After missing the playoffs last season, the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers are pegged to give the defending AFC North division champions, the Cincinnati Bengals, a run for their money in 2014. However, the Bengals kept the core of last season’s lineup intact and are the favored to win the division again. As for the Cleveland Browns, a winning record would be considered a success.
Read on for all the biggest questions coming into the 2014 season in the AFC North and create a betting account now to make your picks count.
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2014 AFC North Preview
How will the Cincinnati Bengals perform under new coordinators?
[sc:NFL240banner ]It’s usually about the players when one talks about key offseason departures, but for the Bengals, their biggest losses were the men on the sidelines who had a lot to do with their recent string of playoff appearances.
Just a season after winning the AFC North, the Bengals will try to defend their division title without offensive coordinator Jay Gruden and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. Gruden has bolted for a coaching gig in Washington, the same job Gruden has taken with the Vikings. Replacing Gruden and Zimmer are Hue Jackson and Paul Guenther, respectively.
There’s no reason to think this early that both men can’t handle the reins well alongside coach Mike Marvin Lewis, but they certainly have tough acts to follow. Under Gruden and Zimmer’s directions, the Bengals finished sixth in the NFL in points per game (26.9 PPG) and fifth in scoring defense (19.1 PPG). These are the kinds of numbers both Jackson and Guenther should try to attain, if not better. However, they’ll have to do it while employing significant adjustments in the team.
Will Johnny Manziel live up to the hype?
There is nothing more polarizing topic in the NFL this offseason than whether Johnny Football would be able to translate his on-field magnificence from college to the pro ranks.
This question alone can even be broken down to a number of sub-topics: will Manziel start anytime soon? Hoyer has been declared opening day starter. Can Cleveland groom ‘Ziel into becoming an NFL-caliber pocket passer? And do the Browns have enough talent on their receiving corps for Manziel to work with, now that Josh Brown is suspended? So far, the answer to most of these questions seems to be a resounding “no,” but the season is young yet.
It’s going to be interesting to see if and when Manziel starts his first game of the season. That day will come. It’s inevitable. Until then, the Browns are Hoyer’s to run and Manziel will have to take a seat and wait for his turn. The Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Baltimore Ravens could harken his day sooner rather than later.
Key Player – Andy Dalton
With a newly minted six-year contract, which could pay him as high as $115 million, it only makes sense to think that the Bengals believe Andy Dalton is the right guy for the job.
That’s despite the fact that the team has gone 0-3 in the postseason with Dalton under center, including their 27-10 loss to San Diego in the wild card round last season. During the 2013 regular season, though, Dalton was among the best in the AFC, finishing fourth in passing yards per game (268) and second only to Peyton Manning in touchdown passes (33) in the conference.
Key Game – Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (Week 1, September 7)
Cincinnati went 8-0 SU at home last season, but looked like a different team on the road, going 2-5-1 SU in games not played in Paul Brown Stadium. Cincy will open its season on the road against the Baltimore Ravens in an early matchup of two teams that are favored to win the AFC North. The Bengals are 1-3 SU and ATS in their last four road games, while the Ravens are 8-2 SU in their last 10 at home against Cincinnati.
Writer’s Prediction
The Bengals win the division with an 11-5 SU record and make the playoffs for the fourth-straight time. Joining them in the postseason are the Ravens, who’ll clinch a wild card berth with a 10-6 SU slate. Create a betting account now and bet on the futures odds of NFL teams, while odds are still available.
