franchise Players = T Joe Thomas, CB Joe Haden

Key Free Agent Acquisitions = None
Potential Impact Rookies = RB Trent Richardson (Alabama) 1-3, QB Brandon Weeden (Oklahoma State) 1-22, T Mitchell Schwartz (California) 2-5

Outlook = If you’re wondering how the Brandon Weeden era will work out in Cleveland, look up how the Carolina Panthers did with Chris Weinke under center.

Ceiling = 5-11

Floor = 1-15
No Credentials Prediction = 3-13

3. Baltimore Ravens

2011 Record = 12-4, First in AFC North, Lost in AFC Championship Game

2012 Schedule = CIN, @ PHI, NE, CLE, @ KC, DAL, @ HOU, BYE, @ CLE, OAK, @ PIT, @ SD, PIT, @ WAS, DEN, NYG, @ CIN

Franchise Players = QB Joe Flacco, RB Ray Rice, WR Torrey Smith, T Michael Oher, C Matt Birk, DT Haloti Ngata, LB Terrell Suggs, LB Ray Lewis, S Ed Reed

Key Free Agent Acquisitions = G Bobbie Williams
Potential Impact Rookies = DE Courtney Upshaw (Alabama) 2-3

Outlook = The video above is the reason I’m so down on the Ravens this year. I don’t see this team rebounding from such a disappointing defeat. Sure there are still Hall of Famers on defense, but they are aging (watch Ray Lewis move laterally. He’s not as graceful as he used to be), and Joe Flacco doesn’t inspire much confidence at all. A breakout from him in his fifth season seems unlikely. It’s much more probable that he is what he has been the past two seasons, which is an average quarterback that can manage a game but do very little to win one. This becomes a problem when the Ravens decide to throw the ball 50 times in the game and forget to hand the ball to Ray Rice (who you know, is only the best all-around runningback on planet Earth right now). Throw in a brutal schedule (even though two of their first three are at home, they won’t be cakewalks), and you have all the makings for a disappointing year of football in Baltimore.

Ceiling = 12-4

Floor = 6-10
No Credentials Prediction = 8-8

2. Cincinnati Bengals

2011 Record = 9-7, Third in AFC North, Lost in AFC Wildcard Game

2012 Schedule = @ BAL, CLE, @ WAS, @ JAC, MIA, @ CLE, PIT, BYE, DEN, NYG, @ KC, OAK, @ SD, DAL, @ PIT, @ PHI, BAL

Franchise Players = QB Andy Dalton, WR A.J. Green, T Andre Smith, DE Carlos Dunlap, LB Rey Maualuga, LB Manny Lawson, CB Leon Hall, S Reggie Nelson

Key Free Agent Acquisitions = RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis, CB Jason Allen, CB Terrance Newman
Potential Impact Rookies = CB Dre Kirkpatrick (Alabama) 1-17, G Kevin Zeitler (Wisconsin) 1-27, DT Devon Still (Penn State) 2-21, DT Brandon Thompson (Clemson) 3-30

Outlook = Not a lot of teams had as successful of a draft as the Bengals, which is hard to believe because they are the Bengals. Their fleecing of Oakland in the Carson Palmer enhanced an already talented young roster. A.J. Green appears to be on the verge of becoming a top-5 wide receiver, and Andy Dalton could go down as the best second round draft pick of the ‘10s. With their patty-cake stretch from weeks 2 through 6 (two games against the Browns, trips to Washington and Jacksonville, and a home date with Miami), and we could very easily be talking about a 5-1 or 6-0 football team when they face Pittsburgh at home in Week 7. That’s the cushion they will need to withstand a tougher second half slate.

Ceiling = 12-4

Floor = 6-10
No Credentials Prediction = 9-7
 

1. Pittsburgh Steelers

 

2011 Record = 12-4, Second in AFC North, Lost in AFC Wildcard Game

2012 Schedule = @ DEN, NYJ, @ OAK, BYE, PHI, @ TEN, @ CIN, WAS, @ NYG, KC, BAL, @ CLE, @ BAL, SD, @ DAL, CIN, CLE

Franchise Players = QB Ben Roethlisberger, RB Rashard Mendenhall, WR Mike Wallace, WR Antonio Brown, TE Heath Miller, C Maurkice Pouncey, LB James Harrison, LB LaMarr Woodley, LB Lawrence Timmons, S Troy Polamalu

Key Free Agent Acquisitions = None
Potential Impact Rookies = G David DeCastro (Stanford) 1-24, T Mike Adams (Ohio State) 2-24, DT Alameda Ta’amu (Washington) 4-14

Outlook = Pittsburgh’s draft haul may not be as impressive as Cincinnati’s but David DeCastro and Mike Adams should go along way in keeping Ben Roethlisberger upright. With added time in the pocket, the dynamic duo of Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown (here’s your dark horse pick for best receiving tandem in the NFL this year) will be even more lethal than they were a year ago. Expect the Steelers to ensure that they won’t start the playoffs on the road this January.

Ceiling = 13-3

Floor = 7-9
No Credentials Prediction = 11-5
 

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