Baltimore Ravens
Pros: The NFL pretty much admitted that they screwed the pooch with the Ray Rice fiasco.
Cons: A pretty bland roster didn't get a whole lot better. The acquisition of Steve Smith might work, but he's old and it also requires Joe Flacco to be somewhat accurate with his passes. Disadvantage: Ravens.
Overall: It's probably a safe bet that the Ravens will be painfully average again this year.
Predicted Record: 8-8, 2nd
Cincinnati Bengals
Pros: Jay Gruden won't be calling plays for the Bengals this year, which is probably a good thing. The Bengals' offense has gotten better each year and the defense is still one of the better units in the NFL.
Cons: Geno Atkins will be back but he's coming off of a torn ACL, which will probably limit his effectiveness (unless he has the same genetic structure as Adrian Peterson). I'm a bit of a (realistic) Andy Dalton apologist, but even I don't know how he'll look this season.
Overall: The Bengals are still far and away the best team in the division or at the very least, have the most talent. In a vacuum that should net them their fourth straight playoff berth. What happens after that is anybody's guess.
Predicted Record: 11-5, 1st
Cleveland Browns
Pros: Nope. Don't see any. Sorry.
Cons: The offense is guaranteed to be bad, what with the no receivers thing. Great planning, Browns! Also, the defense has only been great twice in the last decade.
Overall: It sure sucks to be a Browns fan.
Predicted Record: 4-12, 4th
Pittsburgh Steelers
Pros: They sure aren't the Browns, which guarantees that they'll be at least average for most of the year.
Cons: The defense is still a question mark since they rolled out their worst one in like 25 years last season. There's no way it got markedly better in one offseason. Also, Todd Haley is the offensive coordinator.
Overall: The Steelers will not be dreadful and they won't be spectacular. They'll just be there, as one of the 32 teams playing this season.
Predicted Record:
***
Next time! We'll head out further to the Midwest with a preview of the NFC North. Check it out later tonight.
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