Post by Cincinnati Bengals (Chris) on Jul 22, 2019 3:06:07 GMT -5
AFC NORTH
Death, taxes, and Garrett winning the AFC North. Despite a spirited effort by a statistically dominant Cincinnati team, the Steelers won the head-to-head, and all the other weeks save one (A loss to eventual champion Philadelphia). But the playoffs proved the flukiness of Garrett’s weakest season in half a decade (Which is saying a lot that an 11-1 team could be viewed, by any measure, as weak), as the Steelers bowed out in the first round, whereas the Bengals took it to the very last in the AFC Championship. This year, once again, the Bengals will be making an all-out assault in an attempt to win the division and finally wrangle control away from Pittsburgh. Will Chris have enough pieces (And lucky breaks) to make it happen this time? Will Garrett hang on for yet another division crown? Can Kevin’s rookie signal caller out of Oklahoma replicate what Baker Mayfield did for the Bengals a year ago? And can Baltimore insert itself into the mix with second-year starter Sam Darnold? Let me know what you think about my projections and post you own comments. Also, DON’T FORGET to vote in the poll, as that’s the whole point.
Baltimore Ravens (Goose)
Last year’s finish: 20th (Division: 4th)
Outlook: 2018 saw a much improved team for Goose, as he climbed nine spots with his finish, and was back within a game of .500 for the first time since he finished 7-5 in 2016. It’s one of many positive steps for the Ravens, who drafted Sam Darnold early last year, Dallas Goeddert in the early 2nd Round—a phenomenal value—and added Jalen Hurd and Devin Singletary in this year’s first frame. That group may be the core that can get Baltimore back to the playoffs. Darnold proved at least to be a somewhat competent QB last year, and if he can limit his interceptions and improve his consistency, he may even join the top-half of the league’s QBs. At running back, while Singletary’s role is a bit uncertain in the four-way RBBC in Buffalo, long-term, he’s the desired asset as of now (With McCoy’s legal situation still unsettled, as well as rumors that he may be due to part with Buffalo even before the season begins, and Frank Gore looking like one of those Face App old age comparisons without even applying the filter). Outside of him, only Corey Clement and Spencer Ware (Neither a lock to make their respective NFL teams) are in the fold. At wideout, Sterling Shepard certainly feels like the forgotten man (Both in real life and in fantasy). He has put together a solid couple of years, but may be due for a breakout with the trading away of Odell Beckham Jr. Second-year receiver DaeSean Hamilton wowed at the Senior Bowl in 2018, and had a marginal impact for a downtrodden Denver down the stretch. But as a player who is exclusively a slot, being blocked by an apparently healthy Emmanuel Sanders, who spent over 60 percent of his snaps in the slot a year ago, means that he may not be earning as significant a role as Fantrax projects (7.02 PPG) this year. John Brown, however, provided that his anemia doesn’t act up, and that Josh Allen is able to improve his deep ball accuracy, might be in line for the 8.41 PPG that he is currently projected for as the Bills’ de facto WR1. Add Jalen Hurd to the mix, and you have an intriguing young group of WRs, even if Hurd’s role, or even his position to some degree, is unsettled. Seth Roberts also marked himself as present. Tight end is on the rise, with Goeddert likely to get more second year looks, and Shaheen, provided he’s healthy, likely to play more, even if in a less-defined blocking role with all of the options they have in CHI now. Defense, however, is by far Baltimore’s biggest weakness. While defensive line is in good shape with Derek Barnett and Kerry Wynn (And Kemoko Turay and Allen Bailey hanging out), linebacker is a major question mark, with only Haason Reddick (Who is very clearly just a defensive end playing middle linebacker, which again, is ridiculous that I even need to point out. How does everyone else not see that?), Patrick Dinosaur, and Von Miller seemingly guaranteed starting spots or even consistent snaps, and Kyler Fackrell, and Tyus Bowser the only backup options. Defensive back is a little more settled, with Malcolm Jenkins, D.J. Swearinger, and Ronnie Harrison all earmarked for significant fantasy roles. Tre Boston (Who somehow has not been signed again despite being one of the better safeties in football) and Doug Middleton provide depth.
