Written by Aaron Fischman
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AFC North: Ravens & Steelers...AGAIN!
The 2012 AFC North looks awfully like it will be a two-team race between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. With that said, the Cincinnati Bengals’ second-year quarterback, Andy Dalton, may have something to say about that. The then-rookie led the Bengals to a 9-7 record before his team got dismantled by the Texans in the wild-card round. The Browns, on the other hand, have virtually no chance to win the division, but they should be fun to watch considering they will feature two highly touted rookies.
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Don’t ask me why AccuScore gives Baltimore a slight edge in winning the division, but simultaneously affords Pittsburgh a 0.7 percent better chance of making the playoffs. I will inquire about that, but the forecast’s point is well taken - both of these teams will be dangerous come Sept. 9. Each team will enjoy so much continuity from a year ago when both finished 12-4. Furthermore, each of these teams boasted a Top 3 defense last season. The Steelers stood atop league rankings in points allowed and yards allowed per game at clips of 14.2 and 271.8, respectively. To their credit, the Ravens ranked third in each of those categories. The Steelers’ 171.9 passing yards allowed per game was the best the NFL had seen since the 2009-10 Jets held opponents to 153.7 yards through the air per game. Opposing offenses will find little, if any, comfort in the fact that every key member of both defenses will be returning.
On the offensive side, Ravens running back Ray Rice is coming off the best year of his career, in which the 25-year-old running back ran for 4.7 yards per carry and found the end zone 12 times. Many people also forget that the 5-foot-8 running back caught 76 passes out of the backfield. Simply put, he gained over 2,000 rushing and receiving yards combined. And that’s not all the Ravens have to offer offensively. Through Joe Flacco’s career, he’s been very careful with the football. Although the five percent drop in his completion rate should be cause for concern, don’t forget that Anquan Boldin is still a dangerous option down the field. Furthermore, up-and-comers Torrey Smith and Ed Dickson (tight end) should continue to improve.
Veteran Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was one of 10 quarterbacks to eclipse 4,000 passing yards in 2011-12. This season, Big Ben will surely enjoy teaming up with 1,000-yard receivers Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown yet again. Retired wideout Hines Ward had a tremendous career, but because Wallace and Brown are so reliable, it’s doubtful his absence will be felt. (Hines Ward temporarily came out of retirement to suit up for the Gotham Rogues in “The Dark Knight Rises” this summer. He even returned a kickoff for a touchdown as the field literally fell apart. I should’ve said Spoiler Alert. Sorry.)
Second-round pick Andy Dalton turned in an impressive rookie season, completing more than 58 percent of his passes for 3,398 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also kept the interceptions down to 13 for the season. The fact that his favorite receiver was rookie A.J. Green is even more good news for the trajectory of the franchise. The big questions mark, however, are two-fold: Who will be step up as Dalton’s second receiver and how will the running game take shape?
Last season’s No. 2 receiver, Jerome Simpson, is no longer with the team. Jordan Shipley was released Friday after appearing to be hampered by the season-ending knee injury he suffered last September. So who’s going to fill that role? Second-year player Andrew Hawkins looks to be the front-runner so far, but rookies Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones may also get an opportunity. Fellow rookie Armin Binns and former Patriots wide receiver Brandon Tate have also been listed as possibilities. Regardless, the Bengals are extremely thin at wide receiver after their No. 1 option in Green. With such thin receiver depth, tight end Jermaine Gresham will be invaluable to the second-year quarterback.
Cedric Benson has moved on to Green Bay, so BenJarvus Green-Ellis will be handed the starting duties. It will be interesting to see how the carries are distributed between Green-Ellis and his backup Bernard James. The Law Firm, as Green-Ellis is affectionately known, is such a physical runner that he may not be able to endure the punishment that typically accompanies 215-250 carries per season. For that reason, look for James to be given at least 125 carries even though he witnessed a drastic drop in his yards per carry average last season.
According to the AccuScore forecast, the Browns have a 0.7 percent chance of winning their division and a 2.1 percent shot at seeing some playoffs action. Those numbers should not come as a surprise, as Cleveland enters a rebuilding phase. Fine, it’s true - the Browns have been trying to rebuild for some time now. But come on! With Trent Richardson and Brandon Weeden coming to town, it’s hard not to get a little excited. Richardson was regarded by virtually every analyst as the best running back in the draft. He is a downhill runner, who also possesses immense speed.
There are many positives and negatives about Weeden, but they can be condensed into two primary arguments. First, he is arguably the most NFL-ready rookie quarterback. He did look phenomenal at Oklahoma State, and though Justin Blackmon’s presence helped, Weeden clearly possesses extraordinary talent in his own right. The big negative, however, is that Weeden will turn 29 years old by mid-October of his rookie season. So even if he doesn’t need many years to develop, he’ll be on the wrong side of 30 just as his professional career is getting started. (Hint: If you’re looking for a unique fantasy football team name, consider including “Weeden” in your title).
Last year’s Browns held opponents to 19.2 points per game, good for fifth-best in the league. Unfortunately, Cleveland could only manage to score 13.6 per game. Weeden and Richardson will be counted on by an entire city to transform the Browns’ offense. If the city doesn’t exhibit a ton of patience, it will be difficult to blame them. They haven’t won in a long, long time.
