One of the best aspects of sports, especially the NFL, is complaining about how bad your team is or could be. Therefore, if you are a fan of a team in the AFC North, join the dark side and let your inner negativity take over.
The offseason can bring hope to a lot of fanbases. New signings, new coaches, and new draft picks. If you’re one of those fans, who have that bright sense of hope for your team in 2019, yikes, especially if they’re in the AFC North.
If you’re thinking about going into the start of the season with a glass half full approach, pour the water out and let’s get real. Before the season starts and a wave of reality hits you that your team may not be what you think it is, then this story is your wake up call.
Read the next sentence, and read it closely — your team is not going to win the Super Bowl in 2019.
Again for those of you who skipped over the last paragraph— your AFC North team is not going to win the Super Bowl in 2019.
If you have lofty championship aspirations for your team, it is my job to talk you down. Now, if your team does do well, then it will be a surprise, and if they fail, you’ll be prepared. After reading this you’ll be in a win-win situation for the 2019-20 season, so you’re welcome.
Next up in Pro Football Network’s series about why your team won’t win the Super Bowl — AFC North.
Pittsburgh Steelers
No more Le’veon Bell, no more Antonio Brown and no more dysfunction? Hmm, not quite as long as the Pittsburgh Steelers have the duo of Ben Roethlisberger and Mike Tomlin, the drama will arise.
Tomlin and Roethlisberger we’re once a force that seemed destined for the promise land year after year, but in 2019 things are different. Maybe the losses of Bell and Brown will help the Steelers, or maybe the problem was Tomlin and Roethlisberger. We will find out in 2019.
When the Steelers have been tabbed as Super Bowl favorites, they’ve usually been lead by an experienced core of veterans. That’s not the case this year. The Steelers will rely heavily on a group of young players. Can Juju Smith-Schuster and James Conner relive their breakout seasons? Can Terrell Edmunds, Devin Bush, TJ Watt, and James Washington make an impact? That a lot of questions that we will have to wait on before crowning the Steelers with the title of Super Bowl favorite.
The Steelers will never be taken lightly, but this seems more like a year where they will try and find their Brown and Bell-less identity rather than compete for a Super Bowl.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens could be a sleeper to make a run into February, but this is about being negative so, we’re here to shoot that down.
The weight of the Ravens hopes lies on the shoulders of Lamar Jackson. He has every tool you want in an athlete, but can he throw? The fact that his skill as a passer is bleeding into his second season as a pro should cause some concern.
The Ravens will do all they can to hide Jackson’s throwing ability. To be able to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, Jackson will have to air it out from time-to-time.
With Jackson’s passing ability still TBD, the Ravens will try to make a power-offense work— ew. Does running the football and playing good defense still win a Super Bowl in 2020?
How do the Ravens keep up with teams like the Chargers, Chiefs, Colts and Patriots if their plan is “3-yards and a cloud of dust.” When Jackson takes the next step as a passer, we will take the Ravens seriously.
Cleveland Browns
Has there ever been a more hyped team than the Cleveland Browns in 2019? Cue the 2011 “dream team” Philadelphia Eagles music. We know how this ends.
On paper, there’s no doubt the Browns have talent, but there are some loud questions that need to be answered before we can consider them a Super Bowl team.
There’s been so much positivity around the Browns it’s gross for one, for two what will happen when something goes wrong? How will they respond after a couple of losses? What will this team look like in the face of adversity?
The Browns have tremendous talent, but there is some grey area on their offensive line that can’t be ignored. The right side of the Browns offensive line looks bleak after trading Kevin Zeitler. Can they give Baker Mayfield enough time to connect with any of his fancy new weapons?
It took Lebron James, only one of the greatest athletes of all time, plus a colossal collapse to bring Cleveland home a title. Is Mayfield on that level? Can’t deny his swagger, but he’s nowhere close to Lebron yet.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are one of those teams that are so far away from winning the Super Bowl in 2019 that I feel like I’m wasting my time as a type out this sentence. So, where do we even begin?
It’s almost a shame thinking this could be Andy Dalton’s final season in Cincinnati. There was something about Dalton throwing interceptions on a Saturday morning during the wild card round of the playoffs.
The content was gold. Unfortunately, those days are long gone and things are a bit more depressing.
The Bengals should be focusing on the 2020 NFL draft instead of a near-future Super Bowl bid.