COLUMBUS, Ohio — For as much as the NFL has evolved into a pass-first, speed, up-tempo offensive game, there still remains an element of defensive physicality. And you can find a lot of that in the AFC North.
Perhaps the most competitive division in the NFL, winning this division means you outlasted. And even though the Bengals have evolved to be able to compete with the AFC’s best offenses, the rest of the North still gives them fits. Running the ball, being physical on defense and having game-changing difference makers on offense is what this division features. In addition, there are two veteran head coaches, a fourth-year head coach with his team seemingly at a crossroads and a head coach who has won nearly four times as may games the last two seasons as he did his first two seasons while also building one of the best rosters in the league.
Four Burning Questions
1. Is this the year the Bengals win it all? Anything besides Kansas City holding them back? Is a fast start mandatory for a number one seed? Three questions in one. I think this year certainly can be the year they win it all. The pieces are there. They have a superstar quarterback. I honestly think it’s just all about luck when it comes to the AFC Championship and the Super Bowl. Kansas City does present a big road block, but they are 3-1 against them over the last two seasons. I wrote earlier this offseason that the Bengals don’t need to be the number one seed to go to the Super Bowl- link at the bottom of this story- but a fast start is mandatory if they aspire to have home field advantage throughout the Playoffs. An 0-2 start for the fourth time in five years would doom any chance at the AFC’s top seed.
2. Can the Ravens stay healthy and live up to the hype? There’s a lot of hype surrounding an expected new-look Ravens offense this season. New offensive coordinator (Todd Monken), new number one wide receiver (Odell Beckham Jr.) and a quarterback who got a massive payday this offseason (Lamar Jackson). There’s a lot to like here, combined with a great defense as good as any in the league. But health is a big concern. Jackson has missed at least five games in each of the last two seasons. Beckham missed all of last season after tearing his ACL in Super Bowl LVI. And Monken is transitioning to the NFL after three seasons as the offensive coordinator at the University of Georgia. There’s a lot of potential here, but also a lot of validated concern.
3. How big of a leap does Kenny Pickett take in year two? I think Pickett significantly improves this season. He was really good in the second half of his rookie season in 2022 with only one interception in his last eight games. He has weapons around him in George Pickens, Diontae Johnson, Najee Harris and Pat Friermuth. His accuracy needs to improve, and he’s not the most prolific. But there were signs of progress in the second half of the season that could translate into year two.
4. Who are the Browns? I don’t know what to expect from Cleveland this season. They have a lot of star players. But it can either work out well into a surprise season or one that spirals out of control quickly. There are as many questions as there are star players on this roster? Does DeShaun Watson return to the quarterback he was in 2020? Is the secondary going to be able to contain great offenses like the Bengals? How big of a loss is Jadeveon Clowney along the defensive line, and does that decrease Myles Garet’s production with more double teams? There’s talent but a lot of questions surrounding this team. I don’t know which direction they’re heading in.
Top 10… or Top 13! Players
Just like on the Price is Right’s Hole in One… or Two!, we could just do the Top 10 players in the AFC North. But considering 13 were voted to the Top 100 Players of 2023, we might as well highlight all 13 of those players. The number that proceeds each player is their ranking in the Top 100 Players of 2023.
6. Joe Burrow – Quarterback, Cincinnati Bengals (4.475 yds, 35 TD, 5 rushing TD, selected to 1st Pro Bowl)
It’s rare that a number one overall pick with as much hype as Joe Burrow had coming out of LSU lives up to the hype. But that’s exactly what Burrow has done. He keeps getting better year after year, proving that it was not at all a fluke when he took the Bengals to the Super Bowl.
18. Minkah Fitzpatrick – Free Safety, Pittsburgh Steelers (56 solo TKL, 6 INT (NFL co-leader), 11 PD, 1st Team All Pro, selected to 3rd Pro Bowl)
It’s hard to believe but Fitzpatrick is only going into year six of his career. Ever since being traded to Pittsburgh during the 2019 season, he has proven himself as a playmaker and a game-changer.
20. Myles Garrett – Defensive End, Cleveland Browns (37 solo TKL, 16 sacks, 4 PD, 2 FF, 1st Team All-Pro, selected to 4th Pro Bowl)
Like Fitzpatrick, Garrett is a game-changer. Make that, a flat out game-wrecker. He’s an absolute menace to play against and gameplan for.
