Around the NFL: AFC North

I'm starting this one up a bit early since I'll be away on a long weekend beginning tomorrow... we'll take the weekend off for the predictions since it's usually slow around here and get back to it on Monday with the NFC North. In the meantime,

2004 NFC North Standings

Steelers 15-1: Still had to believe they won 15 games with a rookie QB at the helm. Just goes to show what a great D and running game can do for you.

Ravens: 9-7: Still hard to believe they won 9 games with such a horrible QB at the helm. Just goes to show what a great D and running game can do for you.

Bengals 8-8: Marvin Lewis seems to have them on the right track, but it's time for them to take the next step up.

Cleveland 4-12: What a mess Romeo Crennel has been stuck with. Ugh.

My predictions for 2005:

Steelers 12-4: Big Ben should be improved which is good news for them but they need to stick with the same formula that got them 15 wins a year ago. A few years ago Cowher decided to get tricky and become a pass oriented offense and it didn't work out. As long as they stick to pounding the rock, they'll be in the thick of things.

Bengals 10-6: Palmer looks like a franchise QB in the making. If he takes the next step forward they'll have a very good offense. They have a workhorse RB in Rudi Johnson, a T.O. Jr. in the making in Chad Johnson (hopefully without the soap opera dramatics) and a defense that should be much improved. I think the Bengals will challenge for a wild card.

Ravens 8-8: Is Boller one of the worst QB's to hit the league in recent memory or is it just me? This is a guy that posted the following single game QB ratings last year: against the Skins 22.9, against the Browns 49.3, against the Patriots 38.4, against the Bengals 59.2, against the Colts 51.0, and finally against the Steelers 59.0. I guess there's only room for improvement. Despite Boller holding them back, the Ravens still have a stout defense and a strong running game to lean on. The clock is ticking on Boller though.

Browns 4-12: Crennel must feel like mini-me standing at the foot of Mt. Everest. He has a few years of piss poor drafts and personnel moves to overcome. It's gonna get worse before it gets better in Cleveland, that's for sure. Trent Dilfer is their best option at QB. Trent Dilfer folks. And you think we have it bad.

Steelers 11-5
Ravens 8-8
Bengals 8-8
Browns 6-10

The steelers are still the team to beat, and they really can't be gameplanned. Pressure on Rothlesburger doesn't work when they run the ball over 130+ yards in as many games as they did last year. Hines Ward, 2 great RB's, good QB, and the best D in the league. They're staying on top of their game.

Ravens. I see their D keeping them in alot of games, but the D and ST's will have to continue to score points for them to keep winning. Not saying they won't, but you can't rely on that. Jamal Lewis is the only real offensive threat they have, and that's controllable by most of the D's they play this season.

Bengals. I like Marvin, and think the teams going to get better, but not immediately. They're gonna grow with Palmer and I have to say he needs one more year in the system before they start challenging for the division. Plus their D is a concern.

Browns. I like some of their D, and think they have some good building blocks there, but it will take more than a year to develop into something. Offensively, they don't have a lot to work with and will be lucky to win more than 6. Especially in their division. Romeo could suprise, though.

Steelers 11-5
Bengals 10-6
Ravens 8-8
Browns 5-11

I see the Ravens as one of the most overrated teams going into this year. I don't think Kyle Boller is as proven as Ramsey and they are toting him around like he's the second coming of Manning. I think the steelers, while a good team, had somewhat of a fluke season last year. Their defense while top 10 was not #1 quality (just like the Cowboys of a few years ago) they were hardly on the field, whereas Dallas just didn't play any offenses. The Bengals could win this division. I like Marvin Lewis, I love that offense. Now.. can he start to turn that defense around.

The Browns will soon be working their way up this division, but not this year! They have a decent D and gaggle of good running backs. If Suggs stays healthy they could do better, still the basement of this division.

Steelers: 12-4 - Still the team to beat in this division. Roethlisberger will make some "growing" mistakes but he will still have the #1 D to bail him out. The special teams may drop off due to Randel El being promoted, but that is the only downside to this team...

Bengals: 10-6 - Begals are the up and commer in this divison, I think that they will give the Steelers an honest run at divison champs but come up short... They are growing together as an offense and deffense this is the year they take a big step forward...

Ravens: 9-7 - The deffense once again saves this team. Boller has no choice but to have a productive year for once... This team could be dangerous if Boller and the WR's get on the same page...

Browns - 5-11 - This team is going through a rough time of rebuilding, they will need more than Edwards to get it done on offense... The D will be the foundation of this team, only cause of Crennel(SP)...

steelers- 11-5 Big Ben will lose some of his awsomness. Has a Qb ever won 15 games for his team and not make the probowl? playoffs

Ray'svens-10-6 Great D, even better w/ samari and now i can admit the have the best DBs in the league. mccalister, samari, REED, and super model demps. that is a hell of a group. one of the reasons our Offense had a hard time in the scrimmage. Offensivly they are a run first team and i just can't see this team be worse than last year and they won 9 games last year. Playoffs, wildcard

Ben Girls- 10-6 Gonna be a good team but they will not make the playoffs again I have always liked chad johnson and my friends make fun of me b/c of it. I feel he is an underrated player. Carson will get a slap in the face tonight but after that he will play well


Browns- 4-12 EH, someone has to win and someone has to lose, the rest of their division winning 10+ games means that they lose their whole division. looking at their scedule i only see 5 games that they can win(bears lions texans titans and dolphins) and as likewise all of these teams can beat them, i say they win 2 of these 5 and i add 2 for goodluck

Steelers 13-3: Still the cream of the crop in this division. There is no reason to believe Ben won't be even better this year. He's the perfect QB for the Steelers because he doesn't try to do too much, manages the game well, and makes plays when they need them. The O-line is underrated and very strong. I don't think the loss of Buress hurts them that much and I like what I've seen in Fred Gibson so far. The D doesn't even need to be discussed......suffice it to say it will be one of the top 2 or 3 D's in the league. Only potential weakness: Running Game. Bettis is wearing down and I think last year must have taken some toll on him. Staley just always seems to be injured. I do like Verron Hayes though if they need to turn to their #3 back.

