Baltimore Ravens
With what should once again be one of the most talented rosters in the NFL, expect to see Baltimore win a lot of games this year. Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson now shares the backfield with bruising running back Derrick Henry, meaning that when this team gets inside the ten-yard line, they may be basically unstoppable. The AFC North is never an easy division to play in, but the Ravens do sit atop the perch for now after last year’s division title and 13-4 season – they won’t be giving it up easily.
Defensively, the Ravens were fantastic last season under DC Mike Macdonald. Although Macdonald has gone to Seattle, the unit remains similar with Kyle Hamilton, Marlon Humphrey and Roquan Smith all returning. Unfortunately, the team did lose safety Geno Stone, but they should still be a formidable unit to play against.
Overall, I don’t expect much change for the Ravens this season. Even in a SUPER competitive division, Jim Harbaugh will have his guys ready for each and every game, and they should feel like they still have something to prove after coming up short in the AFC Championship game last season.
Prediction: 13-4
Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow is back and healthy, and because of that, so are the Cincinnati Bengals. With Burrow only starting ten games last season, it was always going to be difficult for the Bengals to get into the postseason in such a competitive conference. However, when he’s healthy and playing well, his impact on the Bengals is massive. It’s true that the offence will be without Joe Mixon and Tyler Boyd, but Cincy did a good job at bringing in players who should at least be serviceable replacements in 2024.
Not only will a healthy Burrow help the offence, but it should also have a positive impact on the defensive statistics as well. The Bengals’ boast a fairly average defensive unit, but when the offence is putting up sustained drives and winning the field position battle, the pressure on the defence lessens significantly.
This is a team that goes the way of their stars. If the passing attack of Burrow, Chase and Higgins excels this year, I fully expect Cincinnati to be back in the postseason. If there’s one thing to watch out for, though, it’s a slow start. The Bengals were bad to start the year last season even with Burrow, and it’s something they can’t afford to have happen again.
Prediction: 11-6
Cleveland Browns
Unlike their AFC North rival Bengals, the Browns win their games on the defensive side of the ball. Even with multiple quarterbacks starting games after Deshaun Watson went down last season and no Nick Chubb for virtually the entire year, Cleveland was able to finish the season at 11-6 and make it to the playoffs. Kevin Stefanski deserves a lot of the credit as head coach, but the defence was truly the story of the season, which ended with Myles Garrett being honoured as the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. So, what’s in store for 2024?
It’s tough to rely on a defence to be the best in the league two years in a row, so the offence should feel some pressure to step up this season. QB Watson has not been the man they expected him to be after paying him a ton of money two years ago, but his talent and ability when healthy is still hard to ignore. Nick Chubb will also return this year after he was sidelined for the season in Week 2 last year with a gruesome leg injury. Of course, his ability post-injury won’t be known until he comes back, but a return of one of the league’s best natural runners is exciting, nonetheless.
Cleveland is in a really interesting spot. They didn’t really get worse in the offseason after an 11-6 year, but I still expect some regression. They’re in a very difficult AFC North division, and I don’t think that anyone will be taking them lightly again this season.
Prediction: 10-7
Pittsburgh Steelers
Finally, the Steelers. The AFC North is the most competitive division in the NFL right now, and the only one where the Steelers could realistically finish last. They improved at quarterback in the offseason with both Justin Fields and Russell Wilson, and the defence is still a formidable unit. There’s also Mike Tomlin, who seemingly refuses to lose more games than he wins in a season. Still, we’ve got them fourth.
Putting Pittsburgh here is less about them and more about the other teams they’re competing with. Let’s also not forget that despite their streak of seasons with no losing record, the Steelers have also only been above ten wins just once in the last six years and haven’t won a playoff game since January of 2017. Is Russell Wilson really the answer to that problem?
I would expect big years from big name guys like T.J. Watt, Patrick Queen, Joey Porter Jr., and George Pickens, but I don’t think those players alone can put this team over the edge. In a division that will only play harder than last year, wins will be tough to come by, especially in the gauntlet that is the latter of Pittsburgh’s schedule.
Prediction: 9-8
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