TOP TEN DEFENSES

 

TOP TEN OFFENSES

 

AFC NORTH REVIEW

 

CLEVELAND BROWNS – 3-13

        Cleveland seemed like a team that could’ve potentially surprised some people coming into the season.  Many had hoped that Deshaun Watson would return to how he had once performed as the Houston Texans quarterback before all his off-field issues.  That was not even close to the case for him, or this miserable Browns franchise this season, thus now they are looking at next season hoping that Watson can at the very least stay healthy.  Watson hasn’t been able to play a full season yet for the Browns, which is one of the reasons why they went ahead and restructured the quarterback’s contract.  Now if they were to cut ties with Deshaun, they would accrue a dead cap of $119 million after June 1^st.  This team still possesses a huge threat on defense, along with a lot of talent coming from their skilled positions such as their wideouts, tight ends, and running backs.  This is a loaded division with the likes of the Ravens, Bengals, and Steelers, though the Browns could be right in the thick of things if they could just get consistent average or better play from their quarterback.

 

CINCINNATI BENGALS – 8-8

        The Bengals are certainly not out of the playoff discussion for this year just yet.  Tomorrow is their biggest game of the season and will tell us whether they’ll still potentially have a shot to make it in, though, even with a victory they will still have to wait until the Dolphins and Broncos games come to an end before they get clearance on their postseason hopes.  Joe Burrow is creating a lot of controversy over who the MVP should be this year with his superb play this season.  The biggest part of the controversy is that the Bengals are on the cusp of not making it into the playoffs but at no fault to Burrow’s play or the offense in general.  Lou Anarumo, Cincy’s defensive coordinator, doesn’t have his defense at the same level of play as he did last year.  This is the main cause of the team’s issues this season, while also the complication in why Burrow is not the favorite to win the MVP.  Joe Burrow leads the league in passing yards (4,641 yards), completions & attempts (423, 606), yards per game (290.1 ypg), and touchdowns (42).  He is also second in QBR with 76.7 and has the third-best QB rating this season (109.8).

        Cincinnati may possess the best offense in NFL history to not make the playoffs come Sunday night.  What they have achieved this year on that side of the ball is ridiculous.  We know how great Burrow is but the crazy thing about this offense is that they didn’t seem to miss a beat even when they were without starting wide receiver Tee Higgins for a handful of games.  How could they have so much success without their 1B wideout?  Easy, they still have Ja’Marr Chase, a clear top three wideout since he came into the NFL.  Don’t believe he’s the cream of the crop?  Chase is atop the list in basically every category that exists for the statistical production of his position!  The man is first in receptions (117 rec), receiving yards (1,612 yards), touchdowns (16 TDs), yards per game (100.8 ypg), yards after the catch (761 yac), and first-down receptions (71 FD).

        Zac Taylor and Burrow have the Bengals on a five-game winning streak as of late.  Another win for Cincy this week over the Pittsburgh Steelers would not only help themselves in a major way by staying alive in the hunt for January football but would also help the Baltimore Ravens win the AFC North.  If the Bengals were to make the playoffs one would think that Burrow would then become the clear favorite for this year's MVP.  Ja’Marr Chase is also playing for a historic accomplishment, the WR triple crown.  The last time any wideout finished the regular season as the leading receiver in yards, receptions, and touchdowns was Cooper Kupp in 2021.  There have only been four wideouts that have achieved this feat (Kupp in 21, Steve Smith in 2005, Sterling Sharp in 1992, and Jerry Rice in 1990) Chase will become the fifth.  In this, the last game of the regular season, on the road the Bengals are the odds-on favorite (-2.5) against a recently sliding Pittsburgh Steelers team.

 

PITTSBURGH STEELERS – 10-6

        The black & gold or black & yellow Steelers have had a very interesting season so far.  Mike Tomlin has long proven his worth to the city of steel and the rest of the NFL, having never ended a season with a losing record.  He once again showed just how great of a head coach he is this year, recording a record of 10-6 with one more week remaining in the regular season and a chance to win the AFC North with another win this week.  Pittsburgh has a long history of marching out some of the very best defenses the NFL has ever had, this year is no different.  The problem with the Steelers has been their offense, particularly since the retirement of future Hall of Fame QB Ben Roethlisberger.  This season Tomlin wanted to solve the team’s typical reason for a lack of success in the past couple of years, the quarterback position.  With a pair of savvy moves in the offseason coach Tomlin along with General Manager Omar Khan brought in two previous starting QBs from last season to attempt to fix those issues.  Both Justin Fields and Russell Wilson have shown adequate play as the Steelers starters, though it was rather clear that Wilson gave them more upside in the short term to compete with the high-powered offenses that their divisional foes possess.

