Meanwhile, we have a look at a division that might be undergoing something of a changing of the guard. The defending champs are here, but another strong team might be in the midst of a downturn. We'll see how it goes.
Last year: 10-6 (1st), won Super Bowl XLVII
The defense got... shall we say... ravaged in the offseason. Ray Lewis announced his retirement before the Super Bowl run effective at the end of their season, and Ed Reed and Bernard Karmell Pollard both left. Terrell Suggs is left to lead this squad, though Haloti Ngata remains, and they took advantage of the Elvis Dumervil fax debacle to shore up their pass rush. Offensively, Joe Flacco has probably made a case to be up near the top 10 in NFL quarterbacks, though not in that "elite" group. Even so, he's got some good weapons in Ray Rice and Torrey Smith. They'll still be good, but whether or not they can repeat is up for debate.
2013 Prediction: 11-5
Last year: 10-6 (2nd), lost in AFC Wild Card
We're onto Year 3 of Andy Dalton, who has proven himself to be a pretty serviceable NFL quarterback. He still has AJ Green to pair with, and the addition of Tyler Eifert should help the passing game a little bit. The running game is still pretty good with the Law Firm leading the way. Defensively though, this team is looking really good. I'm not 100% sold on the secondary, but the front seven is one of the better groups in the division. Semi-related note, my dad and Logan got to go to their training camp on a recent trip to Cincy, and Logan got autographs from a few players, as well as a quick photo op with Mike Nugent. Big ups to you, sir.
2013 Prediction: 9-7, Wild Card
Last year: 8-8 (3rd), missed playoffs
This team always seems to get ravaged by injuries. Troy Polamalu isn't quite the same guy he used to be, and the loss of James Harrison will probably hurt a defense that was once again one of the best in the league last year. They'll probably still be one of the better units in the league, but the offense might have some issues. Big Ben seems to get hurt and miss at least a game a year, and his receiving corps takes a hit with Mike Wallace's departure. I'm not too sold on the running game this year either, with rookie Le'Veon Bell hurt and might miss a little time. They'll still be a tough team to beat, but their peak years are probably behind them.
2013 Prediction: 8-8
Last year: 5-11, missed playoffs
I made fun of Brandon Weeden a lot last year, but with a full year under his belt mayeb he'll be a little better this year. I'm not really sold on his receivers, but Trent Richardson will be able to help alleviate some of that pressure on the ground. Defensively, I'm not sure what to make of these guys. Other than Joe Haden, I'm not sold on their secondary and the front seven are okay, but not great. They're still a ways away from contention. On an unrelated note, they did draft Garrett Gilkey, an offensive lineman from Chadron State I went to high school with way back in the day. From everything I've read, it seems like he's matured a lot from the kid I knew back then. He's held his own so far, and did in fact make the 53 man roster.
2013 Prediction: 6-10
Tomorrow I'll be busy; I have schedules to analyze from Week 2 of the college football season, and I also need to make my picks against the spread for the Pick 'Em contest. Hope you join me tomorrow for more football!
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