Quote:
Originally Posted by 3 SS's
Six teams in playoffs in each conference, lets just say these are division winners
Pats
Broncos
Steelers
Texans
I have to put the Steelers to win the North...maybe even the Bengals, I think the Ravens just lost too much...and they seem to not care either. Maybe giving them a wildcard may even be a stretch, but hey....got to give them some respect.
Who's the wildcards, ???? Bengals, Ravens, Colts.....Dolphins ? do the Dolphins jump over the teams that were there last year with the off season moves  after all, they still are the Dolphins  |
Steelers lose their pro bowl WR, have no running game to speak of, a terrible OLine outside of Pouncey, weak secondary, lose their best pass rusher. And for a team that breeds linebackers, Timmons and Woodley are all they have and they combined for a paltry 10 sacks last season. They are DEFINITELY in year 2 of a 3-4 year rebuild - still have a ways to go. If the Pats deliver a crushing blow of stealing away Sanders, then the offense is just Roethlisberger, Brown, and literally NO ONE else.
Baltimore is not in any trouble. We lost Ellerbee and Kruger, who while critical to a Super Bowl run, only started a COMBINED 20 of our last 65 games. Neither has been a full season starter. We lost Boldin who has never had a 1000 yard season for us and clearly was never an all pro receiver without Fitzgerald on the other side. Cary Williams who, as anyone who watched the ravens know, is a liability despite his solid INT numbers. I do think losing Pollard hurts, but every team loses a key player or two every season. Bottom line is we still have Flacco, Rice, Leach, Yanda, Suggs, Ngata, And Webb. That's 6 pro bowlers and a Super Bowl MVP right there - plenty of talent. To say we seem not to care about losing the talent we've lost is telling to the fact that we don't think we've lost much of note.
The browns are and will always be the browns. No matter who is in the front office, they do a terrible job. Most recently, paying Paul Kruger like a pro bowl LB when he is really just a two down pass rusher who only had half a good season in his career and was not productive without Suggs taking the pressure off him.
The Bengals are intriguing and most of that intrigue hinges around Dalton. He can beat the teams he's supposed to, but hasnt proven he can beat a New England or Denver or Baltimore. AJ Green is amazing, no question, but behind him there is literally no one, and the Law Firm is not an answer for anyone at RB. Good DLine and pass rush which should help overcome a pitiful secondary.
Really, the door is wide open for Baltimore to repeat, with Cinci posing the only challenge.
Denver
Texans
Patriots
Ravens
Cinci
Colts
In that order.
Miami knocks at the door, but still has Tannehill at QB and its been made clear that you can't make the playoffs with a question mark at signal caller.