        While Tomlin is certainly in the running for the COTY award, they also have a top DPOTY favorite in T.J. Watt.  This version of the Steelers' defense may not be the “Steel Curtain” though they are still one of the best defensive units in the league.  Watt is just one of the reasons why they are in that small group of elite units leaguewide.  Another player who has been a game wrecker who doesn’t get nearly enough credit is veteran defensive tackle Cam Heyward.  He is now 35 years old, in his 14^th season yet has played like someone with half his wear & tear.  They have playmakers all over this defense like safety Mikah Fitzpatrick, linebackers Alex Highsmith, and ex-Raven Patrick Queen.  Pittsburgh received great news as it has been reported that they will get their starting cornerback Joey Porter Jr. back for this divisional game in a must-win matchup.  Teryl Austin’s defense has been rolling on all cylinders this season and looks ready for the challenge against this incredibly talented Cincinnati Bengals offense on Saturday Night.  The Steelers are currently breathing rare air in a three-game losing streak, though they have already clinched a playoff spot they still have a Division Championship on the line.  Knowing the type of head coach Mike Tomlin is he doesn’t just want this one for potentially taking the AFC North title, but also to make a statement ahead of their playoff game.  Those that may be quick to think the Bengals will walk into Pittsburgh, bully them around in their stadium, and walk out with a win, let me just remind you that these Steelers already beat the Bengals in Cincy back in week 13 when they put 44 points up on the Bengals.  

 

BALTIMORE RAVENS – 11-5

        Baltimore is in a rather sticky situation heading into their final week of the season.  They currently sit in third place in the AFC and even though they cannot move up in the rankings they can certainly wind up moving back.  Usually, you wouldn’t exactly want to go into your last regular season game playing your starters, but the Ravens haven’t locked up the AFC North yet with those pesky Pittsburgh Steelers on their tails.  The Ravens lost to the Browns back in week eight and had it not been for that loss they would be able to rest all their starters for their next week’s matchup which has yet to be determined.  Baltimore has one more win than Pittsburgh but the same division record which is why they need to make sure they come out of this week with a win.  If they were to come up short to the Browns and their QB Bailey Zappe, who was named their week 18 starter just a day ago, well then, the late game between the Bengals and Steelers would become all that more interesting.

          When it comes to this year's MVP you can take your pick, Saquon Barkley, Josh Allen, Jared Goff, and possibly even Joe Burrow (if they make the playoffs) but I think that Lamar Jackson should still be heavily involved in those discussions as well.  I understand Lamar won the award last season, though he has already topped his numbers from last year’s season-long performance.  Jackson may be ranked 5^th in passing yards as we approach week 18, though the man is averaging more yards per pass than any other QB while also pacing the league in both passer rating (121.6) and QBR (78.0).  He has also thrown 39 touchdowns (tied for 2^nd) and just 4 interceptions.  There has only been one season-long starter that has thrown fewer picks this season (Justin Herbert, 3 INTs).  In addition to his passing don’t forget Lamar has also done some damage to the ground. Baltimore’s quarterback has scored another 4 TDs, rushing for 852 yards (21^st in rushing yards) while averaging 6.6 yards per rush (the best average among any player who’s attempted at least 130 or more runs).

         Baltimore should get an easy win this week and you’d think they will have a large enough lead after the first half so they can at least rest their starters for the second half of their game.  With a win over the Browns, the Ravens will lock up the AFC North with another division title regardless of the outcome of the Steelers game.  If this ends up being the case, then Baltimore will host either the Chargers or the Steelers in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.  The Ravens end the regular season tomorrow at home against Cleveland and are the heavy favorites (-19.5) ahead of their 4:30 PM ET kickoff.  

TOP TEN TIGHT ENDS