AFC NORTH PROJECTED ORDER OF FINISH
1. Ravens
2. Steelers
3. Bengals
4. Browns
BALTIMORE: KNOWN FOR… OFFENSE?!
This may be the season we get to see what the Baltimore Ravens would look like with a high powered passing offense.
Last season quarterback Joe Flacco improved upon his rookie campaign by throwing for 3,613 yards, completing 63.1% of his passes, and throwing for 21 touchdowns vs. 12 interceptions for a quarterback rating of 88.9. The last Baltimore quarterback to throw for over 3,500 yards and 20 touchdowns was Vinny Testaverde in 1996 (4,177 yards and 33 TDs).
However, in two playoff games Flacco posted abysmal numbers, completing only half of his passes, throwing for 223 yards and 0 touchdowns vs. 3 interceptions. The most embarrassing was going 4-10 for 34 yards and tossing one interception against New England. Fortunately, Flacco had the league’s #5 rush offense and a top three defense to bail him out in a 33-14 shocking win at Foxboro.
Now Flacco has Derrick Mason and, acquired via trade from Arizona, Anquan Boldin. Both receivers posted back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons and bring a different mix to the receiving game. Derrick Mason, though often injured, has played through the pain and become one of the toughest wide receivers in the league. While Anquan Boldin has big play ability and been compared to Terrell Owens in his prime in terms of physicality. The addition of Boldin should help the Ravens improve upon their 18th ranked passing offense in 2009.
The defense remains the same with key players such as linebackers Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs and ball hawking safety Ed Reed.
Despite having a top 3 defense from the previous season, running back Ray Rice who was second in the NFL in total yards from scrimmage (2,041), and a potentially explosive passing offense, the Ravens will be challenged with their schedule. In Weeks 2-4, they play the entire AFC Central North (at CIN, CLE, at PIT). In Week 6 they travel to New England where in their 2009 regular season meeting the Patriots won but were aided by a controversial call.
Four of their final five games are against teams that finished better than .500.
An interesting quirk in their schedule, the only game they play outside of the Eastern Time Zone will be when they play at Houston for a Monday Night game in Week 14.
In 2010, it could be the Ravens OFFENSE that determines a tightly contested AFC North division race.
PITTSBURGH: HOW MUCH WILL OFF FIELD DISTRACTIONS IMPACT THE TEAM?
What an offseason for the Steelers.
Their heroes from Super Bowl XLIII were involved in negative incidents off the field. Wide receiver Santonio Holmes was traded to the Jets due to an incident in a club and then there was quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s actions in a Georgia nightclub.
To prepare for Roethlisberger’s suspension, the Steelers traded for quarterback Byron Leftwich who suffered a knee injury during the pre-season. They also have Charlie Batch, who played a role in the Steelers 2005 Super Bowl Season. Dennis Dixon also received some playing time in order to prepare him for playing at some period of time during the Roethlisberger’s time away from the NFL.
They are also going to have to rely more on running back Rashard Mendenhall who was in the top 10 in rushing yards in the AFC.
Despite losing Willie Parker and Deshea Townsend to free agency, the Steelers brought back Antwaan Randle El and Bryant McFadden via a trade with the Cardinals. They also signed tackle Flozell Adams to replace Willie Colon who tore his Achilles tendon during an offseason workout.
Last season saw the emergence of rookie receiver Mike Wallace as he caught 39 passes for 756 yards and 6 touchdowns and was named NFL Rookie Of The Week 3 times. His presence should aid a receiving corps depleted by the off season injury to Limas Sweed where he will miss the entire 2010 season due to an ACL injury.
No, not of 60 Minutes…
Who’s running this thing?!
Oh… right…
Anyways…
THIS Mike Wallace.
In addition, safety Troy Polamalu looks to return to play in 2010 after suffering from the Madden Curse an injury plagued 2009 campaign.
Now… the question that is on everyone’s mind: how much will Roethlisberger’s suspension hurt the Steelers?
Commissioner Goodell recently reduced Roethlisberger’s suspension from six games to four. This works well in the Steelers’ favor because they would get their star player AFTER their off week in Week 5.
The Steelers will not have Roethlisberger for their first four games (ATL, at TN, at TB, BAL). Worst case scenario: 1-3. EXTREME best case: 4-0. I am expecting something in the middle: 2-2.
