NFL Previews, Day Two

Yesterday, I wrote that I expect the Patriots to absolutely win the AFC East. That is not exactly going out on a limb, but even with Tom Brady missing the first four games, New England is too good to not win that division. Next up is the AFC North.

AFC North
The two mainstays in this division over the past decade have been the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens, as both of those teams have won multiple Super Bowls over the past decade and a half. The Cincinnati Bengals have been good in the regular season for a while now, but that has not turned into any sort of success in the postseason. The Cleveland Browns have been the perennial bottom-feeder. I expect that trend to continue in 2016.

Pittsburgh Steelers - I think this is a team that should have Super Bowl aspirations. They have one of the best offensive units in the entire league, and while their defense is clearly not on the level of the offense, it did improve a bit in 2015, and they addressed multiple needs on that side of the ball in the draft. Pittsburgh's defense will not have to be perfect week in and week out, because the offense could potentially put up 30 points per game.

There is one gorilla in the room on the offensive side of the ball though, and that is multiple suspensions. Martavis Bryant is out for the entire season due to suspension, and Le'Veon Bell is facing a possible four game suspension. However, I think Pittsburgh has enough depth to make up for those losses. Ben Roethlisberger has won multiple Super Bowls, and Antonio Brown is the best wide receiver in the NFL. DeAngelo Williams is a very capable backup that can at least hold down the fort if Bell's suspension is upheld.

The key is the defense though. The weakest part of that unit was the secondary, and Pittsburgh took defensive backs with its first two picks in the draft. If the defense can at least be average, the Steelers could potentially make a deep playoff run.

Ceiling: I think it is fair to say that you could potentially consider Pittsburgh as a Super Bowl caliber team. The offense should be one of the best in the league. We have seen teams make the Super Bowl before with great offenses and opportunistic defenses that can force a lot of turnovers, even if they give up a lot of yards. We might see a lot of 35-31 games, but Pittsburgh has the firepower to make it happen if needed.

Floor: Roethlisberger is one of the toughest quarterbacks in the NFL, but he has had his share of injuries over the years. The Steelers have been able to piece together wins in his absence in the past, but if we see a combination of him getting hurt and Bell's suspension causing a slow start, Pittsburgh could miss the playoffs in what is always a tough division.

Reality: Pittsburgh's offense is too good for them to miss the playoffs as long as they stay healthy and out of trouble off the field. There are definitely questions on the defensive side of the ball, but I still think this team is good enough to win one playoff game at the least, and I would not be surprised to see them win more than that.

Cincinnati Bengals
It is the same story in Cincinnati that it has always been since Marvin Lewis took over as head coach. Regular season success and postseason failure. The Bengals gave away a game in the playoffs last year that they should have won based pretty much on sheer stupidity and dirty play. It was a new and innovative way to fail in January, but the result was the same. The team did lose a few somewhat significant pieces during the offseason, so I hate to say it, but I think they could be on the way to a similar ending in 2016.

Andy Dalton has developed into a pretty good quarterback but until he at least wins one playoff game, he and Marvin Lewis will be known for the exact same thing. A.J. Green and Tyler Eifert are elite targets, and Cincinnati has a pretty good offensive line as well as a few good running backs.

The strength of the defense remains on the line, and Cincinnati used its first pick on a defensive back that can hopefully help the secondary.

Ceiling: The Bengals have actually reached the postseason in each of the past five seasons, but that has been as good as it has gotten. The AFC North is always tough, but I do think Cincinnati has the potential to end the regular season at the top. Then comes the playoffs though, and with each failure, the pressure on Andy Dalton and Marvin Lewis grows and grows. If they can win one playoff game in 2016, I think the season could be considered a success and a step in the right direction.

Floor: Cincinnati's schedule is very tough right out of the gate, and if they get off to a bad start it could put them in a big hole. I think finishing third in the division is as bad as it could get.

Reality: This is close to the same team as last year, so I think that it is fair to expect similar results. Maybe they win the division, but it is going to be tough. I hate to say it, but I think either just missing the playoffs or losing in the first round is what to expect. Until I see otherwise, I am expecting the same Bengals that we have seen over the past few seasons.

Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens finished an extremely disappointing 2015 season at 5-11. They seem to have too much talent on the roster to be a 5-11 team, but just ask the Dallas Cowboys what a bunch of talent gets you. It gets you absolutely nothing. Baltimore took Ronnie Stanley in the first round, and many people considered him to be one of the best players in the draft. Losing Kelechi Osemele was tough, but I think the team is hoping that the loss can be offset by adding Stanley to the offensive line. I would be very surprised to see this team go 5-11 again, but making the playoffs will be difficult.

Ceiling: The Ravens are a melting pot of very good players and veterans likely past their prime. If Joe Flacco has an outstanding year and the defense is better than they look like on paper, maybe Baltimore can make the playoffs as a Wild Card team. I do not see them winning any playoff games though.

Floor: I still think this team is better than 5-11, but it is definitely possible that they go 0-4 in their games against Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. They also get the AFC East and NFC East, so you have to figure there will be multiple losses there. So in reality, maybe 5-11 is possible. They are not worse than Cleveland, but this team surely could be picking early in the draft next year because they win seven games at the most.

Reality: Like I said, I do not see this team going 5-11 again, but I find it highly unlikely that they are able to overtake Pittsburgh or Cincinnati at the top of the division. Maybe they can hit 7-9, and if they get a bunch of breaks possibly even 8-8, but I don't think this is a playoff team this year.

Cleveland Browns
Last, and least, we have the Cleveland Browns. LeBron James came home and finally won a title for the city of Cleveland, and the Browns organization should be thanking him for that. This has been an organization that has been far below-average from top to bottom for years and years now, and I do not think that anything is going to change in 2016. The team made a big splash in the offseason by bringing in Robert Griffin III, but the problem is he has not been any good for multiple years now. Josh Gordon has all of this talent and was the best wide receiver in football three years ago. Since then, he has done nothing but fail drug tests and been suspended multiple times. And forgive me for saying this, but any time a team has gone into a season with Josh McCown having a shot at the starting quarterback job, it has ended very badly.

The Browns are clearly the worst team in this division. Once the calendar hits October, the fans in Cleveland will be awaiting the start of the Cavaliers' season.

Ceiling: If this team finishes anywhere other than last place in the division, I would be very, very surprised. When I look at their roster, the first thing I think of is how hard it must be for Joe Thomas to still be one of the best offensive linemen in football yet be stuck on a horrendous team. The Browns were 3-13 last year. If they somehow got to 6-10 this year, their fans should be ecstatic.

Floor: I will put this in the simplest terms possible. If the Browns have the first overall selection in the 2017 draft, I don't think many people would be surprised.

Reality: I think it is near impossible for this team to finish anywhere other than last in the division. If RG3 somehow has a miraculous turnaround and is able to stay healthy for all 16 games, maybe they can expect 5-11 at best. However, I still find that hard to believe, and I think the Browns will be one of the worst teams in the NFL.

Daily Diamondbacks Update: Ugh. Another loss in Los Angeles last night and the team only slides further into the basement. Hope for the playoffs has been gone for a while now, and the most interesting point of the regular season might actually be within the next two days since the trade deadline is only one day away.

Daily Giants Update: Training camp is underway, so obviously everyone is thinking positively now. Victor Cruz is out on the field, but I don't want to say anything about that because every time his name is mentioned, I feel like he is closer to some sort of injury. That is all.