2013 Division Preview: AFC North

Division Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers

Big Ben is an elite player in the NFL

Most Dominant Player: Ben Roethlisberger

1. Pittsburgh Steelers -   10-6
2. Baltimore Ravens   -   8-8
3. Cincinnati Bengals -    7-9
4. Cleveland Browns -    7-9
    
     Hall of Famer Warren Sapp has been heard on the records saying that Pittsburgh's defense is old and slow. And although I would never question someone who has seen 10 million more tapes of football, I think it is completely ok to have a different opinion on the situation. I actually side with Sapp on most of the argument, I just think that the offense will carry the team into the playoff this year. "SIX"burgh might not look like the most complete team on paper in the ultra-competitive AFC North, but they are still a tough group that is very-well coached. For example, look at the San Antonio Spurs in this year's NBA Finals. Tony Parker is 31, Manu Ginobili is 35, Tim Duncan is 37 and yet they have a 3-2 series lead on the much younger Miami Heat. With that said, Super Bowl winning coach Mike Tomlin and his staff should lead the Steelers back to the playoffs in an always tough division.

     The star player returning in the black and yellow is 2-time Super Bowl winner Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben has been a headache for defensive coordinators and players since his arrival in the NFL. An elusive QB who throws very well on the run and usually has to be tackled by defensive lineman, Roethlisberger is far from typical. He had a cannon for an arm and should connect plenty of times with Antonio Brown this season. Brown, the play-maker from Central Michigan, is a more complete receiver than Mike Wallace so it was easy to see why the Steelers let Wallace walk in free-agency. Heath Miller will be back, Troy Polomalu should be healthy, and the rest of the D will be "solid" at worst. On top of that, the additions of rookies Jarvis Jones, LeVeon Bell and Markus Wheaton should pose major problems for the rest of the AFC North going forward. The Steelers just seem like the most logical choice for winning the division because they have a great coaching staff and even better players. There is a reason this franchise has won 2 Super Bowls in the past 7 seasons...

   How many reasons do you want me to give for the Ravens not winning the division this year? For now, I'll give 5: Anquan Boldin, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Brandon Ellerbe, Bernard Pollard. They are ALL gone. The Ravens have reloaded but it will take a full season until this team builds the kind of chemistry it had with these talented football players. Joe Flacco , Torry Smith and Ray Rice will once again lead the offense for the most of the season but I just don't think the defense will hold up all year. Haloti Ngata was almost my favorite for "Most Dominant Player" in this division, but I gave the slight edge to Big Ben. It could honestly go either way. The additions of Elvis Dumervil, Matt Elam, Marcus Spears, Arthur Jones, Michael Huff will be a force in the near future but not soon enough. Look for the Ravens to finish 2nd in a division full of big dogs.

AJ Green needs a better QB than Andy Dalton to win a championship

     The Cincinnati Bengals will have a serious problem on their hands after this season, and it is kind of obvious what that problem will be. Andy Dalton. Although I believe Andy Dalton is a good QB in the NFL, I do not believe he is of a caliber that can consistently win a division this tough. Geno Atkins is a stud, AJ Green is a superstar in this league and Tyler Eifert should be as good as advertised within the next couple of years. Other than that, there is no elite player on Cincinnati's roster that can dominate a game. The defense is good, but not great and I believe they will be exposed this Fall. At RB, you can't expect Benjarvus Green Ellis and rookie Giovanni Bernard to carry the load. I don't see either player being a durable or reliable and it will only hurt Andy Dalton's game. Expect a disappointing season from the Bengals in 2013.

     When Michael Lombardi took over as Director of Player Personnel earlier this year, I knew that the Browns were headed in the right direction. The Browns possess the best RB in the division, Trent Richardson, and a big play receiver in Josh Gordon. I think that everyone knows Brandon Weeden is not the answer in Cleveland, so after this season you can expect to see the Browns draft a QB. Richardson is the type of player who can carry an offense on his shoulders and I see him leading the Browns to more victories than last year. On defense the Browns have Joe Haden, D'Qwell Jackson, Phil Taylor and Barkevious Mingoas play-makes. This group is one of the most underrated defenses in the AFC, but they will prove their worth this Fall. Cleveland is 1-2 years removed from making the playoffs...I guarantee it.