Will We Win The AFC North?

[Hjulmann]

So an off-season is upon us, and I've been looking at our schedule. It looks quite rough, so do you guys think we'll win the AFC North?

If the Steelers look healthy, I think (sorry to say) that we'll be heading to the playoffs on a wild card. As much as I hope we sweep them again.

[Shaner021]

There was an article on sports-kings breaking down the Ravens offseasons and mentioned the AFC North. Pointed out the Bengals & Browns have more than enough draft picks and cap room to get better.

Was a good summary of the challenges facing the Ravens this offseason.

[Alexir]

Steelers?! Actually I am more concerned about the Bengals. They had a great draft last year and they will have 2 first rounders next year in which they will probably get their franchise Running Back and probably a franchise Cornerback as well.

I think we will split with the Bengals honestly. Gonna be some good games.

As for the Browns, they are in the same boat as Bengals. 2 first rounders, Holmgren will package a deal to trade up for RG3 Although he doesn't fit the current offense, neither does McCoy so might as well get the more athletic player. As for their 2nd pick, I think they will pull a 2011 Bengals and get their rookie QB someone to throw too such as Kendal Wright.

[Ravenslifer]

I don't see why we couldn't. Our biggest problem was that we didn't have a deep threat that helped us beat the cover-2 defense. Torrey seemed to solve that problem. Besides, Jonathon Joseph leaving for Houston was a big help. I think of all the teams in the division we're in the best position to do it. However, that doesn't mean we will - it might be the best division in all of football - 3 playoff teams, and the team that's the doormat in this division took out the Patriots and Saints in back to back weeks in 2010.

[Crabcakes&Football]

It's hard to say. We have just as good a shot anybody to though. Once again it will probably come down to tie-breakers. Let's hope we win that battle. We are at least as good of a team as the Steelers, in my opinion we are the better team. You can't ever write them off, but you can't give them the division either.

[arnie_uk]

[quote name='Ravenslifer' timestamp='1329312885' post='994439']
JJ leaving for Houston was a big help.
[/quote]
Id change that to jon joseph, at first read i thought you meant our JJ and i was about to say FA hasnt begun and even if it did how would this be a help to us

[scrock]

The Ravens are built to be the Steelers, they will have 1 advantage over us though, they got a new OC so we aren't exactly sure what their offense will look like the first time we play them...because they will be trying to trick us on things just like we will be trying to trick them some.

thats a rivalry

[scrock]

[quote name='Alexir' timestamp='1329309358' post='994419']
[b]Steelers?! Actually I am more concerned about the Bengals. They had a great draft last year and they will have 2 first rounders next year in which they will probably get their franchise Running Back and probably a franchise Cornerback as well.[/b]

I think we will split with the Bengals honestly. Gonna be some good games.

As for the Browns, they are in the same boat as Bengals. 2 first rounders, Holmgren will package a deal to trade up for RG3 Although he doesn't fit the current offense, neither does McCoy so might as well get the more athletic player. As for their 2nd pick, I think they will pull a 2011 Bengals and get their rookie QB someone to throw too such as Kendal Wright.
[/quote]

That is the team to worry about, I think they may soon take it...they have talent for sure, lets see if they are able to maintain it...they'd had trouble before in being consistent. They haven't made the playoffs 2 years in a row in over 30 years

[Ravenslifer]

[quote name='arnie_uk' timestamp='1329313659' post='994446']
Id change that to jon joseph, at first read i thought you meant our JJ and i was about to say FA hasnt begun and even if it did how would this be a help to us
[/quote]

Done.

[GrimCoconut]

I believe we will sweep the Steelers again. I am not afraid of them. I honestly see them entering a rebuilding phase as ridiculous as I am sure that sounds. They fired Arians, Ben is getting older, their star RB is probably going to be IR or PUP. On top of all of this, Ben & Tomlin are upset Arians is gone. It's a lot of nasty stuff, but the worst part is their constant restructuring. This is the 2nd year in a row where they have restructured. I honestly do not see them being a threat in a couple years.

I am most worried about the Bengals. The Browns are still inept in a lot of ways. Getting RG3 will be great, but they may just keep those two picks and acquire Flynn. The Browns need some receivers and a RB. I am more worried about the Browns if they get RG3, though I am not sure RG3 will be a bad match-up for us.

Again the Bengals worry me most. They are the most balanced team in our division besides us and they have cap space. They also have two 1st round picks and maybe another 1st or 2nd next year from our friends the Raiders.

I still believe we will sweep the division again next year.

[VA_Fan]

My thoughts on the 2012 AFCN Standings. We should have it but we always seem to do something that will cost us a game or two against these guys.

