Continuing My 32-Team NFL predictions right now.

On to the AFC North:

The Ravens built their offense on a strong run game. Now, if I wrote this blog a week ago, I would’ve dubbed the Ravens a team that could go very far into the playoffs. Their run game just took a massive hit because their young running back, JK Dobbins just went down with a torn ACL. The Ravens also wanted their offense to catch the defense off guard, to keep them guessing. Dobbins was a huge part of that, will QB Lamar Jackson hand the ball off? Or take it and make a few defenders miss. Another reason why their offense was so good was because they also had a very above-average passing game. One of the most underrated TEs in the league, Mark Andrews is on their team, and he’s also a great blocker. TE Nick Boyle went down with a gruesome injury last year and getting him back in offense (a two TE offense can be deadly) is huge for them. Also catching passes are speedy WRs Marquise Brown and Sammy Watkins. The defensive line is still anchored by Calais Campbell, a freak of nature standing at 6’8” and 300 lb. They also have Patrick Queen, one of the best young linebackers in the NFL. Also, Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters are on this team making it one of the best defenses in football. Imagine if they had Dobbins for this year.

The Bengals have a very under the radar team. In the modern NFL, a high-powered offense makes up for an average or even poor defense (for proof, look at the Chiefs). The Bengals are using that to their advantage and building their team around it. They have Joe Burrow, taken first overall in the 2020 draft  Joe Mixon is one of the best running backs in football and the Bengals have three great, young WRs: Tyler Boyd, Tee Higgins, and Ja’Marr Chase (Boyd and Higgins were taken in the second round of their drafts and Chase was taken in the first round of this year’s). Their offensive line still remains at the bottom of the barrel; they passed up on Penei Sewell in the draft which would help them monumentally. Even without Sewell, they would still have a great offense. Mark my words, CJ Uzomah (their TE, bet you never heard of him) is going to be a stud this year. I think they want to use him more and to have a quick TE that can block moderately or be a dangerous offensive weapon never hurt anyone. Their defense really only has Jessie Bates, one of the best safeties in the NFL. In a weak division, they could make second or third, but in the AFC, they’re buried in fourth place.

The Browns are going to be shockers this year. I’m hearing a lot of buzz about QB Baker Mayfield having a breakout year this year. He was already pretty good, but a breakout year could put make him elite. Let’s say Mayfield doesn’t have the breakout year. They have RBs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt in the backfield for the whole year (barring no injuries), we’ve never seen that before. Some fantasy owners may be concerned with, potentially, how many touches RB1 Chubb could have because they have a pretty good RB2. I say he’s going to get a lot, because the Browns like running the ball and using the RBs in the passing game (that just goes to show how much a breakout year from Baker would help). Great WRs Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry make this offense one of the best in football. Now, I’m concerned about the number of catches each of them would get. Let’s break it down. Two WRs means more competition for catches. The QB would never just throw to one of them and leave the other. Now, these two WRs are in a run-oriented offense with TWO above average running backs. So, FF players, stay away from Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry because there are way better options available and because that’s a wasted roster spot.

The Steelers are a very make-or-break team. No one knows how QB Ben Roethlisberger will perform this season. He’s 39, pretty fat, has personal/family issues, doesn’t have a great arm, can’t scramble (because he’s 39) and doesn’t have outstanding options to throw to. WR Diontae Johnson is a small WR who’s only good for short routes like drags or slants (search up the two routes if you don’t know them). WR Juju Smith-Schuster was never a great receiver, no blazing speed, no crazy abilities, doesn’t have imposing size but he does have a lot, a lot, a lot of TikToks. TE Eric Ebron is nothing special as a TE, he’s a big guy, but not a Travis Kelce or a George Kittle. Amid all of these questions and concerns is where rookie RB Najee Harris slides in. Harris is a versatile running back who’s speedy as well as strong and could muscle his way through. Harris is going to get tons of touches because he’s the farthest thing away from a question mark on this team (he’s not that far because he’s a rookie) and the Steelers are going to lean on that. In my most competitive fantasy league, he’s my RB1 and he’s going to stay there for the whole year (except if he gets injured, I’m not that stupid). Their defensive line remains the scariest in the NFL and you can’t tell me otherwise. Cameron Heyward and TJ Watt (who’ll win DPOY this year) are both blitzing the QB and you won’t find them anywhere else. Electric third-year player Devin Bush and veteran Joe Schobert are going to be the middle linebackers for the Steelers and I'm going to love to see them play off each other the whole year. Underrated defensive backs Joe Haden and Terrell Edmunds are overshadowed in the secondary by safety Minkah Fitzpatrick but this defense wouldn’t be remotely as good as they are without Haden and Edmunds.