With the Position Breakdown series in full swing, the next division under the microscope is the AFC North. Here’s an offensive position-by-position breakdown of the AFC North, with “the best” at each position followed by “the rest” in descending order.
Check out the defensive breakdown here.
AFC North Breakdown by Position: The Offense
QUARTERBACK
The Best: PIT The Rest: BAL, CIN, CLE
The two most talented, and accomplished, quarterbacks in this division are Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Baltimore Ravens signal caller Joe Flacco. Both made my ranking of the Top 12 Quarterbacks for the 2015 season, but Roethlisberger was ranked higher than Flacco, and I still feel that way. The Steelers and Ravens both have capable backup quarterbacks with Pittsburgh just signing Michael Vick and Baltimore signing Matt Schaub earlier this offseason.
Both Big Ben and Flacco have been consistent performers throughout their careers, but Roethlisberger has won two Super Bowls (in three trips) while Flacco has won one (in his only Super Bowl appearance). Roethlisberger threw for 4,952 yards and 32 touchdowns with only nine interceptions last season, and he led Pittsburgh to the playoffs for the seventh time in his career. The former Miami (OH) quarterback is one of the bigger signal callers in the league, and he’s pretty agile for his size. The combination of size, strength, and mobility makes him tough to sack, and it allows him to extend plays. Big Ben has also continued to improve as a passer, and he is one of the best quarterbacks in the league right now.
Flacco possibly has the strongest arm in the NFL, and he had a nice season in 2014. Last season the former Delaware Blue Hen threw for 3,986 yards and 27 touchdowns, with 12 interceptions, and he led Baltimore to the playoffs for the sixth time in his career. Flacco is not quite as consistent as Roethlisberger, but he has been pretty darn good in the postseason. He has a record of 10-5 in the playoffs, and in those 15 games he has thrown 25 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions. Flacco may not quite be in the group of elite quarterbacks, but he’s on that next tier, and many teams would love to have him under center.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton can give fans migraines. The former TCU quarterback has led Cinci to the playoffs in each of his four seasons, which is impressive. But, the Bengals signal caller has failed to win a single postseason game in his career. In 2014 Dalton threw for 3,398 yards and had 19 touchdowns, but he also tossed 17 interceptions. He absolutely needs to cut down on the turnovers and become most consistent, particularly in prime time games, if he wants to take that next step. All that being said, Bengals fans should be careful what they wish for. If they keep screaming they want Dalton out of town, what exactly is their backup plan? Really good, or even good, quarterbacks are not exactly a dime a dozen.
The Cleveland Browns simply don’t have an answer at quarterback right now. Johnny Manziel appears to have his personal life more in order, which is good, and he is talented, but he is not as good as the other quarterbacks in this division. Cleveland signed Josh McCown this offseason, and while he provides some veteran leadership at the position, he is not the answer either. McCown has thrown 61 touchdowns and 59 interceptions in his career, including 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 2014. It is doubtful that either Manziel or McCown are able to turn the Browns around this season.
RUNNING BACK
The Best: PIT The Rest: CIN, BAL, CLE
The Steelers have one of the best running backs in the league in Le’Veon Bell. In 2014, his second season, he rushed for 1,361 yards, second only to DeMarco Murray. He also rushed for eight touchdowns and never coughed up the ball to the opposing team. Bell is suspended for Pittsburgh’s first two games, but there is no doubt he will make a huge impact when he returns. Having one of the best running backs in the league is a bigtime weapon, and if the other running backs, like Dri Archer, Josh Harris and DeAngelo Williams, can produce in 2015, watch out for Pittsburgh’s offense.
Cincinnati may not have one running back that is an absolute game changer like Bell, but the Bengals do have two running backs that finished in the top 23 in rushing yards last season. Jeremy Hill rushed for 1,124 yards and nine touchdowns, and Giovani Bernard rushed for 680 yards and five touchdowns in 2014. Hill led all running backs, not just rookies, in rushing yards the final nine weeks of the 2014 season. Having these two guys in the backfield should help take some pressure off of Dalton.
