2007 NFL Division Ranking: #2 - AFC North

This division is quite similar to the NFC East in that there are potentially three very good teams here as well as a team that does not appear to have much of a chance this season. Just several years ago this division was among the weaker divisions as Pittsburgh and Baltimore were up and down, while Cincinnati and Cleveland were perennial league losers. With the arrival of the Bengals as a consistently good team and the arrival of Steve McNair, this division now features three teams that have the ability to not only make the playoffs, but go deep in post season play.

For years it seems that the Baltimore Ravens have been searching for a quarterback. In fact, ever since they became the Baltimore Ravens, there has been a continuous quest to find that quarterback. Even after winning the super bowl after the 2000 season, the Ravens couldn’t wait long enough to jettison Trent Dilfer. The problem was that they didn’t really have anyone to replace him. Every year, the Ravens would field a suffocating defense and a more than adequate running game, but they could never get reliable play from the quarterback position.

With the addition of Steve McNair last year, suddenly the quarterback position was filled with a savvy talented veteran that could actually win games from the quarterback position. The result was a 13-3 campaign, including a 5-1 record in their division and an absolute trouncing of the 2005 Super Bowl champion Steelers by a combined score of 58-7. They ran into a team of destiny in the play-offs, getting beat in their first play-off game by the eventual Super Bowl champions. The Ravens are returning the same team with the same coaching staff and should look to win this division again. Several things may keep this title from them. If Steve McNair goes down for an extended time, the backup quarterback is none other than Kyle Boller. In addition, the Bengals and Steelers look to return to their 2005 form and running through this division may be a little more difficult.

While the Ravens are a defensive powerhouse led by an offensive minded coach which is desperately seeking an offense, the Bengals are just the opposite. They have an explosive and exciting offense that looks to remain in place for some time. They are a well balanced team offensively that can score seemingly at will at times. Meanwhile, the defensively minded Lewis has been doing everything possible to improve the defense from decent to championship caliber. While there have been steady improvements, this defense still needs some tuning. Obtaining Leon Hall should be an improvement and Justin Smith is among the elite linemen in the league. The Bengals defense has always struggled against the run and the linebackers have never really stood out. Ed Hartwell is a name well known in this division, but after his stint in Atlanta, his best days appear to be behind him.

The Bengals offense is so good and can score in so many ways, that it will make up for the defensive shortcomings (as it has for several years now). The Bengals have one of the best balanced offenses in the NFL. They can wear teams down with a power running game featuring Rudi Johnson, while Chad Johnson not only talks a big game, but generally delivers. Carson Palmer has shown that he should be mentioned in the same breath as the elite quarterbacks as well. The Bengals will be very competitive and it would not be shocking to see them win this division. The off-field problems have been devastating to this team in terms of loss of personnel and loss of respect from the fans. Marvin Lewis must assert control of this team and implement a no tolerance policy. If he can do this and continue tweaking the defense, this team will not only be elite in this division, but the entire NFL.

The Pittsburgh Steelers bring balance to this division. They have a respectable defense that is not quite as good as Baltimore’s and a respectable offense that is not quite as good as Cincinnati’s. The Steelers backed up an improbable super bowl run in 2005 with a season to be forgotten in 2006. So, which team is the anomaly? Will the Steelers return to championship form or have they really fallen to the middle of the NFL? I think the Steelers will be very competitive this year. Unfortunately, they play in a competitive division and in the ultra-competitive AFC. In the NFC, the Steelers would be a play-off team. In the AFC, they may not be as there are still a few questions surrounding this team.

The offensive line last year was uncharacteristically mediocre. They had decent games and still gave enough room for Willie Parker — still under-rated — to rush for nearly 1500 yards, although his unique combination of speed and power certainly should be credited for those yards as well. For whatever reason, however, Ben Roethlisberger never looked comfortable in the pocket. While some of this can be attributed to Ben and his tumultuous off-season, the line should take some blame here as well. The off-season didn’t help as the Steelers lost a pro-bowl center and have a disgruntled pro-bowl tackle on their hands. The loss of Joey Porter is not that great on the field, but could have an impact off the field. On top of all that, there is a rare coaching change in Steel Town that will have an impact.

This will be a good team and depending on how the issues above are resolved in the off-season, could be a threat to win the AFC North.

Finally the Cleveland Browns keep this division from taking the #1 spot this year in my division rankings. Quite frankly, Cleveland has done very little since re-gaining their team in the 1999 season. They had one winning season at 9-7 coupled with a single appearance in the playoffs in that time span — a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. In some ways there seems to be some kind of curse over this team. Major season-ending injuries have continually plagued this team. The follow up to one of the most exciting drafts in recent history, is an apparent hold out of a quarterback that nearly begged to be on the team.

The pickup of Jamal Lewis could provide a bit of a lift to their running game, but this is not the same Jamal that rushed for over 2000 yards a couple of years ago. He is older, has battled some injuries and doesn’t seem to hit the hole as hard or with as much power as he did. Defensively, the Browns are decent, but not spectacular. They have players that will make big plays occasionally, but they lack a big time consistent play maker. Willie McGinest provides some good leadership, but is definitely in the twilight of his career. After only one year on the job, Romeo is on the hot seat. His actions show more desperation than confidence. Barring a miraculous season for this team, they will be in complete rebuild mode again next year.

This division is ranked as #2 with a bullet, because I feel that three out of the four teams here could go to some of the weaker divisions and win them fairly easily. As with the NFC East, there are some superb division match ups here and a true NFL fan should tune in any time these teams play each other.