AFC North 2010 Preview
by Scott Rickenbach
Baltimore - Long known for defense, the Ravens offense is now making big strides as well. Especially their aerial attack improved last season and now, with the addition of Anquan Boldin, even bigger things can be expected in 2010. Look for Boldin to combine with Mason to form a solid 1-2 punch at the wideout spots. On defense, the Ravens did lose some key players with the departure of Justin Bannan and Dwan Edwards. However, the bigger concern is the secondary as it regressed last season and that is an area that is again a potential weak spot. Keep that in mind in terms of match-ups for the Ravens this season. Still, Baltimore's offense continues to improve and can carry them again this season.
Cincinnati - Amazingly the Bengals won all their games against divisional opponents last season. We say amazingly because they were so offensively challenged. Losing QB Palmer and WR Henry really hurt the offense. But the defense stepped up and was rock solid and that was even with their 2009 first round draft pick Andre Smith missing most of the season. We really like the draft the Bengals had in 2010 in terms of the TE Jermaine Gresham and then also the defensive depth that Cincinnati added through the draft. However, in addition to again playing solid defense, the Bengals must improve offensively and we just don't see that happening with this team. In other words, the Ravens will be tough to catch.
Cleveland - Major roster overhaul heading into this season. What else is new in Cleveland? This franchise just can't right the ship and it's another rebuilding year for the Browns. Yes they closed '09 with four straight wins but a couple of those were late season meaningless games. Also, how much momentum is left when the roster has undergone major turnover? The Browns ranked among the NFL's worst on both defense and offense last season and, with all the offseason changes, we don't expect to see much improvement until the latter part of this season. Tough team to back right now. Will take time for the Browns to improve.
Pittsburgh - It will be a rough start to the season for the Steelers most likely. The Roethlisberger situation is hurting Pittsburgh as is the loss of WR Santonio Holmes. Will they be able to overcome this? That is the key question. The offense improved dramatically last season but the defense, particularly against the pass, regressed in '09. Make no mistake about it, the Steelers still have a solid defense but if Randle El, and Battle can't step up big to replace Holmes, this could be a mediocre season for Pittsburgh. The Steelers need to run the ball better and they have not proven they can do that.
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