Last year the Bengals won the division at 12-4 and then lost the wild card round (like they have the last 5 years in a row) to the Steelers. Pittsburgh made the playoffs thanks to a late run and only missed the division due to a string of what should have been devastating injuries. Big Ben was out for a good bit of the season, Leveon Bell was out for most of the season, and Antonio Brown was playing hurt for a decent bit.

If we accept the fact that the Steelers probably won’t see their three best players out of commission again this season, one only wonders if they will lose ANY games. Big Ben and Antonio Brown are virtually unstoppable. Leveon Bell is arguably the best all-purpose running back in football and his backup, Deangelo Williams, is a better back than half the starters in the league. So, Steelers fans should feel comfortable with the ball in Williams’ hands for the first four weeks while Bell is suspended.

The point is that when Pittsburgh is healthy, it is an entirely different team. This year we’re banking on a Steelers team playing the best football its played in years.

The Bengals and their fans are plagued by both the expectancy that Cinci will make the playoffs every year but that they will not get past game one. This year I predict that they will not only not win the division but they will miss the playoffs entirely.

The Bengals are a solid all around team that screams mediocrity. They have a good defense. Having a good defense is important- it won a Super Bowl for Denver. However, it doesn’t seem to be enough for Cinci.

Offensively, they struggle with even the superest of superstars. Andy Dalton has flashes of brilliance coupled with moments of absolute ineptitude. They have the best running back platoon in the NFL in Jeremy Hill and Giovanni Bernard but can’t seem to do anything with them. They have one of the best receivers in the NFL in A.J. Green but without a solid number two (Sanu’s movement to Atlanta) I’m afraid the offense will become polarized and defenses will shut Green down. They have an excellent young TE but Dalton will only throw him the ball in the end zone.

In summary, the Bengals have all the cogs of an efficient offense but they don’t seem to be arranged in the right way. I would love to see the Bengals succeed. I just don’t think they will be able to do it if they don’t make some changes.

The Baltimore Ravens have the absolute worst defense in football. That matters most because they also have one of the worst offenses in football. Flacco is an aging mediocre quarterback who lacks targets and their running game is virtually non-existent.

Expect nothing from the Ravens and be pleasantly surprised when they win a couple games.

The Cleveland Browns’ franchise quarterback is currently on a cocaine binge in Mexico and not in the NFL anymore.

Here are summaries of the most talented skill players who actually are on Cleveland’s roster:

A middle-aged quarterback who has spent his life as a backup with the exception of finding starting gigs for teams with no other options is fighting for the starting job with a former one-season superstar who then lost his job the next year to Kirk Cousins and has been on the bench since.

A former mediocre quarterback for the Raiders who couldn’t hack it re-emerges as a starting wide receiver.

A running back who averaged 3.8 YPC on 185 attempts for 706 yards and 4 touchdowns and another running back who couldn’t play well enough to win the starting job from the first guy.

This team is going nowhere.