1 Bengals
2 Ravens
3 Steelers
4 Browns

[Purple Nurple]

My Magic 8-Ball says ask us all again after the 53 man rosters are finalized.

Personally though, I am supremely confident in what we are doing in Baltimore. I think we win it again this coming season.

[Smoke]

The Ravens have a very difficult schedule. Have 8 games with playoff teams. That is half the schedule! Does get much easier with SD, Philly. Wash, KC and Houston away and Dallas, Oakland, Denver, NYG and NE at home. That my friends is a very tough schedule.
Pitt & Cincy schedules are 2 games easierr than ours- they do not have to play NE & Houston. I think that will be the difference in winning the division. Cincy will get better with extra draft picks this year. They were not too far off last year. I think Pitts will be wide open with Haley as OC and will not rely on defense as much. With this said, I believe in the Ravens, the have a chance to win divsion but I believe there are too many games they could lose, so I say they get in as a wild card

[Bazooka Joe]

Way too early.

Bengals have cap space but a cheap owner. Bengals have draft picks but more likely to have underwhelming draft than a good one with their poor scouting. I still believe Dalton is a fraud and not a franchise guy. Was just a poised rookie.

The Browns will trade down like they always do to avoid paying top five money. Again, cheap owner.

Steelers are rebuilding, but have the talent to rebuild and contend at the same time like we do, so I won't discount them.

We have the strongest team in the division and possibly in the AFC. Barring injury.

Again too early, but at tthis point, we have the best chance.

And for the record, our schedule doesn't look that tough.

[K-Dog]

I think Pitts-burgh has a mediocre season at best.

Browns have a normal season for them.

Bengals I think will have a hot season. I think AT BEST, we split with them.

Just one mans opinion.

[Jamal]

[left]Way too early for this. FA hasn't even started for god's sake.[/left][left]Not to beat a dead horse at this point, but we've definitely started off on the wrong foot, and Steelers have gotten themselves a pretty good OC.[/left]

[Guest RBates]

If we don't fill the needs at o- line we are not going to win the division and may not get into the playoffs. We need a linebacker that can cover the pass. We need three O lineman. We need another play making receiver. We need a legitimate pass rusher.

[Yatagarasu]

Last time I remembered, we shut down Todd Haley's offense back in 2010.

[hey_hernandez]

My darkhorse move of the draft is the Browns taking WR Justin Blackmon at #4 or packaging a trade to move up to get him. With the #22 pick, they trade it to GB for QB Matt Flynn. With the new CBA, 1st round picks (even high 1st rounders) won't get those bank-busting contracts like they used to.

As far as the team that scares me the most? I'd say its still the Steelers. Defense is aging, no depth at Dline, Mendenhall is busted. But they're still the Steelers, they still have Ben, and they have 3 bonafide WR's that can blow the top off any defense. They'll have to pick replacements carefully in the draft and find some cheap, workable veterans in FA, but until proven otherwise, I think the Steelers are still the #1 contender to knock us off of the AFCN throne.

[cobrajet]

[quote name='RBates' timestamp='1329330156' post='994631']
If we don't fill the needs at o- line we are not going to win the division and may not get into the playoffs. We need a linebacker that can cover the pass. We need three O lineman. We need another play making receiver. We need a legitimate pass rusher.
[/quote]
Totally agree on all points, I think the key to winning the AFC North will be our o-line. If we lose Grubbs and Gurode, our o-line may look a lot different, and if we can't find replacements that can pass protect for Joe, it may be a long season.

[redrum52]

Far more worried about the Bengals than Steelers. The mental hurdle has been passed but the pesky Bengals even with a rookie qb and wr were still able to give us fits. I see us winning it again next year due to good drafting, FA acquisitions and growth of our already talented players.

[Gordo52]

To me, this isnt even a question.
In my eyes we're the best in the AFC.

[Ravens4Real]

Let me just say that I believe our season will come down to how we perform in the two games against the AFC South 1st place and AFC East 1st place. We have to play Houston and Patriots. Houston with Matt Schaub in the lineup during the playoffs, definately beats us. Their O line straight up man handled ours. Patriots will only get better once again with, I believe don't quote me, two first round picks.

The Steelers get to play the Yets. They are simply a joke anymore with Sanchez back there and their team chemistry. I would put that as a win for them and then they get to play Tennessee. The Bengals get to play the Jaguars and Da Bills. People may think it is not that big of a difference only two games, but we have a very tough schedule while I would say the Bengals are a lock to win both of their games.

Will always consider the Steelers as our biggest threat. I can't really say Bengals will be second best because the Steelers aren't the team that have problems with them. It is the Ravens for some reason. Steelers Bengals games last year, if I remember, the first was decently close but then the second game was a blowout. The Bengals are more of a threat head to head against us than they are with the Steelers.

