The Renegade: AFC North Preview

Here in Pittsburgh, we are like Jon Snow and look at ourselves as the Kings in the North, and that title got a little away from us this past season. Going into the season, it is the first time in many years where the Steelers aren't the clear cut favorites to win the AFC North. How do the Steelers match up against the rest of the division, let's take a look and here we go!

Baltimore Ravens

Biggest Threat to the Steelers

The defense. No matter who the Ravens put on the field, they will always have a really good defense that gives the Steelers trouble. Even with the loss of CJ Mosley and Terrell Suggs, the Ravens will still have one of the top defenses in the leagues. Also, the Ravens acquired Mark Ingram in the offseason and his size can cause the Steelers some issue in the run game. 

Biggest Weakness

No surprise here, Lamar Jackson. Jackson had a good rookie season and lead the Ravens to a division title, but his style of play never lasts long in the NFL and he lacks pure passing ability in the pocket. The Ravens hired an offensive coordinator who runs a traditional system, and we can only see this ass being a disaster for Lamar. Lamar is no longer a surprise to the Steelers defense and they will be able to come up with a good game plan to stop him. 

How the Steelers Match Up

For the past five seasons or so, the Ravens have been the more physical team in this rivalry, but the tide has changed yet again and the Steelers have the front 7 and offensive line to over power the Ravens. The loss of CJ Mosley and Terrell Suggs will hurt the stingy Baltimore defense and the Steelers should be favorites in both match ups this season. 

nbcsports.com

Cleveland Browns

Biggest Threat to the Steelers

The talent. Baker Mayfield, Odell Beckham Jr, Myles Garrett, Kareem Hunt (disgusting), Jarvis Landry, and Nick Chubb provide a lot of talent for the ascending Browns and they can cause some troubles for the Steelers this season. Baker to OBJ can be a deadly connection and Myles Garrett has the potential to be a defensive MVP one day. The Browns may be overhyped, but the talent there is very real. 

Biggest Weakness

New head coach, new faces, and offensive line. Freddie Kitchens enters his first season as a NFL head coach and there is a lot of pressure on him as there are high expectations in Cleveland; can he handle the stress of a 16 game season? Also, there are so many new faces to the team that it will take them a while to gel, if they ever gel in the first place.... this team has some hot heads that could explode. In addition, their offensive line sucks. TJ Watt should eat them up all game long. 

How the Steelers Match Up

The Steelers front 7 on defense is the Steelers biggest advantage against a week Browns offensive line. In order to win these games, the Steelers need to live in the backfield and make Baker uncomfortable. Can Steven Nelson and Joe Haden match up with OBJ and Jarvis Landry on the outside? Time will tell. If the Steelers O-Line can keep Myles Garrett and newly acquired Olivier Vernon under control, the offense should be able to score points. At worst, we expect these two teams to split the season series. 

bleacherreport.com

Cincinnati Bengals

Biggest Threat to the Steelers

Zac Taylor being the next Sean McVay. Taylor comes from the LA Rams organization where he worked with one of the best young minds in the game. If Taylor can bring a philosophy to the Bengals that is similar to the Rams, the Bengals may surprise some teams. Also, anytime AJ Green is on the field, he is always a huge threat. 

Biggest Weakness

Talent and loss of players who hurt our players. The Bengals are a team in rebuild mode that does not really scare anyone at all on paper. Mixon and AJ Green are good offensive weapons, but they do not have much more besides them.Also, Burfict and PacMan Jones are finally gone, thank the lord! Now these games will not resemble a WWE Royal Rumble and the Steelers can focus on what they do best, play football. 

How the Steelers Match Up

These two games should be two wins for the Steelers. The Steelers front 7 should be able to shut down Joe Mixon and Andy Dalton has steadily declined at QB, which makes AJ Green less of a worry. Anything less than a season sweep of the Bengals is a disappointment for the Steelers. 

cincyjungle.com

What are your thoughts on the AFC North going into the season? Let us know and thanks for reading!

As always, Here We Go Steelers!

-Aaron and Rya, TGYK