X-factor: Running back. Still. While linebacker seems a short and long-term need, running back is more important for a team’s success, and while it appears that Goose might have settled that for himself by drafting Singletary, it may be awhile before he becomes fantasy relevant. If he does so this year, Baltimore may be headed back to the postseason sooner rather than later. But for now, knowing what we do at this moment, he’s still just above Cleveland on the totem pole in this division by an ever-so-slight margin.
Projected division finish: 3rd
Cincinnati Bengals (Chris)
Last year’s finish: 3rd (Division: 2nd)
Outlook: Chris was able to build upon his best finish in 2017 (7th) in all ways but three in 2018: Win against Garrett, win the division, and win the AFC. Had he managed to do the third, he would be the reigning champion at the moment (His lineup would’ve won the championship game by over 60 points). While the Bengals have been a team on the rise for a while, it appears that 2018 was the confirmation (If not the coronation) that had been in the works for a number of years. After all, despite Cecil’s assault on the record books in the regular season, the Bengals and defending-champion Eagles were a statistical dead heat for second in total points. It all starts at quarterback, where Cincy returns rookie phenom quarterback Baker Mayfield. At running back, fantasy football’s #3 RB of a year ago, Christian McCaffrey also returns. Those two are what makes the Bengals’ engine go. They’re joined by receivers Julian Edelman, Cooper Kupp (Who was blowing up the league before he twice blew up his knee), Alshon Jeffrey, DeDe Westbrook, and Emmanuel Sanders (Who also blew up the league, and, well, the back of his knee in that order). Health provided, it’s hard to imagine a better receiving corps in the league, outside of perhaps Philadelphia. The Benglas also have an insurance policy on Sanders’ knee in the form of Tim Patrick, who led Denver’s receiving corps down the stretch, averaging 8 PPG, and outproducing more heralded players Cameron Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton. At tight end, Zach Ertz is presently the only option, but he’s as good of one to have as anyone not named Travis Kelce. Chris also re-signed Chris Thompson on the advice of real-life Redskins GM Bruce Allen, and drafted Latavius Murray in the UFA Draft, so running back should be pretty well taken care of. Defensively, there are still some depth issues, as Chris had to trade from positions of strength, as well as cut players while chasing the championship, and stay conscious of cap. It starts up front with the under-the-radar trio of Michael Bennett, Jabaal Sheard, and Da’Shawn Hand. Neither Bennett nor Sheard were world-beaters last year, but each were over the 5 PPG threshold, and in the upper echelon of fantasy DLs. Add to that Hand, who PFF ranked as the #13 interior DL with a grade of 87.4 as a rookie, earning high marks in both run defense and pass rush. He’ll get to put that pass rush to good use this year, as Rotoworld has him as making a position change outside as a starting DE in 2019. At linebacker, Cincy is as deep as any team in the league, sporting at least five starting inside linebackers with Blake Martinez, Tremaine Edmunds, Zach Cunningham, Thomas Davis, and Jerome Baker, and that number will only grow if Bobby Okereke ousts Anthony Walker (Or allegedly sexually assaults him and gets away with it again) for a starting job in the Colts’ LB corps. The back end is where Cincinnati needs the most help, as at present, the Bengals only sport two options: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, and Devin McCourty.
X-factor: Health and DB. While DB is perhaps the easiest position to fill once the season begins, a fill-in at that spot could prevent what the Bengals are trying to accomplish from coming to fruition. If Chris can manage to add quality depth at the position without sacrificing elsewhere, it looks like the Bengals will be the class of the AFC North, if not the entire conference. Short of any lineup snafus (Aka Chris staying out of his own way), maybe he’ll be making a belated appearance in the Super Bowl against one of his clear superiors, Seattle, or Philadelphia. Outside of maybe Jacksonville or Minnesota, this roster represents the best chance to bring home a trophy this side of those two former champs.
