AFC North Preview

Part three of an eight part series taking a look at each of the NFL's divisions as the beginning of the regular seasons draws nearer. Here, we examine the tough AFC North

Baltimore Ravens
Unlike the first two divisions looked at, the AFC and NFC south, the AFC North is not ruled by one team way out in front of the others. The Ravens are the top dog here, but not by a lot. The Ravens defense is obviously their strength, and they will rely on it again this year like they have since their Super Bowl victory in 2000. They lost versatile linebacker/defensive lineman/defensive back, Adalius Thomas, to free agency, but that shouldn't slow this unit down. The question marks lie on offense. Baltimore brought in QB Steve McNair before last season to help the offense take some pressure off of the defense. And it worked; to a point. They improved their '05 record of 6-10 to a franchise best 13-3 record last season, but the offense, once again, let them down again. This season the Ravens say goodbye to aging RB Jamal Lewis, but hello to RB Willis McGahee, who should add some much need fresh blood to the offense. This is a very solid team, capable of dominating anyone at any time. And if McNair can stay upright for another season, and McGahee adds the sought after spark to the running game, then you could be looking at a very serious Super Bowl contender.
Prediction: 12-4

Pittsburgh Steelers
It feels like an eternity since the Steelers won the Super Bowl in 2005, right? However, don't let last year's 8-8 record fool you; the Steelers are not that far away from that championship team. Yes, the Steelers started woefully last year, but, like their Super Bowl season, they turned it on later in the season and nearly made the playoffs. This season, they have a new coach - just their third one since 1969. And Mike Tomlin will add some fresh blood to the mix. Ben Roethlisberger is healthy and appears to be in football shape, and the Steelers are oozing talent at all positions. The defense lost LB Joey Porter, but they are still a very solid unit with a coordinator in Dick Lebeau who likes to reinforce the name "Blitzburgh" at every opportunity. Watch for the Steelers to have a very strong bounce back year.
Prediction: 10-6

Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals have been on the verge of greatness for a few years now, but they have so far been unable to take the next step. They have a lethal offense led by All Pro QB Carson Palmer, who is definitely coming into his own. They have one of the best receiving duos in Chad Johnson and TJ Houshmandzadeh, and a solid running back in Rudi Johnson. The defense is full of young aggressive players, and that has been their weakness thus far. They took a step back last season partly because too many players decided to test out their acting chops of "COPS," but coach Marvin Lewis has finally taken a hard line on the extra-curricular activities. If the keys players can stay out of cop cars this season, the Bengals should be able to continue their upward trend after a bit of leveling out last season. I don't know if it's ever been done, but I can see the Bengals being the third 10-win team and possibly the third playoff team from the AFC North.
Prediction: 10-6

Cleveland Browns
In a stacked division, the Browns are the odd man out. After all, the other teams in the division need someone to beat up on. And the Browns, being in a transitional period, fit the job description perfectly. There really aren't many areas of strength on this team, aside from the nice draft they just had this year. Unfortunately, that draft won't help them too much this season. Coach Romeo Crennell, isn't able to pick a QB for his team, and it seems to be his personal mission to keep Brady Quinn off the field, as he still remains the third string after outplaying the two guys in front of him for most of the preseason. RB Jamal Lewis is new to the team after leaving Baltimore, and he should provide something to the running game, but don't expect him to be putting up the numbers he used to put up against the Browns in his heyday. It will be a long season in Cleveland, and it could be Crennell's last season there.
Prediction: 3-13

Football: The Newest Game of Chance

The Cleveland Browns have not exactly been a pillar of success in the NFL since returning to the league in 1999. During that time, they have gone a combined 40-88 with one playoffs appearence; a 33-36 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round. Most recently, they finished the 2006 season with a 4-12 record, earning the number three overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft. So things obvioulsy haven't been going very well in Browns country. But with coach Romeo Crennell in his third season, and a nice haul of young players with bright futures from the last few drafts, hopes would seem to be on the rise. That is until you hear that Crennel is choosing his starting quarterback for the Brown's first preseason game by the most scientific of methods: flipping a coin.
For a sport based on strategy, analysis, and consistency as much as football is, it's ridiculous that a coach would decide the most important part of a football team by an activity of chance. Crennel's reasoning is that both his quarterbacks, Derek Anderson and Charlie Frye, are so evenly matched that he could go either way. While, logically, that makes sense, that just isn't the way football works. The quarterback position needs to be your most consistent if you want your team to have consistent success. And by flipping a coin, not only are you losing that consistency, your are telling your team that neither is capable of consistently leading them.
There are a number of positions in football where it is ok, and in some cases an advantage, to have more than one player capable of starting. The quarterback position is not one of them. And unlike a running back by committee approach, a quarterback by committee approach doesn't exist. Obviously you can only have one QB on the field at a time, but also there simply isn't enough quality quarterbacks in the league for one team to have two of them. Some teams aren't lucky enough to have one quality trigger man. So, in the case of the Browns, if you don't have one guy behind center, then you've got none.
Aside from this decision demonstrating the lack of a quality starting quarterback on the team, it also demonstrates the coach's lack of decision making, leadership, and quite frankly, coachingability. What does a coach expect his team to think when he can't even decide which quarterback will give his team the best chance to win based on something other than luck. If he can't do that, how can you be confident that his starting running back wasn't decided by throwing a dart at the depth chart; or the game plan wasn't put together with the help of his children; or trades aren't orchestrated based on the teams with the best cheerleaders? As an NFL coach in today's game, it is imperative that you show control in the decision making process.
I understand that it is only preseason, and those two quarterbacks may very be equal enough to be decided by a flip of the coin, but this is not something you make public. There needs to be a sense of confidence and control coming from the head coach; especially when the team is in a rebuilding phase. When you are a team on the upswing, looking to reinvigorate the fan base, saying/doing something as crazy as this is something that could really put a dent in the level of confidence in the team's progress.