Every year in the NFL poses a new and exciting story that plays out live in front of the fans. Each team has the same desire to win a championship, but only one out of the 32 teams will end their season with the ultimate goal accomplished. This weekend marks the start of the 2023 football season and fans have been counting down the days.
Predicting the NFL can seem to be obvious at times, but there are always a bunch of surprises as the schedule plays out. There are teams that are expected to be good that don't work out and there are perceived to be bad teams that win a lot of games. Plenty of unknowns heading into this upcoming campaign for the league and that will bring excitement.
The AFC North division is shaping up to be the toughest in the NFL
One thing that seems evident by most evaluators is that the AFC North division will be the toughest in football this season. That seems to be the case most years, but it is even tougher with the amount of talent that calls the division home. The Steelers, Bengals, Browns, and Ravens all have their issues, but they also have a ton of things that could get them to the top.
Nothing is guaranteed and the AFC North has not seen a team dominate its division in a long time. If history repeats itself, the Cincinnati Bengals will not remain the kings of the north after this campaign. There are plenty of talented challengers for them to fend off. It is going to be a grind for all of these teams, and it could get tougher if their question marks become detrimental.
Cleveland improves from last season but cannot win big divisional games
Cleveland again finishes at the bottom of the division, but they do have some talent that will keep them competitive. They improve from last season and finish with two more wins than they had last time around. There are a chunk of question marks on this roster and the big glaring one will be at quarterback until it is answered.
Deshaun Watson will be back for a full season after he missed most of last year with a lofty suspension. Expect him to be better this year, but he will cough up the ball a lot to these impressive defenses. Cleveland does not have the toughest schedule in football this year and that should help them stay in the playoff race for a while.
The Browns sit at a record of (4-4) after week nine of the season. Their most notable win during the first half of their schedule is week one against the Bengals where they pull off the upset. Joe Burrow might be a little rusty with the amount of time he missed during the preseason. Overall, a decent start to the year for the Browns that gives them a fighter's chance entering the latter half of the season.
Cleveland does go on to finish the second half of their schedule (5-4). That is a winning record, but not good enough to get out of the basement in this tough division. They were able to pull off some upsets, including against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Watson will be their difference maker either in a good way or bad way depending on whether he can return to pre-suspension form or not.
Baltimore is a team that many are not expecting much from, but they have a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. The issues are in the trenches for them and that could come back to haunt them as the season moves on, especially with an injury-prone quarterback. These birds will push for a playoff spot and make the final wild card in this scenario.
After the first six weeks, the Ravens go (4-2) which would be impressive with four out of their first six games being on the road. They follow that up by being (6-4) by the time week ten rolls around. They have a couple of tough opponents in that stretch that could give them issues. They wind up being (7-5) at their late bye week.
Their final five games of their schedule are tough for the most part. This is where things could get the Ravens in trouble if they are at a (7-5) record. They play three of those five at home but two of those will be against two AFC teams that will be vying for a playoff chance. It is going to be hard for them to win most of their games down the stretch, but they upset the 49ers on the road in week 15.
Things could go a lot better for the Ravens this season if they can win a couple more games before their bye week hits compared to what is predicted here. They have a tough stretch of opponents and travel following that late bye week that could hurt them. If Lamar Jackson stays healthy, they have a shot, but it is going to be tough to overcome their issues in the trenches.
The Steelers enter this season with a lot of hope coming off a dominating preseason. Kenny Pickett is the X-factor here as the offense will only be able to grow if he takes a step forward in year two in the NFL. Their defense should also be able to help them win a lot of games if T.J. Watt can remain healthy for most of the season.
Not a great start to the schedule for Pittsburgh as they are predicted here at (3-2) at their early bye week. There are a couple of big matchups early on that could possess some matchup issues, the first in week one against the 49ers which the Steelers are predicted to lose. Once the bye week passes, things start to look up for the black and gold.
They win four of their next five after that and carry a record of (7-3) after their week 11 win over the Cleveland Browns. They have some tough games sprinkled into the early portion of their schedule, but they should be able to handle business for the most part. The rest of the schedule for the Steelers has a lot of winnable games for them.
If all their question marks become positive outcomes, then it is possible that the Steelers win the AFC North division and more games than the projected 11 here. Pickett needs to be the guy and someone the team can rely on going forward. If they can do that and have their defense cause turnovers, then Pittsburgh will be in the playoffs and potentially make some noise.
Welcome back to the top Bengals as it has not been long at all since you got the AFC North crown. It is going to be hard to dethrone the Bengals while Joe Burrow is their quarterback. He has all the talent in the world and remains the best quarterback in the division even if Lamar Jackson returns to his previous form. Even if Pickett improves, he will not be at the level of Burrow, and Deshaun Watson will not rival him either.
Burrow is too good, and their offense has all their pieces; plus, their defense can rush the passer. After a week one shocking loss to the Browns, Cincinnati can readjust and go on a four-game winning streak. They end up with a (4-2) record at the bye week, but don't be shocked if they start off their season slow like they did last year.
They do struggle the month following their bye week but start to turn the ship back in the right direction after that. Starting week 12 against the Steelers, they pull off another four-game win streak that seems them defeat four AFC opponents. They do putter out with the rest of their schedule as they lose two out of their final three games.
The Bengals finish with the same record as the Steelers (11-6) but win the AFC North division because they are predicted to beat Pittsburgh twice this year. It is going to be a tight contest those last several weeks, but they do just enough to regain the crown of the toughest division in football. This is a quarterback-driven league and Burrow is the best in the north.