Projected division finish: 1st
Cleveland Browns (Kevin)
Last year’s finish: 18th (Division: 3rd)
Outlook: Kevin entered the offseason seemingly ready to run it back at the key offensive positions, with Drew Brees, Phillip Lindsay, Jamison Crowder, Albert Wilson, Tyler Kroft, and Mike Davis all returning. But, on the eve of the draft, Brees, who he had made available—a fact that he had been advertising for at least the last calendar year beforehand—was on the move. And while he didn’t get—or even get close to his 1st and 2nd Round demands, he did manage some nice pieces from the deal, including second year TE Jordan Thomas, future child murderer Jalen Richard, Markus Golden, and at least the 2nd Round pick part of his asking price. And, not to bury the lead, but oh yeah, Boz used the first overall pick in the Rookie Draft to take the real draft’s #1 overall, rookie signal caller Kyler Murray. While that pick should bring a notable infusion of life to this offense for the next half decade, it’s unclear how polished he will be as a rookie, despite what is oft-rumored to be a fantasy friendly offense. The Browns’ offense is fairly solid, provided health for players like Crowder, Wilson, Kroft, and Richard’s children, and a role for Davis, Chris Hogan, Nick O’Leary, Wayne Gallman, Thomas, and Richard. Kevin also added Darren Sproles in the UFA Draft, and if he can maintain health and a role, he could be a significant piece too. Cleveland has some solid foundational building pieces on this side of the ball. The bigger concern is the Browns’ defense. While Kevin expressed a hope that positional tweeners Justin Houston (Who has always been listed as a linebacker previous to his trade to Indianapolis), and Josh Allen would end up as linebackers, it looks as if both parties will spend their time in 2019 on the defensive line, a fact that’s relevant, as Kevin has five defensive linemen. Joey Bosa and Houston make this one of the better units in the league immediately, but there is upside in rookie Josh Allen, Takkarist McKinley, and Emmanuel Ogbah. Linebacker is the Browns’ biggest problem area, with only T.J. Watt, Lorenzo Alexander, Markus Golden, and free agent Korey Toomer on the roster. At defensive back, Kevin has rostered cornerbacks Tre’Davious White, Jaire Alexander, William Jackson, and Montae Nicholson. While the first two have proven to be elite CB options in the past two years, it’s hard to see either of them really drastically improving their fantasy contributions.
X-factor: Linebacker. No question Kevin needs to address this position in both the near and long-term. He seems to have filled several key positions for the foreseeable future, so maybe the key to him climbing out of the basement is focusing next on bringing the defense to a better level, and that starts at LB.
Projected division finish: 4th
Pittsburgh Steelers (Garrett)
Last year’s finish: 9th (Division: 1st)
Outlook: Garrett may have finished the season higher than his 2016 campaign—in which he finished 10th—it’s clear that he took a step back last year, both as a function of his overall finish, and his statistical performance (Despite finishing 11-1, Garrett experienced a 250 point drop-off, and profiled more like an 8-4 team). One thing that was clear, is that as Le’Veon Bell goes, Pittsburgh goes. It could be said for anyone who loses their starting running back, but it was a surprise that ultimately, a team as consistently good as Pittsburgh would be affected so much. This year, while Bell returns (Presumably), he does so in a far less explosive offense, running behind the worst run blocking offensive line in football in 2018, after spending a year away from the game, and supposedly getting so out of shape that he reached 260 pounds. Suffice it to say, there is a lot that Bell will have to demonstrate before getting the benefit of the doubt again. Garrett does have a backup option in James White, and a quasi-backup as well in Chase Edmonds (Should he continue to puzzlingly siphon off ground game work from David Johnson). At wide receiver, Garrett sports one of the best cores in the league, as always, with T.Y. Hilton and Will Fuller leading the way, and Marvin Jones, Golden Tate, and Christian Kirk ready to step in with minimal drop-off. At tight end, the Steelers sport only Vance McDonald, but when healthy, he has proven to be quite an asset, and with the departure of Antonio Brown from real-life Pittsburgh, should be in line for an uptick in targets. At quarterback, Garrett doesn’t have any, at least not per Broncos’ HC Vic Fangio’s opinion, after calling his rookie—B- version of Josh Allen—signal caller “not a quarterback.” On defense, the Steelers are stout once again, pairing Brandon Graham and Kawann Short at DL, with Malcom Brown and Jeffery Simmons playing backup. At linebacker, while it’s a clear step back from what it was at the high-water mark, Pittsburgh still sports Todd Davis, Myles Jack, Brandon Marshall, and whoever Ryan Connelly is. The defensive backfield is resplendent with options, including Antoine Bethea, Kenny Vaccaro, Eric Weddle, and former first rounders Karl Joseph, and Eric Berry, who for varying reasons, are not ticketed for starting roles currently. Overall, it’s a top-10 unit as of now, but it’s a unit comprised of a lot of aged veterans, so it will be interesting to see how it holds up as the year goes on.
