2024 AFC North Preview

A team-by-team 2024 preview and prediction for the Ravens, Bengals, Steelers, and Browns

Sep 05, 2024

In a division where there is not a single team that you can rule out of the playoffs, and probably still won’t be able to rule any out halfway through the season, the AFC North is easily the toughest division in all of football. Having 3 playoff teams in 2023, and a solid bet to have 3 teams again this upcoming season, in 2023 the AFC North became the first division to have every team finish above .500 for the first time since 1935. Here’s how the 4 teams finished last season:

Baltimore Ravens: 13-4 (3-3 division) - lost in AFC Championship Game
Cleveland Browns: 11-6 (3-3 division) - lost in Wild Card
Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-7 (5-1 division) - lost in Wild Card
Cincinnati Bengals: 9-8 (1-5 division) - missed playoffs

With the season about to begin, let’s take a look at these 4 teams and predict how things may shake up in 2024. Before we get to the Brownies, let’s start with the 3 teams we hate the most:

Baltimore Ravens

Key Free Agent Additions: RB Derrick Henry | S Eddie Jackson | OT Josh Jones

Key Draft Picks: CB Nate Wiggins | OT Roger Rosengarten | EDGE Adisa Isaac

The Ravens took the AFC North crown in 2023, QB Lamar Jackson grabbed his second MVP award, and the Ravens looked primed to make a Super Bowl run throughout the season, boasting the NFL’s best record heading into the playoffs. Then, Patrick Mahomes happened in the AFC Championship game. The team will look to pick up where they left off in 2024. They made a big splash in free agency by adding one of the best RBs in the modern game, Derrick Henry. But yo, did you see that departures list?

The Ravens had one of the best defenses in the league last season, maybe only behind the Browns, but now they’ve lost one of the best defensive masterminds in the league, losing DC Mike Macdonald, who accepted the head job in Seattle. They’ve also lost key pieces of the defense, including LB Roquan Smith’s sidekick, Patrick Queen, Jadeveon Clowney who decided he wanted to try again (9.5 sacks last season), and ball hawk Geno Stone (7 INTs last season). On the other side of the ball, they lost 3 starters on the Offensive Line in Zeitler, Moses, and Simpson. Now, some of these departures are guys believed to be over the hill, and yes, maybe the young guys set to replace them will be decent. But, then can’t you say the same thing about their additions too (which are far less)?

The Ravens still have enough to make the playoffs and compete for the AFC North title. However, I have serious concerns about them being equipped to take a step forward after last year’s success.

Cincinnati Bengals

Key Draft Picks: OT Amarius Mims | DT Kris Jenkins | WR Jermaine Burton

Key Departures: DT DJ Reader | RB Joe Mixon | WR Tyler Boyd | CB Chidobe Awuzie | OT Jonah Williams

After missing the playoffs and finishing last in the division in 2023, the Bengals are looking to bounce back and reclaim the top of the AFC North with QB Joe Burrow set to return. The Bengals looked to fill some obvious holes in free agency and the draft, making an effort to bolster up the line, something they have been trying to do ever since drafting Burrow. Acquiring Trent Brown and drafting Amarius Mims are the two most important moves of the Bengals’ offseason as they will need at least one (maybe both) of them to stay healthy, something both have struggled with recently, in order to not keep Burrow both healthy and on his feet. They also brought back Vonn Bell and swiped Geno Stone from the Ravens to sure up their Safety room, after the position was a major weakness on a bad defense last season.

The Bengals’ defense was BAD last season. They ranked 31st in overall defensive stats and their offseason moves don’t seem they will be enough for them to make a major leap this season. This defense really struggled and though DC Lou Anarumo is solid, the additions don’t completely cover their holes, especially when they lost two veterans who have been leaders of the squad over the last few years in Chidobe Awuzie and DJ Reader. It seems they are relying on young players like DB Dax Hill, EDGE Myles Murphy, and CB DJ Turner to make leaps this year, but it doesn’t seem they will be able to make the necessary jump to limit QBs in January.

That being said, the offense is bound to be one of the league’s best once again. Burrow is one of the best QBs in the league and having him healthy almost guarantees contention. Still, the franchise continues to disgruntle its players, refusing to extend or trade Tee Higgins and refusing to extend Ja’Marr Chase. Higgins will play on the franchise tag and find a new home next offseason. Chase still has two years remaining on his deal and likely will eventually get what he wants, but upon the publishing of this article, Chase just returned to Bengals practice, only a few days away from their opener against the Patriots. They also elected to downgrade at RB this season, trading away Joe Mixon and hoping the young Chase Brown can take over with help from the veteran Zack Moss who was acquired from the Colts.