The key stretch for the Steelers will be where they will be featured in three consecutive prime time games: a Sunday Night Game at New Orleans in Week 8, followed by Week 9 at the Bengals on Monday Night, and ending in Week 10 hosting the Patriots on Sunday Night. The Bengals game has significance because it was in last season’s meeting in Cincinnati where Roethlisberger experienced his first loss as the Steelers’ starting quarterback in the state of Ohio (11-0 from 2004-08 playing at the Bengals and Browns, 0-2 in the Buckeye State in 2009).
Three of their final five games are against the AFC North. Their final two games are against teams that failed to make the playoffs in 2009.
The Steelers will be aided by the return of Polamalu but what could determine their season is those first four games without their star quarterback and how quickly Ben Roethlisberger gets to game speed in what should be a competitive three team AFC North Division Race between their hated rivals: the Ravens and Bengals.
CINCINNATI: OCHOCINCO AND T.O. SHOW
The Bengals last year showed resiliency. A lesser team would have let that shocking loss to Denver in the first game of the year ruin their season.
The team came together with the deaths of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer’s wife and wide receiver Chris Henry. They were able to win the AFC North with a 10-6 record by as Coach Marvin Lewis put it: “to win the division you have to beat the division teams!” (One of two teams to sweep their division, the other the Colts) For overcoming those tragic events, Marvin Lewis was named 2009 Coach of the Year.
On the field, the Bengals became a RUNNING team in 2009 with the re-emergence of former Bears first round draft pick Cedric Benson. With a career best 1,251 yards, Benson was the second leading rusher in the AFC. In Benson’s second season with the Bengals, they were able to jump in rushing yards from 29th in 2008 to 9th in 2009. This has aided in quarterback Carson Palmer’s return from a torn ligament and tendon in his elbow which ended his 2008 season after four games. Even though Palmer’s passing yards in 2009 were not to par with what he posted in the 2005, 2006, and 2007 seasons, the emergence of a running game for the Bengals has made them more balanced. Historically the Bengals have not been known for running with well known signal callers like Ken Anderson, Boomer Esiason, and father of the West Coast offense Bill Walsh under the guidance of team founder Paul Brown.
Quarterback Carson Palmer has been the centerpiece of the Bengals franchise since being drafted with the first pick in 2003. Palmer’s return from his elbow injury combined with division rivals Pittsburgh and Baltimore cannibalizing each other played a part in Cincinnati’s 2009 AFC North crown. Most people would think that the Bengals revolve around the very passionate, entertaining, and talented wide receiver Chad Johnson Ochenta y Cinco Ochocinco Johnson Ochocinco.
Before training camp, receiver Terrell Owens was signed to an incentive laced contract to give the Bengals a number two threat. The lack of a decent #2 receiver hurt Cincinnati in their home playoff loss to the Jets in the wild card round. Even though Owens did not live up to expectations in Buffalo, a part of the reason for his drop off was due to instability at the quarterback position there. Having a quality quarterback, like Palmer, will help Owens out.
Another addition to the offense was the drafting of Texas wide receiver Jordan Shipley in the third round. Not only will he help the offense, but he should provide a spark to the return game. Some draft analysts have compared him to Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker in terms of pass catching ability and durability.
The Bengals defense last year posted its best ranking in total yards per game during Marvin Lewis’s tenure head coach. Lewis was brought in for his defensive minded approach as the defensive coordinator of the 2000 NFL Champion Baltimore Ravens. From 2003-2007, the Bengals defense ranked in the bottom six in four out of five seasons during that time period. Despite finishing 4-11-1 in 2008, the Bengals posted their best defensive ranking in the Lewis era. Last season, they were a top 5 defense. The last time the Bengals defense ranked in the top ten in yards per game was in 2001. Their best rankings before 2009 was third in 1972 (no surprise who was #1 that year), fifth in 1976 (again, another well known defense had the #1 ranking), and obtaining the #1 ranking in 1983.
Marvin Lewis believes that the emergence of DE/LB Michael Johnson has helped their defense achieve that #4 ranking. Coach Lewis also called Johnson the best pass rusher he has worked with. The Bengals are also aided by their corners Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall, who Sports Illustrated’s Peter King called the best cornerback tandem in the NFL today. In order to shore up the corner position, the Bengals signed strip club patron frequently suspended the talented Pacman Adam Jones.