X-factor: Luck and a quarterback. Garrett has retooled masterfully instead of an outright rebuild (Where it might have even made sense to do so if he was unable to acquire some of these pieces as cheaply as he did), and doing so has very much kept him in contention for not only what would be a record sixth-straight AFC North crown, but the AFC as a whole as well. That said, the Bengals have clearly surpassed this squad on paper, though it remains to be seen if the results will follow. Garrett is still very much Chris’ boogeyman, as he maintains a sterling 6-0 record against his AFC North foe. While he needs to settle his quarterback position prior to the season, it’s more a function of luck than anything. This roster is strong enough to coast to another division title if Garrett is lucky enough to get off weeks from nearly every team on his schedule like he did in 2018. Otherwise, he’ll find the going considerably tougher this time.
Projected division finish: 2nd
Thank you for reading this, the sixth in the series of Divisional Previews—the AFC North. I will publish the seventh installment this coming week.
Death, taxes, and Garrett winning the AFC North. Despite a spirited effort by a statistically dominant Cincinnati team, the Steelers won the head-to-head, and all the other weeks save one (A loss to eventual champion Philadelphia). But the playoffs proved the flukiness of Garrett’s weakest season in half a decade (Which is saying a lot that an 11-1 team could be viewed, by any measure, as weak), as the Steelers bowed out in the first round, whereas the Bengals took it to the very last in the AFC Championship. This year, once again, the Bengals will be making an all-out assault in an attempt to win the division and finally wrangle control away from Pittsburgh. Will Chris have enough pieces (And lucky breaks) to make it happen this time? Will Garrett hang on for yet another division crown? Can Kevin’s rookie signal caller out of Oklahoma replicate what Baker Mayfield did for the Bengals a year ago? And can Baltimore insert itself into the mix with second-year starter Sam Darnold? Let me know what you think about my projections and post you own comments. Also, DON’T FORGET to vote in the poll, as that’s the whole point.