24. Roquan Smith – Inside Linebacker, Baltimore Ravens (103 solo TKL, 4.5 sacks, INT, 3 PD, 1st Team All-Pro, selected to 1st Pro Bowl)
Smith is an absolute beast and a prolific linebacker. His tackle numbers have increased in each of the last three seasons, ballooning to 169 last year with the Bears and Ravens. Now with the Ravens, who have a history of great linebackers, Smith has the opportunity to play himself as the best linebacker in the NFL.
27. T.J. Watt – Linebacker Pittsburgh Steelers (27 solo TKL, 5.5 sacks, 2 INT, 5 PD, FF, selected to 5th Pro Bowl)
Continuing with the great defensive players in the AFC North, T.J. Watt is as consistently of a dominant defensive player as they come. Watt has double digit sacks in four of his six seasons and let’s not forget he was hurt for the first half of 2022. He also has 23 forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries in his first six seasons.
29. Nick Chubb – Running Back, Cleveland Browns (1,525 yds, 12 TD, 2nd Team All-Pro, selected to 1st Pro Bowl)
Nick Chubb does not get nearly the respect he deserves. It’s probably because he plays for the Browns, but his numbers have been highly consistent over his first five seasons. He hasn’t dipped below 1,000 yards since his rookie season.
39. Ja’Marr Chase – Wide Receiver, Cincinnati Bengals (87 rec., 1,046 yds, 9 TD, selected to 2nd Pro Bowl)
Bengals fans might be freaking out Chase is ranked this low. I’m not. Chase has proven to be worth every bit of the number one wide receiver hype he had coming out of college and has flourished with his old college teammate in Joe Burrow. His speed and athleticism make him an absolute weapon and bona fide number one wide receiver.
45. Cameron Heyward – Defensive Tackle, Pittsburgh Steelers (39 solo TKL, 10.5 sacks, FF, FR, 4 PD, selected to 6th Pro Bowl)
Playing behind Watt, Heyward often gets overlooked. But the 13th-year player out of Ohio State has had a remarkable career with 78.5 sacks ad 8 forced fumbles.
72. Lamar Jackson – Quarterback, Baltimore Ravens (2,242 yds, 17 TD)
Jackson clearly did enough to earn a contract extension in the offseason. But the question with him is, as was the case the last two seasons, is if he can stay healthy late in the season.
75. Trey Hendrickson – Defensive End, Cincinnati Bengals (22 solo TKL, 8 sacks, 3 PD, 3 FF, selected to 2nd Pro Bowl)
Despite having a down year in 2022, Hendrickson is still to the Bengals defense who Watt and Garrett are to the Steelers and Browns defenses. With more depth on the Bengals defensive line, that could be what springs Hendrickson back to double digit sacks.
80. Mark Andrews – Tight End, Baltimore Ravens (73 rec. 847 yds, 5 TD, selected to 3rd Pro Bowl)
Andrews gets lost behind Travis Kelce and George Kittle, but he is a top five tight end with a big role in the Ravens offense.
84. Za’Darius Smith – Defensive End, Cleveland Browns (32 solo TKL, 10 sacks, 5 PD, FF, selected to 3rd Pro Bowl)
Smith is back in the AFC North after spending the previous four seasons with the Packers and Vikings. He also has double digit sacks in three of his last four seasons.
92. Marlon Humphrey – Cornerback, Baltimore Ravens (53 solo TKL, 7 PD, 3 INT, FF, 2 FR, selected to 3rd Pro Bowl)
Humphrey has enjoyed a solid career so far with the Ravens, but I feel like I need to see more from him to justify his place on the cornerback hierarchy.