Bengals 10-6: D is still a bit of a question, but I think they will be better this year. Palmer is having a great camp, and Chad Johnson is amazing. The running game is very strong and deep with Rudi, Chris Perry, and Kenny Watson (why did we ever let him go?). To win games, they'll need to score points, and I think they will with ease. Playoffs for the Bengals.....finally.

Ravens 9-7: All 9 wins credited to their defense and Jamal Lewis. Kyle Boller is just terrible, and I don't see him getting any better. Mason may help, and Clayton should be a starter by mid-season......but this still won't be a passing attack that will scare anyone. Heap is good if he can stay healthy.......and more and more that seems to be a big IF. Nevertheless, this D is on par with the D they had when they won a championship with Trent Dilfer at the healm. They miss the playoffs because Boller single-handedly blows at least 5 games for them.

Browns 3-13: "With the first pick in the 2006 draft, the Cleveland Browns select......" Ok, maybe the Titans will battle with them for this honor, but I don't see anything in the Browns that warrants optimism other than, maybe, Braylon (who is just now getting to camp and working his way up the depth charts). I suppose the running game could be promising, but I see another RB controversey here with three guys who want to start (two of which won't be happy). Regardless of whether that controversey makes for inspired play or becomes a distraction, there are too many other weaknesses here for the Browns to overcome.

Steelers: 10-6: I think Big Ben will experience a bit of a sophomore slump and who replaces Plax now? My feeling is that they won't win the division so much as do just enough to not lose it, no other team is quite there yet. Is Bill Cowher the best pro coach never to have won a title?

Bengals: 10-6: I thought Palmer was going to be a total bust, but that's unfair to him because really I was lumping him with past Bengal "greats" Akili Smith and David Klingler. He's pretty decent, and should only get better.

Ravens: 8-8: Will the Kyle Boller love fest please end this year?

Browns 5-11: They're taking the first steps. Braylon Edwards and Romeo Crennel were nice pickups this year. But what I really like is Phil Savage to run the front office. That's one of the more underrated moves of the offseason. I also like the drafting of Charlie Frye. I expect him to start in 2006

Steelers: 12-4 - Still the team to beat in this division. Roethlisberger will make some "growing" mistakes but he will still have the #1 D to bail him out. The special teams may drop off due to Randel El being promoted, but that is the only downside to this team...

Bengals: 10-6 - Begals are the up and commer in this divison, I think that they will give the Steelers an honest run at divison champs but come up short... They are growing together as an offense and deffense this is the year they take a big step forward...

Ravens: 9-7 - The deffense once again saves this team. Boller has no choice but to have a productive year for once... This team could be dangerous if Boller and the WR's get on the same page...

Browns - 5-11 - This team is going through a rough time of rebuilding, they will need more than Edwards to get it done on offense... The D will be the foundation of this team, only cause of Crennel(SP)...

those are the same as my records

I'm going to have to go against the grain here...

1. Baltimore: 11-5, Their defense has the potential to be one of the best in the last 20 years with a lights out secondary, Terrell Suggs coming off the edge and a still dangerous Ray Lewis in the middle. Offensively Jamal Lewis has something to prove and an improved WR corps and a healthy Todd Heap make for a situation that Kyle Boller will have to really work hard to screw up.

2. Cincinnati: 10-6, Offensively they can be one of the top 5 scoring teams in the league. Rudi Johnson is a stud at RB and with one of the deeper WR groups in the league Carson Palmer starts to show why he was a #1 overall pick in 2003. They may need all of those points to make up for their sometimes pourous defense, but young playmakers David Pollack and Odell Thruman are poised to make an immediate impact.

3. Pittsburgh: 8-8, While their defense remains to be one of the toughest units in the league the offense will take a big step backwards.. Jerome Bettis, who had 8 toes out the door to retirement until his teammates convinced him to reconsider at the Pro Bowl is a year older and won't be able to hold up for a full 16 game slate. Duce Staley is already injured and may not be at full strength until week 5 or 6. They lose Plaxico Burress and replace him with Cedrick Wilson? Big Ben will have a much harder time being successful this year.

4. Cleveland: 6-10, perhaps the worst organization in football made a good step in bringing in Romeo Crennell and Trent Dilfer to stabilize the ship and a solid draft is a good framework for future success, but they are at least 2-3 years away from respectability.

Steelers: 11-5: I think Big Ben will experience a bit of a sophomore slump and Plax hurt them more than they thought also Staley is hurt and I don't think Tha Buss is goign to be able to take all the load.They win this 1 by default
Bengals: 10-6: Palmer showed a good second half season last year they improved their defense (finally) they sign their RB and have continuity at WR theyr'e starting to win and be respected and liking it coach lewis has brought I sence of pride to thsi players and they're loving every minute of it.

Ravens: 8-8: If the last preason game is any reference of thing to come in the Boller saga the ravens fans are looking to a long ugly season. they still have a stellar D and RB that are going to win some games but I'm sure Boller will lose some of them. This is his last year (will trade for any of the Chargers QB at the end of the season).

Browns 2-14: And I think 2 is being possitive The only good thing thsi team has is Crennel and that's it no O-line no D-line no Secondary no RB no QB good Wr corps thats it THEY reallly really suck