Baltimore Ravens (Goose)
Last year’s finish: 20th (Division: 4th)
Outlook: 2018 saw a much improved team for Goose, as he climbed nine spots with his finish, and was back within a game of .500 for the first time since he finished 7-5 in 2016. It’s one of many positive steps for the Ravens, who drafted Sam Darnold early last year, Dallas Goeddert in the early 2nd Round—a phenomenal value—and added Jalen Hurd and Devin Singletary in this year’s first frame. That group may be the core that can get Baltimore back to the playoffs. Darnold proved at least to be a somewhat competent QB last year, and if he can limit his interceptions and improve his consistency, he may even join the top-half of the league’s QBs. At running back, while Singletary’s role is a bit uncertain in the four-way RBBC in Buffalo, long-term, he’s the desired asset as of now (With McCoy’s legal situation still unsettled, as well as rumors that he may be due to part with Buffalo even before the season begins, and Frank Gore looking like one of those Face App old age comparisons without even applying the filter). Outside of him, only Corey Clement and Spencer Ware (Neither a lock to make their respective NFL teams) are in the fold. At wideout, Sterling Shepard certainly feels like the forgotten man (Both in real life and in fantasy). He has put together a solid couple of years, but may be due for a breakout with the trading away of Odell Beckham Jr. Second-year receiver DaeSean Hamilton wowed at the Senior Bowl in 2018, and had a marginal impact for a downtrodden Denver down the stretch. But as a player who is exclusively a slot, being blocked by an apparently healthy Emmanuel Sanders, who spent over 60 percent of his snaps in the slot a year ago, means that he may not be earning as significant a role as Fantrax projects (7.02 PPG) this year. John Brown, however, provided that his anemia doesn’t act up, and that Josh Allen is able to improve his deep ball accuracy, might be in line for the 8.41 PPG that he is currently projected for as the Bills’ de facto WR1. Add Jalen Hurd to the mix, and you have an intriguing young group of WRs, even if Hurd’s role, or even his position to some degree, is unsettled. Seth Roberts also marked himself as present. Tight end is on the rise, with Goeddert likely to get more second year looks, and Shaheen, provided he’s healthy, likely to play more, even if in a less-defined blocking role with all of the options they have in CHI now. Defense, however, is by far Baltimore’s biggest weakness. While defensive line is in good shape with Derek Barnett and Kerry Wynn (And Kemoko Turay and Allen Bailey hanging out), linebacker is a major question mark, with only Haason Reddick (Who is very clearly just a defensive end playing middle linebacker, which again, is ridiculous that I even need to point out. How does everyone else not see that?), Patrick Dinosaur, and Von Miller seemingly guaranteed starting spots or even consistent snaps, and Kyler Fackrell, and Tyus Bowser the only backup options. Defensive back is a little more settled, with Malcolm Jenkins, D.J. Swearinger, and Ronnie Harrison all earmarked for significant fantasy roles. Tre Boston (Who somehow has not been signed again despite being one of the better safeties in football) and Doug Middleton provide depth.
X-factor: Running back. Still. While linebacker seems a short and long-term need, running back is more important for a team’s success, and while it appears that Goose might have settled that for himself by drafting Singletary, it may be awhile before he becomes fantasy relevant. If he does so this year, Baltimore may be headed back to the postseason sooner rather than later. But for now, knowing what we do at this moment, he’s still just above Cleveland on the totem pole in this division by an ever-so-slight margin.
Projected division finish: 3rd
Cincinnati Bengals (Chris)
Last year’s finish: 3rd (Division: 2nd)
Outlook: Chris was able to build upon his best finish in 2017 (7th) in all ways but three in 2018: Win against Garrett, win the division, and win the AFC. Had he managed to do the third, he would be the reigning champion at the moment (His lineup would’ve won the championship game by over 60 points). While the Bengals have been a team on the rise for a while, it appears that 2018 was the confirmation (If not the coronation) that had been in the works for a number of years. After all, despite Cecil’s assault on the record books in the regular season, the Bengals and defending-champion Eagles were a statistical dead heat for second in total points. It all starts at quarterback, where Cincy returns rookie phenom quarterback Baker Mayfield. At running back, fantasy football’s #3 RB of a year ago, Christian McCaffrey also returns. Those two are what makes the Bengals’ engine go. They’re joined by receivers Julian Edelman, Cooper Kupp (Who was blowing up the league before he twice blew up his knee), Alshon Jeffrey, DeDe Westbrook, and Emmanuel Sanders (Who also blew up the league, and, well, the back of his knee in that order). Health provided, it’s hard to imagine a