Divisional Matchups
1. Cincinnati Bengals @ Cleveland Browns – Week 1 (1 p.m. on CBS)
2. Baltimore Ravens @ Cincinnati Bengals – Week 2 (1 p.m. on CBS)
3. Cleveland Brows @ Pittsburgh Steelers – Week 2 (Monday Night Football, 8:15 p.m. on ESPN)
4. Baltimore Ravens @ Cleveland Browns – Week 4 (1 p.m. on CBS)
5. Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers – Week 5 (1 p.m. on CBS)
6. Cleveland Browns @ Baltimore Ravens – Week 10 (1 p.m. on CBS)
7. Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens – Week 11 (Thursday Night Football, 8:15 p.m. on Amazon Prime Video)
8. Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cleveland Browns – Week 11 (1 p.m. on CBS)
9. Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cincinnati Bengals – Week 12 (1 p.m. on CBS)
10. Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers – Week 16 (Sunday Night Football, 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 23rd)
11. Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens – Week 18 (TBD)
12. Cleveland Browns @ Cincinnati Bengals – Week 18 (TBD)
Breakdown: 3 prime time games, 3 nationally televised games
Overall: 16 primes time appearances, 17 nationally televised games (could be up to 21)
Bengals: 5 prime times games (6 national television, could be 7 or 8); Ravens: 4 (5); Steelers: 5 (6, could be 7 or 8), Browns: 2
Marquee Non-Divisional Games
Bengals: Week 17 @ Kansas City Chiefs (4:25 p.m. on CBS)
No secrets here. The Chiefs are the only team standing in the Bengals way of a return trip to the Super Bowl.
Ravens: Week 12 @ Los Angeles Chargers (Sunday Night Football, 8:20 pm. on NBC)
The wild card could come down to these two teams, so this is a crucial road game for the Ravens against a team who has just as much hype as they do in the Chargers.
Steelers: Week 14 vs. New England Patriots (Thursday Night Football, 8:15 p.m. on Amazon Prime Video)
The Steelers have struggled with the Patriots for years. They’ll likely be competing with them for a wild card berth this season, making this a crucial late-season game.
Browns: Week 12 @ Denver Broncos (4:05 p.m. on CBS)
With a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Browns, this is a crucial game against another team with a lot of expectations but also a lot of uncertainty. Playing in Denver in late November is no easy task.
Head Coaches
Bengals: Zac Taylor (5th season, 28-36-1; prev. Quarterbacks Coach for Los Angeles Rams in 2018)
The most impressive thing to me about Zac Taylor is he has stayed true to his word, his beliefs and his vision to turn the Bengals into a perennial contender.
Ravens: John Harbaugh (16th season, 147-95; prev. Defensive Backs Coach for Philadelphia Eagles in 2007)
While there is a lot of respect for what John Harbaugh has done in his tenure as Ravens head coach, there’s also questions that persist about his future. He has been there 16 years, and for as much as Lamar Jackson has revived his head coaching career in Baltimore, he’s also only won one playoff game since 2014. Zac Taylor has five playoff wins in the last two seasons.
Steelers: Mike Tomlin (17th season, 163-93-2; prev. Def. Coord. for Minnesota Vikings in 2006)
Like Harbaugh, Tomlin has had a lengthy stay as head coach in Pittsburgh. I think with Tomlin there aren’t as many questions as there is criticism. But then again, can you really criticize a head coach that much if he has never had a losing season?
Browns: Kevin Stefanski (4th season, 26-24; prev. Off. Coord. for Minnesota Vikings in 2019)
Here’s what I’ll say about Stefanski: he’s the first head coach to reach a fourth season as Browns head coach since Romeo Crenel from 2005-2008. He’s also the first Browns head coach to win a playoff game since Bill Belichick. What does that mean for this year? We’ll find out.
Quarterbacks
Bengals: Joe Burrow (4th season, LSU)
His accuracy reminds you of Drew Brees. His personality reminds you of Joe Namath. And this year, he has the best offensive line he has had in his entire career.
Ravens: Lamar Jackson (6th season, Louisville)
I have always respected the way Lamar Jackson plays the game. It will be very interesting to see him in Todd Monken’s offense with Odell Beckham Jr. now to throw to.
Steelers: Kenny Pickett (2nd season, Pittsburgh)
Pickett didn’t do anything to flash last season, but he led the Steelers to a 7-2 record over the last nine games of the season.
Browns: DeShaun Watson (7th season, Clemson)
Which version of DeShaun Watson will we see this year? The one from last year or the one from 2020 in Houston?
Final Analysis
The Bengals have the fewest questions of any team in the division. But there is some competition. Every team went 3-3 in the AFC North last year for several reasons. These teams know each other so well, all four teams are really talented and every game is extremely physical. The Bengals may be the heavy favorites, but that doesn’t mean it will be a smooth sailing road to a third straight title.
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