By
Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe) and Daphne Parello (@DaphnePup) - See more
at:
http://www.suitesports.com/2015/08/joe-daphnes-preview-nfc-north.html#sthash.gq5dkPEy.dpuf
By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe) and Daphne Parello (@DaphnePup)
By
Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe) and Daphne Parello (@DaphnePup) - See more
at:
http://www.suitesports.com/2015/08/joe-daphnes-preview-nfc-north.html#sthash.gq5dkPEy.dpuf
By
Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe) and Daphne Parello (@DaphnePup) - See more
at:
http://www.suitesports.com/2015/08/joe-daphnes-preview-nfc-north.html#sthash.gq5dkPEy.dpuf
By
Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe) and Daphne Parello (@DaphnePup) - See more
at:
http://www.suitesports.com/2015/08/joe-daphnes-preview-nfc-north.html#sthash.gq5dkPEy.dpuf
By
Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe) and Daphne Parello (@DaphnePup) - See more
at:
http://www.suitesports.com/2015/08/joe-daphnes-preview-nfc-north.html#sthash.gq5dkPEy.dpuf
By
Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe) and Daphne Parello (@DaphnePup) - See more
at:
http://www.suitesports.com/2015/08/joe-daphnes-preview-nfc-north.html#sthash.gq5dkPEy.dpuf
My puppy and I have covered every other division in the NFL, and today we preview the most wide-open division in pro football; the AFC North.
By
Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe) and Daphne Parello (@DaphnePup) - See more
at:
http://www.suitesports.com/2015/08/joe-daphnes-preview-nfc-north.html#sthash.gq5dkPEy.dpuf
The North has three teams with legitimate playoff hopes (Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Cincinnati all made the playoffs in 2014), and another that has just enough talent to be intriguing (Cleveland returns a Top-10 defense and strong offensive line).
Which of these potentially explosive squads will be kings of the North?
Daphne and I investigate.
The Favorites
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers were a mild surprise as AFC North champions last year (though Baltimore did beat them in the playoffs), but enter 2015 with one of the league's most explosive offenses.
Well, when everybody is on the field.
Pittsburgh will have to do without First Team All-Pro running back Le'Veon Bell for the season's first two games, and big-play receiver Martavis Bryant for the first four. Both were key cogs in Pittsburgh's offensive renaissance late last year, but the Steelers have the talent to overcome their temporary absence.
Antonio Brown is coming off a year in which he led the league in receptions and receiving yards, and Markus Wheaton was quietly productive, grabbing 53 balls for 644 yards and pair of scores, despite entering most plays as the third or fourth read.
The man making those reads, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, may just be playing the best football of his life. Gone are the days of Roethlisberger scrambling for his life and awkwardly heaving a ball miraculously into the hands of a well-covered receiver.
Nope, Ben has become a bonafide pocket passer the last two seasons, and he tied Drew Brees for the league's lead in passing yardage last year, while throwing for six touchdowns in back-to-back games for the first time in league history.
The offense will likely be without All-Pro center Maurkice Pouncey for most of the year, but the firepower is there to put up points.
The biggest question for Pittsburgh will be, shockingly, defense, where the Steelers have drafted pretty poorly and held onto aging stars like Troy Polamalu and Ike Taylor, as well as aging defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, far past their expiration dates.
There are some promising young players up front in defensive end Cam Heyward, who enjoyed a stellar 2014 as both a run stuffer and pass rusher, and second year end Stephon Tuitt, though the latter is currently battling a sprained ankle.
Hope in the linebacking corps largely rests on the shoulders of Pro Bowler Lawrence Timmons, ageless wonder James Harrison, and a cast of highly regarded youngsters who have yet to prove themselves. Former first round picks Ryan Shazier, Jarvis Jones and Bud Dupree will each be given every chance to succeed, and former Miami Hurricane Sean Spence should figure into the equation on the inside as well.
The secondary got a major boost with the addition of Brandon Boykin via trade from Philadelphia, but safeties Mike Mitchell and Shamarko Thomas still have a ton to prove.
If Pittsburgh is to take the next step and win a playoff game (something the Steelers haven't done since the 2010-11 postseason), it will need to again be explosive on offense, and get every ounce of potential out of its young linebacker group and secondary.
The Question Mark
Can Cincinnati Break Through?
The Bengals have made four consecutive playoff appearances, and gotten to the postseason six of coach Marvin Lewis' 11 years at the helm.
That's pretty remarkable, considering Cincinnati was riding a 15-year playoff drought until 2005, but Lewis still hasn't been able to deliver that elusive playoff win. How elusive? The Bengals have now lost seven playoff games in a row, and haven't tasted postseason victory since the 1990 Wild Card.
For reference, I hadn't yet turned three the last time Cincy won a playoff game (the next month. So close!), and the Berlin Wall had barely been down a year.