better receiving corps in the league, outside of perhaps Philadelphia. The Benglas also have an insurance policy on Sanders’ knee in the form of Tim Patrick, who led Denver’s receiving corps down the stretch, averaging 8 PPG, and outproducing more heralded players Cameron Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton. At tight end, Zach Ertz is presently the only option, but he’s as good of one to have as anyone not named Travis Kelce. Chris also re-signed Chris Thompson on the advice of real-life Redskins GM Bruce Allen, and drafted Latavius Murray in the UFA Draft, so running back should be pretty well taken care of. Defensively, there are still some depth issues, as Chris had to trade from positions of strength, as well as cut players while chasing the championship, and stay conscious of cap. It starts up front with the under-the-radar trio of Michael Bennett, Jabaal Sheard, and Da’Shawn Hand. Neither Bennett nor Sheard were world-beaters last year, but each were over the 5 PPG threshold, and in the upper echelon of fantasy DLs. Add to that Hand, who PFF ranked as the #13 interior DL with a grade of 87.4 as a rookie, earning high marks in both run defense and pass rush. He’ll get to put that pass rush to good use this year, as Rotoworld has him as making a position change outside as a starting DE in 2019. At linebacker, Cincy is as deep as any team in the league, sporting at least five starting inside linebackers with Blake Martinez, Tremaine Edmunds, Zach Cunningham, Thomas Davis, and Jerome Baker, and that number will only grow if Bobby Okereke ousts Anthony Walker (Or allegedly sexually assaults him and gets away with it again) for a starting job in the Colts’ LB corps. The back end is where Cincinnati needs the most help, as at present, the Bengals only sport two options: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, and Devin McCourty.
X-factor: Health and DB. While DB is perhaps the easiest position to fill once the season begins, a fill-in at that spot could prevent what the Bengals are trying to accomplish from coming to fruition. If Chris can manage to add quality depth at the position without sacrificing elsewhere, it looks like the Bengals will be the class of the AFC North, if not the entire conference. Short of any lineup snafus (Aka Chris staying out of his own way), maybe he’ll be making a belated appearance in the Super Bowl against one of his clear superiors, Seattle, or Philadelphia. Outside of maybe Jacksonville or Minnesota, this roster represents the best chance to bring home a trophy this side of those two former champs.
Projected division finish: 1st
Cleveland Browns (Kevin)
Last year’s finish: 18th (Division: 3rd)
Outlook: Kevin entered the offseason seemingly ready to run it back at the key offensive positions, with Drew Brees, Phillip Lindsay, Jamison Crowder, Albert Wilson, Tyler Kroft, and Mike Davis all returning. But, on the eve of the draft, Brees, who he had made available—a fact that he had been advertising for at least the last calendar year beforehand—was on the move. And while he didn’t get—or even get close to his 1st and 2nd Round demands, he did manage some nice pieces from the deal, including second year TE Jordan Thomas, future child murderer Jalen Richard, Markus Golden, and at least the 2nd Round pick part of his asking price. And, not to bury the lead, but oh yeah, Boz used the first overall pick in the Rookie Draft to take the real draft’s #1 overall, rookie signal caller Kyler Murray. While that pick should bring a notable infusion of life to this offense for the next half decade, it’s unclear how polished he will be as a rookie, despite what is oft-rumored to be a fantasy friendly offense. The Browns’ offense is fairly solid, provided health for players like Crowder, Wilson, Kroft, and Richard’s children, and a role for Davis, Chris Hogan, Nick O’Leary, Wayne Gallman, Thomas, and Richard. Kevin also added Darren Sproles in the UFA Draft, and if he can maintain health and a role, he could be a significant piece too. Cleveland has some solid foundational building pieces on this side of the ball. The bigger concern is the Browns’ defense. While Kevin expressed a hope that positional tweeners Justin Houston (Who has always been listed as a linebacker previous to his trade to Indianapolis), and Josh Allen would end up as linebackers, it looks as if both parties will spend their time in 2019 on the defensive line, a fact that’s relevant, as Kevin has five defensive linemen. Joey Bosa and Houston make this one of the better units in the league immediately, but there is upside in rookie Josh Allen, Takkarist McKinley, and Emmanuel Ogbah. Linebacker is the Browns’ biggest problem area, with only T.J. Watt, Lorenzo Alexander, Markus Golden, and free agent Korey Toomer on the roster. At defensive back, Kevin has rostered cornerbacks Tre’Davious White, Jaire Alexander, William Jackson, and Montae Nicholson. While the first two have proven to be elite CB options in the past two years, it’s hard to see either of them really drastically improving their fantasy contributions.
