AFC North Preview

The AFC North was much better than what people expected last year, and it was also surprising the way the Pittsburgh Steelers struggled after winning the Super Bowl the season before. With the AFC North playing the NFC South and the AFC East, this could be a tough year for the division.

Starting off with the Cleveland Browns, they are almost guaranteed to not succeed this season. They have a challenging road game against the defending champion New Orleans Saints, but they don't have another challenging road game. However, their games against division opponents will fail them again, but I do look for them to improve upon last season, when they were 5-11, simply because of QB Jake Delhomme. Delhomme did have a bad year with the Carolina Panthers last year, but he tends to have on and off years and I look for him to have a decent season.

The Pittsburgh Steelers didn't do much to their roster last offseason, so many wondered why they failed to duplicate their success from the 2008 season. The answer is very simple -- defense. While many credit QB Ben Roethlisberger for their success, it's their defense that actually holds the key to their success. They looked sharp defensively in the preseason, but has had quarterback issues with Roethlisberger missing up to the first six games. The improved defense will be the reason why they improve upon last season, but they won't find their way in the postseason again with a 9-7 record.

The Baltimore Ravens fell short of winning the division last season, but still advanced to the AFC Divisional Round with their lopsided road win against the New England Patriots. The Ravens have gotten better also, which could be a little scary for other teams. Their offense is improved with the acquisition of WR Anquan Boldin. Their defense, surprisingly, will be the only question mark. They have been solid for a long time, but their secondary hasn't been that strong last year and don't look to be that strong this season. However, I expect them to improve upon last year also and win the division with an 11-5 record.

The Cincinnati Bengals won the division last season but played awful in the AFC Wild Card Round against the New York Jets at home. The Bengals have improved by getting CB Adam "Pacman" Jones and WR Terrell Owens, two headaches for most teams. However, they have looked sharp in the preseason, and the Bengals defense looks better also. The Bengals success depends on QB Carson Palmer, who has been overrated the past couple of seasons. They won last year because of their running game and their defense, not Palmer. If he is like last year, they will have the same success. That is exactly what's going to happen, and the Bengals will improve one game to 11-5 but succumb the division crown to the Ravens.