The AFC North is a highly competitive division. Will the Bengals repeat as the champ in 2022? Which team will make the NFL playoffs?
NFL Training camp is nearly here! The AFC North is a highly competitive division and there are no shortage of storylines here.
Will the Cincinnati Bengals repeat as the champ in 2022? or could the Ravens, Steelers, or Browns take the title and make the NFL Playoffs this season?
All predicted win totals are provided by WynnBet.
Cleveland Browns chances of making 2022 NFL Playoffs
What I like:
There are a lot of good things going on in Cleveland. They have a great young coach in Kevin Stefanski, Their offensive line is one of the better ones in the league, and they have a top-tier stable of running backs too.
Defensively their Pass rush should make opponents sweat. Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney are both still here. And in the secondary, they have enough skill to challenge the wide receiver stables being built all over the AFC.
Areas of Concern:
The elephant in the room of course is the pending Deshaun Watson suspension. When will it come down? How long will it be?
Staying away from the legal implications in this, (and they are serious) from a pure football aspect this will greatly affect the outcome of the division.
There is a chance for the locker room to become divided in a situation like this too. Even with adding Amari Cooper in the offseason, there is little reliable depth at wide receiver right now.
Key Games: With or without Watson the first few games of the season are very winnable for the Browns.
Weeks 5-8 though will tell us who this team is. They will play three home games: LA Chargers (week 5), New England (Week 6), and Cincinnati (week 8 MNF) Week 7 game @ Baltimore will be a good one too.
My Prediction: 7-10