The division sent three teams to the playoffs this past season. But the club that claimed the AFC North in 2020 may have more questions than answers.
If ever there was credence to the adage off “it’s not how you start but how you finish,” look no further than the 2020 Pittsburgh Steelers, winners of the AFC North last season.
A franchise-record 11-0 start turned into four losses in their last five regular-season games. And that was followed by a horrendous 48-37 home loss to rival Cleveland in the AFC Wild Card Playoffs.
Meanwhile, Cleveland and Baltimore finished 11-5 this past season and also qualified for the playoffs.
What did the AFC North look like last season behind the Steelers?
The Ravens joined the Browns in the AFC Divisional Round thanks to a win over the Titans in Tennessee. But both Kevin Stefanski and John Harbaugh saw their teams bite the dust a week later as Cleveland fell in Kansas City and Baltimore shackled by the Buffalo Bills
As for the Cincinnati Bengals, it was another dreadful season that has seen the club post five consecutive losing campaigns after reaching the playoffs five consecutive years from 2011-15. But after a rough 2-14 debut for head coach Zac Taylor which included the franchise dropping its first 11 games for the first time ever, the club rebounded and doubled their victory total in 2020 and made steady progress as the year unfolded.
So after sending three teams to the playoffs this past season, could this division be primed to send all four clubs to the postseason this year? That would be quite the trick in the loaded AFC, which required at least 11 victories to get to the playoffs in 2020.
NOTE: Teams are listed in order of finish in 2020.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Will Mike Tomlin’s team quickly adapt to a new offensive system?
Combine a lack of power football the past three seasons and a deteriorating offensive line and it’s no wonder that Mike Tomlin’s team got off to decent starts only the fade down the stretch each of the last three years.
The Steelers promoted quarterbacks coach Matt Canada to offensive coordinator this offseason. Tomlin’s club has seemingly forgotten how to run the football. The team has a new-look front and general manager Kevin Colbert used the team’s first-round pick on University of Alabama running back Najee Harris.
Veteran Ben Roethlisberger has thrown the football a lot the past three seasons. That figures to change a bit this year but how quickly will he and the team gel on this side of the football?
Baltimore Ravens: Does Don Martindale’s unit have enough pass rush to make a difference?
There are just four teams in the league that have currently made at least three consecutive trips to the playoffs. The list is led by the Kansas City Chiefs (6) and New Orleans Saints (4). That’s followed by the Seattle Seahawks and John Harbaugh’s Ravens — both of those clubs reaching the postseason each year since 2018.
The club has led the league in rushing two consecutive years. The franchise fortified its offensive line this offseason and the addition of veteran Sammy Watkins should aid quarterback Lamar Jackson. But the Baltimore defense took a couple more hits in the free-agent departures of outside linebacker Matt Judon (6) and defensive ends Yannick Ngakoue (3) and Jihad Ward (3), who combined for 12 of the Ravens’ 39 sacks this past season?
Cleveland Browns: Has the defense adequately filled its holes from a year ago?
Joe Woods will begin his second year as the defensive coordinator for the club. This past season, the Browns made their first playoff appearance since 2002 and won a postseason game for the first time since 1994.
But the club’s albatross was a defensive unit that was substandard. Hence general manager Andrew Berry did quite the job acquiring talent via free agency. The headliners were seven-year pro Jadeveon Clowney and former Rams’ defensive backs John Johnson III and Troy Hill.
The franchise also used their first two picks in April on cornerback Greg Newsome II (1-Northwestern) and linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (2-Notre Dame).
The biggest issue was the inability to stop is to stop opposing quarterbacks from racking up big numbers. This despite the fact that the team owns one of the best pass rushers in the league in Myles Garrett. Woods’ unit will be tested in Week 1 in a playoff rematch with the Chiefs.
Cincinnati Bengals: Will the team’s offensive line finally emerge as a team strength?
There seems to be plenty of promise in the Queen City when it comes to the quarterback situation. The Bengals used the first overall pick in 2020 to grab Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow, who led LSU to a national championship in his final season.
But the talented youngster not make it all the way through his rookie campaign after suffering a knee injury in Week 11 at Washington. The offensive line has deteriorated over the years and remains a work in progress. The team used three of its 10 draft picks this year to address these trenches.
A year ago, Cincinnati ranked 24th in the league in rushing and the team surrendered a disappointing 48 sacks.