I usually am a poster that keeps a level head. Some of you guys in here are overly optimisitic. The Steelers will be much younger next year. People saying Ben is getting old in his 30 year old season is funny. Flacco is 27. Are we going to call him old in a year or two? I would say 26-33 years old is the prime of QB's careers. Let's not forget their three young WR's that can only and will get better. Oh, and let;s not forget they have, probably, the best LB corps in the NFL.

I am not saying the Ravens can not sweep them again, but you guys thinking they are going to fall off the face of the earth with the talent and coaching they have are nuts.

[Hjulmann]

[quote name='Alexir' timestamp='1329309358' post='994419']
Steelers?! Actually I am more concerned about the Bengals. They had a great draft last year and they will have 2 first rounders next year in which they will probably get their franchise Running Back and probably a franchise Cornerback as well.

I think we will split with the Bengals honestly. Gonna be some good games.

As for the Browns, they are in the same boat as Bengals. 2 first rounders, Holmgren will package a deal to trade up for RG3 Although he doesn't fit the current offense, neither does McCoy so might as well get the more athletic player. As for their 2nd pick, I think they will pull a 2011 Bengals and get their rookie QB someone to throw too such as Kendal Wright.
[/quote]
Well yeah, the steelers is always the team to beat for us, and they have some head coach named Mike Tomlin who refuses to let his team be a mediocre team

[GrimCoconut]

[quote name='Ravens4Real' timestamp='1329337886' post='994782']
I usually am a poster that keeps a level head. Some of you guys in here are overly optimisitic. The Steelers will be much younger next year. People saying Ben is getting old in his 30 year old season is funny. Flacco is 27. Are we going to call him old in a year or two? I would say 26-33 years old is the prime of QB's careers.
I am not saying the Ravens can not sweep them again, but you guys thinking they are going to fall off the face of the earth with the talent and coaching they have are nuts.
[/quote]
I'm not sure if you're referring to me in your comment, but I am going to defend my comments regardless.

I am not nuts, and I also have a level-head. I am not overly optimistic. My comment about Ben getting older is not really related to his age as much as it is to the many injuries that he has accumulated in his career. When you have injuries and age, you don't have a long expectancy. Ben may soon have osteoarthritis, and I am not being funny. That's a debilitating condition and the medications for that condition would either thin his blood or decrease his immune system. Not really funny stuff. You can only hold off time for so long before you meet your mortality. It's for this very reason I believe Tebow will not last long if he continues his current style of play.

So, yes. There is a very realistic chance the Steelers will be hurting in a couple years, and I'm not just referring to the health of their players.

[itsteekay]

Not sure if anyone has brought this up yet;


NFL Network's Jason La Canfora agrees with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the Steelers are "more likely" to place a first-round restricted tender on Mike Wallace, rather than franchise tag him.

Placing only the tender on Wallace would leave Pittsburgh open to being poached for its top wideout by teams willing to fork over a long-term contract and a first-round draft pick. One such club could be the division-rival Ravens, who draft 29th overall. The cap-strapped Steelers may see the monetary difference between the tender ($2.742 million) and tag ($9.6 million) as worth the risk.

[SuRihtanil]

[quote name='Jamal' timestamp='1329329940' post='994625']
[left]Way too early for this. FA hasn't even started for god's sake.[/left][left]Not to beat a dead horse at this point, but we've definitely started off on the wrong foot, and Steelers have gotten themselves a pretty good OC.[/left]

[/quote]

It won't help them Ravens will sweep them again next season!

[Cville-Raven]

Steelers are going to be good like they always are, but honestly with how untalented their secondary is, they don't really concern me as much as the bengals. People say our defense is old, but the steelers defense is ancient in comparison.

[Cville-Raven]

[quote name='itsteekay' timestamp='1329339071' post='994806']
Not sure if anyone has brought this up yet;


NFL Network's Jason La Canfora agrees with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the Steelers are "more likely" to place a first-round restricted tender on Mike Wallace, rather than franchise tag him.

Placing only the tender on Wallace would leave Pittsburgh open to being poached for its top wideout by teams willing to fork over a long-term contract and a first-round draft pick. One such club could be the division-rival Ravens, who draft 29th overall. The cap-strapped Steelers may see the monetary difference between the tender ($2.742 million) and tag ($9.6 million) as worth the risk.
[/quote]
Dont see that happening, I like Torrey more
-goes across middle
-run blocks a lot better wallace
-more potential
My guess is some team like Houston or the Jets may go after him, and we all know the Skins will likely be in the running. 9'ers need help at WR as well so they may also be interested.

[Ravens Lover]

Yes unless the Bengles are now a legit contender now, Im not worried about the Squeelers unless they have an amazing draft, and the Browns are the Browns