X-factor: Linebacker. No question Kevin needs to address this position in both the near and long-term. He seems to have filled several key positions for the foreseeable future, so maybe the key to him climbing out of the basement is focusing next on bringing the defense to a better level, and that starts at LB.
Projected division finish: 4th
Pittsburgh Steelers (Garrett)
Last year’s finish: 9th (Division: 1st)
Outlook: Garrett may have finished the season higher than his 2016 campaign—in which he finished 10th—it’s clear that he took a step back last year, both as a function of his overall finish, and his statistical performance (Despite finishing 11-1, Garrett experienced a 250 point drop-off, and profiled more like an 8-4 team). One thing that was clear, is that as Le’Veon Bell goes, Pittsburgh goes. It could be said for anyone who loses their starting running back, but it was a surprise that ultimately, a team as consistently good as Pittsburgh would be affected so much. This year, while Bell returns (Presumably), he does so in a far less explosive offense, running behind the worst run blocking offensive line in football in 2018, after spending a year away from the game, and supposedly getting so out of shape that he reached 260 pounds. Suffice it to say, there is a lot that Bell will have to demonstrate before getting the benefit of the doubt again. Garrett does have a backup option in James White, and a quasi-backup as well in Chase Edmonds (Should he continue to puzzlingly siphon off ground game work from David Johnson). At wide receiver, Garrett sports one of the best cores in the league, as always, with T.Y. Hilton and Will Fuller leading the way, and Marvin Jones, Golden Tate, and Christian Kirk ready to step in with minimal drop-off. At tight end, the Steelers sport only Vance McDonald, but when healthy, he has proven to be quite an asset, and with the departure of Antonio Brown from real-life Pittsburgh, should be in line for an uptick in targets. At quarterback, Garrett doesn’t have any, at least not per Broncos’ HC Vic Fangio’s opinion, after calling his rookie—B- version of Josh Allen—signal caller “not a quarterback.” On defense, the Steelers are stout once again, pairing Brandon Graham and Kawann Short at DL, with Malcom Brown and Jeffery Simmons playing backup. At linebacker, while it’s a clear step back from what it was at the high-water mark, Pittsburgh still sports Todd Davis, Myles Jack, Brandon Marshall, and whoever Ryan Connelly is. The defensive backfield is resplendent with options, including Antoine Bethea, Kenny Vaccaro, Eric Weddle, and former first rounders Karl Joseph, and Eric Berry, who for varying reasons, are not ticketed for starting roles currently. Overall, it’s a top-10 unit as of now, but it’s a unit comprised of a lot of aged veterans, so it will be interesting to see how it holds up as the year goes on.
X-factor: Luck and a quarterback. Garrett has retooled masterfully instead of an outright rebuild (Where it might have even made sense to do so if he was unable to acquire some of these pieces as cheaply as he did), and doing so has very much kept him in contention for not only what would be a record sixth-straight AFC North crown, but the AFC as a whole as well. That said, the Bengals have clearly surpassed this squad on paper, though it remains to be seen if the results will follow. Garrett is still very much Chris’ boogeyman, as he maintains a sterling 6-0 record against his AFC North foe. While he needs to settle his quarterback position prior to the season, it’s more a function of luck than anything. This roster is strong enough to coast to another division title if Garrett is lucky enough to get off weeks from nearly every team on his schedule like he did in 2018. Otherwise, he’ll find the going considerably tougher this time.
Projected division finish: 2nd
Thank you for reading this, the sixth in the series of Divisional Previews—the AFC North. I will publish the seventh installment this coming week.