NFL Predictions and Opinions: AFC North Edition
Published: Thursday, July 25, 2024
by Ryan Nelke and Chris Heite
With our AFC East predictions in the books, it’s now time to move on to the AFC North. Each year it is typically regarded as one of the hardest divisions, and once again, the North boasts four teams with playoff and Super Bowl contention.
To gear up for another deep run, the Ravens added stud running back Derrick Henry to give them a scary 1-2 punch in the backfield. The Bengals get Joe Burrow back and hope he can bring the franchise back to another Super Bowl. In Cleveland, the Browns go back to their big money QB in DeShaun Watson, and anticipate him to finally get back to his true self following their late season run with Joe Flacco. And finally in Pittsburgh, it seems as if Russell Wilson is the go-to guy for now, but Justin Fields lurks in the near future waiting for his opportunity. Without further adieu, let’s kickoff our predictions for the AFC North…
The Baltimore Ravens
The big attraction of the Ravens offseason, as previously mentioned, is the addition of former Titans running back Derrick Henry. After several years of rumors that Henry would join the Ravens, it finally came true this offseason, setting up arguably the most deadliest backfield in the league. While the Ravens were able to re-sign Justin Madubuike to a four year deal, they lost several key pieces on the O-line, including Morgan Moses, John Simpson, and Kevin Zeitler. Despite all the offseason moves, both positive and negative, I truly believe the Lamar Jackson-led Ravens reached their peak last year. If there was ever a time for them to get the job done, it was then, when the Kansas City Chiefs were arguably at their weakest during the Mahomes era. Jackson and company will be able to get the job done in the regular season, as I project them to go 12-5, but I struggle to see them go far come January in an ever so packed AFC.
- Ryan Nelke
Each and every year, expectations for Lamar Jackson and the Ravens are typically high.
However, with these high expectations, the Ravens seem to continuously disappoint
their fans with losses in numerous playoff rounds. Maybe this year could be different
though, with the key addition of Derrick Henry making the difference. Within his time
on the Titans he has shown how dominant he can be, which could elevate the Ravens
offense to a higher level than ever before. Even with the loss of Patrick Queen on
the defensive side of things, Baltimore still has a solid defense, which could prove
to be a determining factor in big games. With a seemingly deadly ground game paired
with high expectations, I truly believe the Ravens will succeed this year, following
the footsteps of last year, winning the division at 13-4.
- Chris Heite
The Cincinnati Bengals
As seen over the past couple of years, the state of the Bengals season will hang in the balance of one question: Can Joe Burrow stay healthy? When Burrow is healthy, he has proven he can get the job done; in two playoff runs, he has managed to get the best of Mahomes once and get his Bengals to the Super Bowl. The last obstacle in the way now for him is to just win in the biggest game of them all. I’m not concerned at all with the loss of Joe Mixon, as Zack Moss is a fine replacement. He should actually drive the Bengals to a more pass heavy offense, which works with a superstar like Burrow. Furthermore, Cincinnati was able to make solid additions on both sides of the ball, with safety Geno Stone and tackle Trent Brown. The biggest sigh of relief is that Tee Higgins is back in the building after initially holding out, keeping the elite wide receiver duo intact. Taking all of this into consideration, I like the Bengals to go 13-4 this year and win the AFC North.
- Ryan Nelke
It’s safe to say Bengals fans have gone through a rollercoaster of emotions in the
past few years. With Jake Browning being QB for the majority of last season, fans
were unfamiliar to the mediocre passing game that they continuously saw. Fortunately,
the Bengals got their starter QB back, Joe Burrow, and they will surely become a division
contender once again. I strongly believe Burrow will be solid even coming off the
bad wrist injury. But Burrow is not the only key to the Bengals success; Tee Higgins
has been a top ten receiver in the league, and the offensive success will be semi
dependent on how well this key player performs. Even though the AFC North is likely
going to be the toughest division in football, I believe the Bengals will be alright,
and will finish second in the division at 12-5.
