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For nearly two decades, the AFC North has belonged to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens. Cleveland and Cincinnati were just afterthoughts in both the division and in the NFL; however, the landscape of the league is starting to change.
Despite having one of the best seasons in franchise history in 2020, the Browns are seemingly back to being the same old Browns. Following their only successful season in recent history, which saw Cleveland place third in the division and lose in the divisional round of the playoffs, the Browns once again returned the third place in the division with an 8-9 record and missed the playoffs in 2021.
Now, the Browns must decide whether or not Baker Mayfield will remain their quarterback in the future as they are starting to lose some of the talents that they had previously acquired. Since Odell Beckham Jr. was moved to the Los Angeles Rams, he has proven that he was not Cleveland’s issue.
Of the teams in the AFC North, the Cleveland Browns are still the least of Pittsburgh’s worries.
The Baltimore Ravens will likely return to their normal competitive state in 2022. The Ravens, who lost Lamar Jackson earlier in the 2021 season due to injury, will be back at full strength with a revamped staff and a few new additions to the roster.
Even though Baltimore finished last in the division in 2021, much of that can be attributed to poor offensive play after losing Lamar Jackson. The Ravens started the 2021 season 8-3 before losing their last six games to finish 8-9.
The Ravens are still led by a Hall of Fame caliber coach in John Harbaugh, and a former league MVP in Lamar Jackson. Though they did not finish their 2021 campaign the way they would have liked, they still came within two 2-point conversions of going 10-7 this season. Outside of the Bengals, the Ravens seem to be Pittsburgh’s most significant hurdle to overcome.
After three decades without a playoff win, the Bengals have finally returned to prominence under second-year quarterback Joe Burrow. In 2020, Burrow suffered a torn MCL and ACL early in the season, which led the Bengals to start various quarterbacks.
No matter who was under center for the Bengals in 2020, one thing was for certain: the Bengals were not good.
In the 2021 NFL Draft, the Bengals chose wide receiver Ja’marr Chase, Joe Burrow’s former teammate at LSU. The combination of Burrow and Chase has proven to be deadly for the young Bengals, who will be playing against the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI this February.
Though the Bengals have been looked down upon in the division for decades now, their time may have arrived. Their core players are still extremely young, and they will continue to upgrade units such as the offensive line. The Bengals are the biggest threat to the Steelers’ success, and for the time being, the division and AFC conference run through Cincinnati.
The Steelers have not had a losing season in nearly two decades. For the past 18 seasons, Steelers legend and future Hall of Fame quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has led the Steel City’s football team. Now that Roethlisberger is retiring, the franchise must search for its next great quarterback.
Quarterback play is not the only Steelers need this off-season either. They will need to add pieces to the offensive line and defensive backfield, as well as re-signing some of the key players already on the roster.
While the Steelers may not be in immediate contention for a Super Bowl, they must do everything they can to ensure they remain competitive in the division and the league as a whole. The front office has their work cut out for them, but one thing that remains certain is that the division has changed in many ways, few of which are good for the Steelers.
Do you think the Steelers have what it takes to overcome the challenges of this changing league? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
The Browns are still the Browns
Despite having one of the best seasons in franchise history in 2020, the Browns are seemingly back to being the same old Browns. Following their only successful season in recent history, which saw Cleveland place third in the division and lose in the divisional round of the playoffs, the Browns once again returned the third place in the division with an 8-9 record and missed the playoffs in 2021.
Now, the Browns must decide whether or not Baker Mayfield will remain their quarterback in the future as they are starting to lose some of the talents that they had previously acquired. Since Odell Beckham Jr. was moved to the Los Angeles Rams, he has proven that he was not Cleveland’s issue.
Of the teams in the AFC North, the Cleveland Browns are still the least of Pittsburgh’s worries.
The Ravens will be competitive
The Baltimore Ravens will likely return to their normal competitive state in 2022. The Ravens, who lost Lamar Jackson earlier in the 2021 season due to injury, will be back at full strength with a revamped staff and a few new additions to the roster.
Even though Baltimore finished last in the division in 2021, much of that can be attributed to poor offensive play after losing Lamar Jackson. The Ravens started the 2021 season 8-3 before losing their last six games to finish 8-9.
The Ravens are still led by a Hall of Fame caliber coach in John Harbaugh, and a former league MVP in Lamar Jackson. Though they did not finish their 2021 campaign the way they would have liked, they still came within two 2-point conversions of going 10-7 this season. Outside of the Bengals, the Ravens seem to be Pittsburgh’s most significant hurdle to overcome.
The Bengals are a threat
After three decades without a playoff win, the Bengals have finally returned to prominence under second-year quarterback Joe Burrow. In 2020, Burrow suffered a torn MCL and ACL early in the season, which led the Bengals to start various quarterbacks.
No matter who was under center for the Bengals in 2020, one thing was for certain: the Bengals were not good.
In the 2021 NFL Draft, the Bengals chose wide receiver Ja’marr Chase, Joe Burrow’s former teammate at LSU. The combination of Burrow and Chase has proven to be deadly for the young Bengals, who will be playing against the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI this February.
Though the Bengals have been looked down upon in the division for decades now, their time may have arrived. Their core players are still extremely young, and they will continue to upgrade units such as the offensive line. The Bengals are the biggest threat to the Steelers’ success, and for the time being, the division and AFC conference run through Cincinnati.
What does this mean for the Steelers?
The Steelers have not had a losing season in nearly two decades. For the past 18 seasons, Steelers legend and future Hall of Fame quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has led the Steel City’s football team. Now that Roethlisberger is retiring, the franchise must search for its next great quarterback.
Quarterback play is not the only Steelers need this off-season either. They will need to add pieces to the offensive line and defensive backfield, as well as re-signing some of the key players already on the roster.
While the Steelers may not be in immediate contention for a Super Bowl, they must do everything they can to ensure they remain competitive in the division and the league as a whole. The front office has their work cut out for them, but one thing that remains certain is that the division has changed in many ways, few of which are good for the Steelers.
Do you think the Steelers have what it takes to overcome the challenges of this changing league? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
