As NFL prediction season gets under way, at least four national football publications are touting the Ravens as early favorites to repeat as AFC North champions. Source: Topix
They most likely will..The only way the Bengals are going to have a chance to win the north this year is if they can go without getting arrested and the only way the Steelers are going to have a shot depends on how healthy Big Ben is
I like the Bengals to win the North if they can keep their OL healthy. That's what cost them last year.
The Browns are out. The Steelers are probably out. The only team I see giving them any trouble is the Bengals, and I really have my doubts about how consistent will be with half their team in the cooler. Sure we all joke about that, but it's true. They were spotty last year and will likely be up and down again this year if Marvin Lewis can't get them under control. The only thing I see wrong here is that everyone is expecting the Ravens to be exactly like they were last year. A few injuries and a few bad breaks and they'd have been a 9-10 win team or worse last season. They might just not live up to the hype and allow the Bengals or Steelers to take the division from them.
The Ravens won't be as good as everybody thinks because of their RB situation. Willis McGahee is NOT an elite RB. In fact it's my opinion that they will do WORSE on the ground this year than last. Jamal Lewis was breaking down and not the runner he has been in the past. Yet Ravens fans will find out this season that he was a much better fit in that offense than the hesitant and slow running style of McGahee. Now I may be accused of being a bitter Bills fans here, and that's probably partly true, but McGahee is not the savior at RB he's being made out to be in the press this offseason. He never regained the speed he had throughout college after tearing up his knee in the Orange Bowl. He runs up to the OL, pauses, then wiggles through for a 3 yd gain. Breakway speed? Never showed it in 3 years with the Bills. How many game breaking runs of 20+ yds did he have? None. How many times was he stuffed on 3rd & 1? Plenty. He has the audacity to go on TV and say he's the best runner in the NFL and then proceeds to not post a 100 yd game for the rest of the season after saying that. Screw him. Enjoy Ravens fans, the Steelers will regroup this season and take that division.
I agree with you that the Browns are out. I've been hearing reports from here and there that Brady Quinn's accuracy during minicamps has been awful. Don't expect him to start any games this year unless Cleveland's QBs get injured.
The main problem with the Bengals last year was they were missing 3/5ths of their starting OL for most of the season, which will lead to a lot of inconsistency. Unless that or something similar happens again this year, they should be a far more dangerous team.