Baltimore’s backfield looks different after they released Ray Rice at the beginning of the 2014 season for his off-field issues. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be productive. Justin Forsett stepped up last season and rushed for 1,266 yards (fifth most) and eight touchdowns. Head coach John Harbaugh is hoping his team gets the same production out of Forsett in 2015, and that the other running backs, like Lorenzo Taliaferro, step up.
While the Browns have some potential at running back, they once again bring up the rear. They don’t have anyone as talented as Bell, or a one-two punch like Bell and Bernard, and their running backs are having issues staying healthy. Of the three running backs (Isaiah Crowell, Terrance West and rookie Duke Johnson) the Browns figured would get the bulk of the carries to this season, only Crowell has been able to consistently stay on the field. The Browns are going to want to run the ball this season, but right now they don’t appear to have a go-to back.
WIDE RECEIVER
The Best: PIT The Rest: CIN, BAL, CLE
Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown may not look like a prototypical receiver (5-foot-10, 186 pounds), but he was the best the wideout in 2015, which is why he came in at number one when I ranked the top 10 NFL receivers heading into the 2015 season. He amassed 129 receptions for 1,698 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, ranking first in both receptions and yards. 2015 should be more of the same for Brown, as he will probably continue to be one of Big Ben’s favorite targets. In addition to Brown, the Steelers also have Martavis Bryant, Markus Wheaton, Sammie Coates and Darrius Heyward-Bey on their current roster. There is definitely some talent for Roethlisberger to utilize in the Steelers receiving corps.
The Bengals have a really good, and deep, group of wide receivers in their own right. A.J. Green had 69 catches for 1,041 yards and six touchdowns last season, despite missing time due to a toe injury. Green is the second best receiver in the division, behind only Brown. Dalton will also get to throw to Marvin Jones (missed last season with ankle and foot injuries), who when healthy may be the best number 2 receiver in the division. If Jones and Green can stay healthy, that will be a pretty potent one-two punch, but they have to stay injury free. The Bengals also have Mohamed Sanu, who had 56 receptions for 790 yards and five touchdowns last season, and proved he is capable of making an impact. Sanu just needs to become a more consistent threat, and work on limiting the number of drops he has (nine in 2014—one behind league leader Steve Smith Jr.).
The Browns don’t have a true number one receiver so the Ravens have to be slotted here, even if Cleveland may have more depth at receiver. Steve Smith Sr. is entering his 15th season in the NFL, which will be his final one, but last season he proved he can still be a number one receiver. In 2014 the former Carolina Panther caught 79 balls for 1,065 yards and he had six touchdowns. He is a physical player, and he is a receiver that Flacco can count on to produce. He did have 10 drops last season (tied for the league lead) and no receiver with 65+ catches dropped a higher percentage (7.5%) of their passes than Smith Sr. But the physical wideout proved he can still play at a high level. The Ravens drafted Breshad Perriman in the 2015 NFL Draft, and, while the number of dropped balls he had in college is concerning, Perriman is a big, fast receiver who can help stretch the field.
I almost ranked the Browns third in this section because they have some depth, but with Josh Gordon once again suspended (out for the entire 2015 season), Cleveland lacks a true number one option at receiver. They do have Dwayne Bowe and Brian Hartline, but neither of them are number one guys. Bowe is capable of producing, but it has been a while. He hasn’t caught a touchdown pass since Week 15 of the 2013 season, and the last time he had more than 60 receptions and 1,000 yards was the 2011 season. Hartline finished the 2014 campaign, his worst season as a pro, with only 39 receptions, 474 yards and two touchdowns. It is seriously doubtful that either Bowe or Hartline improve upon their numbers in 2015 with Johnny Manziel or Josh McCown slinging footballs their way.
TIGHT END
The Best: PIT The Rest: CIN, BAL, CLE
The Steelers have veteran tight end Heath Miller, along with Matt Spaeth and rookie Jesse James. Miller has certainly proven his worth since being drafted in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft, and the 10-year veteran should once again show he can still help Pittsburgh win games. In 2014 he had 66 catches for 761 yards and three touchdowns. The former Virginia Cavalier has sure hands, and he is an excellent blocker. There may not be a lot of depth behind him, and Miller may no longer be a downfield threat, but he’s still the best, and the most consistent, tight end in the division.