Despite all this talent that surrounds this team their schedule does not help them. They have the second toughest schedule among 2009 playoff teams. It should also be noted that even though Cincinnati was 6-0 vs. the AFC North in 2009, they were 4-6 against teams outside of their division. They open at New England followed by hosting the Ravens in their home opener. In Week 9 on Monday Night, the Steelers come to town with Ben Roethlisberger back from his suspension looking to avenge their first loss in Ohio with Roethlisberger as their starter. The following week their defense will be tested when they travel to Indianapolis. The Bengals become the first AFC North team to play on Thanksgiving since 1998 when they play at the Jets. Weeks 13-17 is similar to Baltimore’s schedule. During that stretch four out of their final five games are against teams that finished 2009 better than .500 including hosting the defending champion New Orleans Saints in Week 13.
The Bengals have the talent to finish as division champions again and have high expectations going into 2010. It may be difficult to repeat as AFC North division champions with the improvements the Ravens made on offense and the return of the Steelers Troy Polamalu from his injury plagued 2009 season. The Bengals will be in the race for the playoffs this season but will fall short of their goal.
CLEVELAND: BASKETBALL SEASON STARTS… OH WAIT…
2010 has not been a good year for a Cleveland sports fan.
“The Decision” has joined such infamous Cleveland sports events such as “The Drive”, “The Fumble”, “The Shot”, and Game 7 of the 1997 World Series.
Though, there are some pieces in place for the Browns to get back to respectability.
Team President Mike Holmgren, who had success with Green Bay and Seattle as a head coach, is attempting to turn around a franchise that entered the league in 1999 and only had 2 winning seasons in its existence with a long storied history in the annals of professional football.
Head coach Eric Mangini and his staff remains in place after Holmgrem assumed the role of team president in December 2009.
For now…
(January 4, 2011, headline of The Plain Dealer: COWHER POWER)
In the NFL Draft the Browns selected unanimous first team All-American cornerback Joe Haden from Florida with the seventh pick and in the third round quarterback Colt McCoy, 2009 Davey O’Brien award winner and re-wrote the record book for Longhorn quarterbacks. If there is someone that knows about the quarterback position, it’s Mike Holmgren (Montana and Young when he was coordinator in San Francisco, Favre in Green Bay, and Hasselbeck in Seattle).
In order for McCoy to make an easy transition from college to the pros, the Browns signed Jake Delhomme. Delhomme is the Carolina Panthers all-time leader in passing attempts, completions, and interceptions and led them to their only Super Bowl appearance in the 2003 season. It appeared that Delhomme was back to his form in 2008 after missing the previous due to a season ending arm injury. However, in the playoffs against the Cardinals on January 10, 2009 (his birthday), he threw 5 interceptions in a humiliating 33-14 loss.
In 2009, it looked like Delhomme had not recovered from that game as he tossed 18 interceptions in 11 games. At the end of the season, the Panthers released Delhomme.
Joshua Cribbs last season set the record for kickoff returns for a touchdown in a career with 8. Among both kickoff and punt returns, Cribbs has 368 returns, 8,190 yards, and 10 TDs. For his role as a return specialist in his career, he was named to the Pro Bowl in the 2007 and 2009 seasons. Cribbs has also emerged as an offensive weapon. In last season’s upset win at home against the Steelers, Cribbs gained 200 all purpose yards, including being the game’s leading rusher with 87 yards on 8 carries.
Despite being in the top ten rushing, Cleveland was dead last in total yards per game last season. What brought them down was their passing offense, which ranked dead last at 129.8 passing yards per game. The Browns ranked in the bottom five in the following major defensive categories: rushing yards (28th), passing yards (29th), and total yards (31st).
Their schedule is the sixth toughest among non-playoff teams from 2009. They have a brutal stretch from Week 3-7 where they play five teams that finished last season better than .500 including playing at the Super Bowl Champion Saints before the bye week. And it doesn’t get better after the bye week as they host the two favorites in the AFC East in consecutive weeks: the Patriots and the Jets. The Browns end their miserable existence close out the 2010 season against teams looking to improve their playoff chances with easy wins against them at Cincinnati, and home games against the Ravens and Steelers.
With this version of the Browns?
Not any time soon.
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