That puts a lot of pressure on "oh-so-close" quarterback Andy Dalton and Lewis as well. The Bengals return a potentially great offense with running back Jeremy Hill primed for a big year, and receiver A.J. Green looking to reassert himself as one of the league's best pass catchers after an injury plagued 2014.
Cincy will need somebody else to step up on the outside, but Dalton should have plenty of time to throw with left tackle Andrew Whitworth quietly playing at an All-Pro level.
The defense has some big questions up front, where Geno Atkins needs to prove he can be the same player he was before a 2013 ACL tear, and Michael Johnson returns after one unproductive season in Tampa Bay. Carlos Dunlap has been a consistent producer, as had Domata Peko, but somebody else will have to pick up things in the pass rush department if the Bengals are to improve upon their 22nd total defensive ranking.
The pieces are there offensively, and the potential is there for a big jump defensively. As it has been for a few years now, things are in the hands of quarterback Andy Dalton and coach Marvin Lewis. If the Bengals don't get it done, there could be ramifications for one, if not both of them.
The Theme
What Defense?
While the division does return two Top-10 defenses in Baltimore and Cleveland, I don't think anybody is anticipating the Browns duplicating that feat, and the Ravens' aging unit lost Haloti Ngata and Pernell McPhee.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati each ranked outside the Top-20 in total defense, but may be the two best teams in the division. Why? Because the AFC North, like the NFC North, has turned into a fun and gun league. Weather be damned, this division might have three different 3,500 yard passers, three or four 1,000 yard receivers and at least a trio of 1,200 yard running backs.
With big names like Brown, Bell, Roethlisberger, Smith, Flacco, Green and Hill leading the way, every game that doesn't involve Cleveland could turn into a shootout.
Daphne's Superlatives, by Daphne Parello
Daphne's Underdog
It's kind of hard to call anyone in this division an underdog (other than Cleveland), but I'm gonna go with the Ravens, a team many are writing off after it lost two of its three leading receivers, and its offensive coordinator.
True, losing Torrey Smith and Owen Daniels hurts, but Baltimore drafted a speedster in Central Florida receiver Breshad Perriman in the first round, and Steve Smith Sr. has already said this will be his final season, meaning he will be in full-on F-You mode all year.
That's a good thing for Joe Flacco.
Speaking of Flacco, he was better than you remember last year, throwing for nearly 4,000 yards and 27 touchdowns with just 12 picks. He also took only 19 sacks, quite a feat considering left tackle Eugene Monroe struggled so mightily in pass protection. Flacco may not be "elite" in many peoples' book, but he's getting better, and certainly isn't a liability any more.
Defensively, Baltimore will again be powered by the outside linebacker tandem of Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil. The duo combined for 29 sacks last year, the best of any pass rush pair in the NFL, and young studs Timmy Jernigan and Brandon Williams appear ready to replace the departed Haloti Ngata on the defensive line.
An underrated, but unspectacular secondary led by corner Jimmy Smith should improve with the addition of former Texans safety Kendrick Lewis.
The Ravens are far from perfect, but if Flacco is on his game, they've got a shot against anybody, and could surprise a few teams on the way back to Super Sunday.
Daphne's Alpha Dog
All of my other Alpha Dogs have been guys that can rip your head off, but Antonio Brown is dominant for another reason. Unbelievably quick while changing direction, Brown is virtually impossible to cover one-on-one, and his sticky hands have made him a reliable target down the field and in traffic as well.
After leading the league with 1,698 yards on 129 catches (the 6th most yards and 2nd most receptions ever in a single season), Brown will need an encore performance if Pittsburgh is to win the division again. With running back Le'Veon Bell suspended for the season's first two games, and budding star receiver Martavis Bryant suspended for four, there will be a lot on Brown's plate early in the season.
But the league's premier wideout seems up for the challenge. Expect more big things from Brown in 2015, as he attempts to prove that an undersized receiver can change the game.
In the Dog House
Any time your team drafts you in the first round, then spends big money on Josh McCown (who was coming off a horrific season himself) before your second season, you know your rookie campaign didn't inspire much confidence.
That's precisely where Johnny Football sits at present in Cleveland. To make matters worse, the former Heisman Trophy winner is battling an elbow injury, and has only been decent in the preseason.
Given his off the field issues (though he has made some effort to move passed them), penchant for turning the ball over, and inability to make plays inside the pocket, this could be Manziel's last chance to be an NFL starter.
Heck, Tim Tebow can't get a starting gig, and he won a playoff game/doesn't act like a frat d-bag every night.
Predictions
Joe: 1. Pittsburgh, 2. Baltimore (Wild Card), 3. Cincinnati, 4. Cleveland
Daphne: 1. Baltimore, 2. Pittsburgh (Wild Card), 3. Cincinnati, 4. Cleveland
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