AFC NORTH PROJECTED FINISH:
 
1. PITTSBURGH
2. BALTIMORE
3. CLEVELAND
4. CINCINNATI 

PITTSBURGH
 
COACH: MIKE TOMLIN 2nd yr (10-7)
LAST YEAR:  10-6
GAMES DECIDED BY 3 OR LESS: 2-2
BIGGEST ADDITION: JUSTIN HARTWIG C
BIGGEST LOSS: ALAN FANECA OG
 
DIRECTION: GOING DOWN
OUTLOOK: Pittsburgh won the AFC North last season after a stiff challenge from the Browns. The Steelers don’t look to be much different than a year ago. The loss of Faneca will hurt, as he has been to the Pro Bowl seven times, and still appears to be in his prime. The biggest obstacle for the Steelers this season might be their schedule, as they drew the short straw. They will play teams with an average winning percentage of .598 - the most difficult schedule in the NFL. For starters they will be playing the Superbowl winning Giants, the Superbowl runner-up Patroits, Dallas, San Diego, Indianapolis and Jacksonville. A very challenging task for a decent team. As a result we see the Steelers slipping a bit in the win column.
 
PROJECTED FINISH: 9-7

BALTIMORE
 
COACH: JOHN HARBAUGH 1st yr.
LAST YEAR:  5-11
GAMES DECIDED BY 3 OR LESS:  2-2
BIGGEST ADDITION: JOE FLACCO QB
BIGGEST LOSS: STEVE MCNAIR QB
 
DIRECTION: GOING UP
OUTLOOK: The Ravens took a monster dive last season, going from 13 wins in 2006 to five last season. A lot of the problem seemed to revolve around now-fired head coach Brian Billick. They went from first to worst in the AFC North, so it left them two choices: revamp the team or replace the coach and keep the team intact. They opted to go the coach-route. It’s hard to believe a team so good in 2006 could get so bad in just one year, so no doubt the talent is there. A new mindset could make a huge difference. The Ravens took a blow when McNair retired this spring, but he wasn’t moving the offense anyway. The Ravens have three choices for a replacement in Flacco, Boller or Smith. We’ll see who steps up in training camp and exhibition season to improve a team which has struggled offensively for years now. Cam Cameron will take over an offense, and he has been known for an unpredictable style, so the hope is there for some improvement. This team doesn’t appear playoff equipped talent-wise, but an improvement is likely.
 
PROJECTED FINISH:  8-8

CLEVELAND
 
COACH: ROMEO CRENNEL 4th yr (20-28)
LAST YEAR: 10-6
GAMES DECIDED BY 3 OR LESS:  2-2
BIGGEST ADDITION: COREY WILLIAMS DE
BIGGEST LOSS: LEIGH BODDEN CB
 
DIRECTION: GOING DOWN
OUTLOOK: The Browns surprised everyone last year as they went from a four win team to a 10-win team. A potential star emerged at quarterback in Derek Anderson. There was a price to be paid however for their success as the Browns did not have a pick in the first three rounds of the draft this season. The problem for the Browns is one faced by the San Diego teams when Dan Fouts was the QB. They scored in bunches, but gave up just as many. The Browns defense allowed 30+ points in seven of the 16 games, and continue to look weak. With no top draft picks to fill holes, and the fact that the Browns aren’t going to sneak up on anyone this year, they might be in for a rude awakening in ‘08. We see this team as a bit of a one-hit wonder as they take a step back in 2008.
 
PROJECTED FINISH:  7-9
 
CINCINNATI
 
PREDICTION: GOING DOWNCOACH: MARVIN LEWIS 6th yr (42-39)
LAST YEAR:  7-9
GAMES DECIDED BY 3 OR LESS:  0-1
BIGGEST ADDITION: ANTWAN ODOM  DE
BIGGEST LOSS: JUSTIN SMITH DE
 
DIRECTION: GOING NOWHERE
OUTLOOK: The Bengals had appeared to turn the corner in 2006, but slipped back to a below .500 team last year. The off-season noise from Chad Johnson can’t help the mindset of this team. Johnson wants out of Cincinnati, as he has felt the brunt of the blame for the teams lack of success. His teammates seem to want him gone now too as they are bitter about his selfish acts. The Bengals have flat out said Johnson is going nowhere, so that could become a season-long distraction for this team. The Bengals were the epitome of mediocre last season. They won big, or they lost big, and those are all trademarks of an average team. They played just one game the entire season that ended with a margin of 3 points or less. When they won, they won convincingly, but the losses all came the same way. All that says to us is this team doesn’t appear to be going in either direction, up or down, and will likely be representative of last year’s version.
 
PROJECTED FINISH:  7-9