AFC North
DF: Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati was a few plays away from reaching its second Super Bowl in as many years last season. The Bengals were ousted by the Chiefs, 23-20, in the AFC Championship Game. While Joe Burrow’s injury made me think about this pick for a few seconds, my opinion remains — the Bengals are the team to beat in the AFC North. All four teams can finish above .500, but the Bengals are the best of the bunch.
HA: Baltimore Ravens
This Ravens offense has a chance to be special. After years of poor WR play alongside Lamar Jackson, the Ravens went out and grabbed two potential difference-makers in the form of Odell Beckham Jr. and Zay Flowers. Adding those two to a pass-catching group that already includes Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman gives the former MVP Jackson his best stable of weapons that he’s had during his career. And, we know that the Ravens are always going to bring it on the defensive end. In possibly the most competitive division in football, the Ravens come out on top.
JF: Pittsburgh Steelers
Cincinnati will be the trendy pick here. However, until we really know the severity of Joe Burrow’s leg injury, we’re opting to roll with Pittsburgh. Kenny Pickett flashed some real ability towards the end of last season. He got into a very nice rhythm with OC Matt Canada. In the offseason, the Steelers addressed its offensive line issues. We’ll soon see if the ‘legend of WR George Pickens’ is fools gold or actually legit. From there, as long as the team still has Minkah Fitzpatrick, T.J. Watt, and Mike Tomlin, the defense should be (at the very least) competitive.
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