The Bengals have Tyler Eifert, who is probably the second best tight end in the AFC North, along with Tyler Kroft and C.J. Uzomah, who are both rookies. This means Cincinnati is young, and largely inexperienced at tight end. Eifert may not be the best blocking tight end, but as a receiver he is a difficult matchup for opposing defenses, given his size (6-foot-6, 250 pounds). If the former member of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish is 100% healthy, as he claims to be, he could make a real impact in 2015. Both rookies are also big tight ends, with Kroft at 6-foot-5, 246 pounds and Uzomah at 6-foot-5, 264 pounds). Kroft is a complete player, and he should make an impact immediately, and Uzomah should prove to be one of the more athletic tight ends in the league.
The Ravens drafted Maxx Williams in the second round of this year’s draft due to Dennis Pitta having suffered two bad hip injuries. It is unclear if Pitta will even be able to play this season, after undergoing hip surgeries the past two seasons. If he can get healthy, that will really boost the Ravens at tight end, but his status is uncertain. Williams is a big tight end (6-foot-4, 249 pounds), but he needs to improve his blocking and route running. The good news is he is fast and he has really good hands, and he is more than capable of being a big-play threat. Crockett Gillmore is a talented blocker and he was instrumental in helping to improve Baltimore’s ground game last season.
The Browns have more experience at tight end, with Gary Barnidge and Rob Housler, on their roster. But although they have 13 years of experience between them, both Barnidge and Housler have aspects of their games they need to work on, and Housler needs to be able to stay healthy. The former Florida Atlantic tight end has never played a full season since he entered the NFL in 2011. Both Barnidge and Housler need step up this season, as does Jim Dray. All three tight ends have potential, but they combined to play in just 44 games last season.
OFFENSIVE LINE
The Best: CLE The Rest: BAL, CIN, PIT
Cleveland’s 2014 ranking: Pass blocking: 2nd, Run blocking: 7th, Penalties: 16th fewest.
Before center Alex Mack was hurt the Browns had one of the better offensive lines in the league last season. With Mack hopefully 100% healthy, and other talented linemen like left tackle Joe Thomas, (the best left tackle in the game), the Browns may boast one of the better offensive lines in the NFL in 2015. It certainly looks like they have the most talented offensive line the division as we head into the 2015 season.
Baltimore’s 2014 ranking: Pass blocking: 7th run blocking: 4th, penalties: 14th fewest.
Many have Baltimore’s offensive line ranked as the best in the AFC North, and there is definitely a case to be made for that. Right guard Marshal Yanda might just be the best guard in the business, but with Gary Kubiak now in Denver, I had to rank the Ravens second in the division. Kubiak’s use of a zone blocking scheme has a tendency to make offensive lines look really good. The offensive line will look the same personnel wise, so I couldn’t let them slide past second, but the jury is still out regarding whether or not they can produce at the same level as they did in 2014.
Cincinnati’s 2014 ranking: Pass blocking: 6th, Run blocking: 6th, Penalties: 6th fewest.
The Bengals gave up just 23 sacks (3rd) last season, which was impressive, especially given the fact they lost Andre Smith to a season-ending arm injury. Andrew Whitworth was one of the best left tackles in the NFL in 2014, and with Smith healthy, it is possible the Bengals offensive line is really good in 2015.
Pittsburgh’s 2014 ranking: Pass blocking: 3rd, Run blocking: 11th, Penalties: 17th fewest.
Behind an improved offensive line, running back Le’Veon Bell had himself a really good season in 2014. But the Steelers offensive line finished the season in the middle of the pack when it came to sacks (33 – ranked 16th) and rushing yards (16th). Mike Tomlin’s team had their entire offensive line returning this season, and it looked like they could continue to make strides and improve in 2015. But now center Maurkice Pouncey has a broken bone in his ankle. It is uncertain exactly how much time he will miss, but Pouncey missing any extended period of time will not bode well for the Steelers.
Check out the defensive breakdown here.