- Chris Heite
The Cleveland Browns
In what may seem like “Bizarro World”, old man Joe Flacco came in late last year and carried the Browns to the playoffs. While they did get their doors blown off by Houston in the Wild Card round, it’s fair to say Cleveland fans are unsure of one thing: With Deshaun Watson back at the helm, will he be able to replicate the success Flacco had, and possibly go even further? Their season will reflect how Watson performs, which could range from him getting back to his Houston days, or more of the same of what we have seen so far during his time in Cleveland. It is important to note that another key factor will be the health of Nick Chubb, and if he can make enough progress to return as the stud running back he has constantly been. So now, to the prediction…I’m going to take the middle ground and say the Browns go 10-7 this year, but miss out on the playoffs amidst a crowded AFC playoff picture.
- Ryan Nelke
While the fans were treated to a playoff game last year, as Joe Flacco brought fans
buzz and energy, the Browns’ season ended in disappointment yet again. With the return
of Deshaun Watson, the Browns’ offense will be one to keep an eye on as the season
goes on. While having a pretty exciting season, the Browns did have to deal with a
big-time loss of Nick Chubb, who suffered an awful knee injury early in the season.
Utilizing the duo of Chubb and Watson, the playoffs might be a potential outcome for
the team. Unfortunately, due to both the hard nature of their schedule and the toughness
of the divisional opponents, I believe that the Browns will miss the playoffs this
year with a 9-8 record. Yes, they will get big wins, but it will not be enough for
them to be playing in the postseason.
- Chris Heite
The Pittsburgh Steelers
Year by year, Mike Tomlin’s Steelers repeatedly continue to prove people wrong by both staying above .500 and making the playoffs. However, the Steelers have yet to win a playoff game since 2016; to solve this problem, Pittsburgh brought in not just one, but two QBs. Their present lies in the hands of veteran Russell Wilson. If he can just put up solid production, the Steelers could seriously be dangerous, as they already have a solid defense led by T.J. Watt. Their future lies within Justin Fields, who most likely will start in 2025 (unless Wilson can pick up multiple playoff wins for the black and yellow). Arthur Smith enters the building as the new Offensive Coordinator, and Steelers faithful hope he can guide Najee Harris back to the performer he was in his rookie year. At the end of the day, I think the Steelers will be another casualty of a packed AFC Wild Card race, finishing the season with an 8-9 record.
- Ryan Nelke
Who is the Steelers’ QB? Is it Kenny Pickett? Nope? Big Ben? You're dreaming. What
about Russell Wilson? Most likely. But Justin Fields? I guess we will see. All these
questions symbolize the nature of the team going into the new season. There are a
plethora of questions that the Steelers will have to answer going into the new campaign.
With new Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith, and theor new starting QB (likely Wilson),
the fans can have hope with this new start. The offense has been a weak point for
the Steelers in the absence of Ben Roethlisberger, but it has improved with the additions
of Wilson and Fields competing for the QB position. With that promising offense, fans
can expect greatness on defense for another season. With star T.J. Watt and the new
addition of Patrick Queen, there will be a struggle to score against this unit. A
decent offense and an exceptional defense will lead the Steelers to the playoffs this
year for sure. I believe it will be a good year for the Steel City, and my prediction
is that they will finish 11-6.
- Chris Heite
Ryan Nelke’s Projected AFC North Standings
1) Bengals (13-4)
2) Ravens (12-5), 1st Wild Card
3) Browns (10-7)
4) Steelers (8-9)
Chris Heite’s Projected AFC North Standings
1) Ravens (13-4)
2) Bengals (12-5), 1st Wild Card
3) Steelers (11-6), 3rd Wild Card
4) Browns (9-8)
It is surely one of the best divisions in football but how will the AFC North pan
out this year? Find out when the NFL season begins on September 5th. Stay tuned for
our predictions for the rest of the divisions, which will be released as the summer
goes on!
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