The Bengals should be a solid team this year. I don’t see them winning the AFC North, but they have the talent to get a wild card spot in the playoffs. It’s odd that they are a top 10 staple in most preseason rankings, particularly because of their defense, but a 6 or 7-seed in the playoffs is a probable conclusion to their season.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Key Draft Picks: G/T Troy Fautanu | C Zach Frazier | LB Payton Wilson

Key Departures: WR Diontae Johnson | QB Kenny Pickett | WR Allen Robinson | CB Patrick Peterson | S Keanu Neal

After lucking into the playoffs, the Steelers quickly got sent home by the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round last season. Then, the kings of mid had a very on-brand offseason. Initially prepared to run it back with either Kenny Pickett or Mason Rudolph under center, they jumped at the chance to acquire a cheap Russell Wilson at a stage in his career where he is merely a shadow of the Super Bowl-winning QB from a decade ago. For insurance purposes, they then traded for Justin Fields who will start the season as the backup on the last year of his rookie deal. Fields can be electric, but as I’ve mentioned, he puts no fear in my heart as a Browns fan. He has no answer for Myles Garrett and has yet to prove himself as a premier thrower of the ball at the NFL level. It seems likely he will play at some point this season, but the QB room is currently still a question mark in Pittsburgh beyond 2024.

In addition to switching it up at QB, the Steelers also traded away their best separator at WR in Diontae Johnson. It seemed that Johnson was ready for a change of scenery, but the Steelers did little to replace him. They drafted Roman Wilson, but it seems like he is a few years away from being able to replace a guy like Johnson, that is if he is ever able to achieve that. The Steelers made noise in the Brandon Aiyuk sweepstakes, and many believed it was a done deal. But the story ended with Aiyuk staying put, leaving George Pickens as the WR1 in Pittsburgh. Pickens is a solid pass catcher. He is even known to make a highlight reel catch every once in a while. But until he proves otherwise, he cannot separate at the level most NFL WR1s do. As of December of last season, Next Gen Stats had Pickens at an average of 2.3 yards of separation per route, ranking 115 of 120 qualifying WRs and TEs.

Wilson and Pickens’ success this season will be largely dependent on new OC Arthur Smith. After failing to get the most out of weapons like RB Bijan Robinson, WR Drake London, and TE Kyle Pitts during his tenure as HC in Atlanta, I’m excited to see George Pickens throw fits on social media about his number of targets come November.

The Steelers did add several key pieces in the offseason. Three of their top 5 draft picks were linemen, and they got some highly touted big men. They also swiped Patrick Queen away from the Ravens, though it seems unlikely he can match his productivity from the last 2 seasons without Roquan Smith by his side. Additionally, the Steelers do still have TJ Watt who will look to once again be a top 5 sack leader after feasting off unblocked sacks and QBs running right into his chest. So, it seems the Steelers will have just enough to keep them right around that .500 mark in 2024. Mid stays mid.

Cleveland Browns

Key Draft Picks: DT Mike Hall | OG Zak Zinter | CB Myles Harden

Key Departures: LB Anthony Walker | LB Sione Takitaki | QB Joe Flacco | RB Kareem Hunt | O-Line Coach Bill Callahan

The 2023 season was quite a rollercoaster for the Cleveland Browns. The team started 5 different QBs throughout the season due to the injuries of Deshaun Watson, lost beloved RB Nick Chubb due to a dirty hit from Steelers S Minkah Fitzpatrick in the second game of the season, and lost numerous other key players to injury over the course of the season. Still, the Browns managed to win 11 games and clinch a playoff birth, just to get blasted by the Houston Texans as the Flacco magic finally ran out.

While there are unfortunately still a few lingering injuries, including Nick Chubb and Jedrick Wills (both should be back at some point this year), the Browns are set to have most of their guys back to start the 2024 season. The days of starting Geron Christian at Left Tackle are behind them *knock on wood*. Still, the national media remains pessimistic about the Browns. Few lists have them ranked in the top 15, despite being a top 10 team with last year’s JV squad. It seems the talking heads are dying on the hill that QB Joe Flacco is better than Deshaun Watson and thus, the Browns can’t repeat the success from last year. While Watson has struggled to remain on the field during his time in Cleveland, Joe Flacco is a pretty low bar for him to reach. Watson may never reattain the heights he reached on the field in Houston, but if he can be a top-15 QB, which should not be considered unlikely, that will be more than enough for the Browns to be capable of a (dare I say deep) playoff run given the talent elsewhere on the roster.

With the Ravens roster talent in decline, the Bengals set to struggle again on defense, and the Steelers staying still, this looks to be a great year for the Browns to win the AFC North. Health and QB play will be the biggest variables, but if these can stay near the league mean, the Dawg Pound will be BARKING come January.

Always Barking 2024 AFC North Prediction:

Cleveland Browns: 12-5 (4-2 division)
Baltimore Ravens: 11-6 (4-2 division)
Cincinnati Bengals: 10-7 (2-4 division)
Pittsburgh Steelers: 8-9 (2-4 division)

Always Barking