AFC North Areas of Concern
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
The Pittsburgh Steelers will miss the leadership and production of Jerome Bettis. Bettis was mostly used in short yardage situations and extensively in the fourth quarter to protect leads. Starting RB Willie Parker is fast but at 5-10 209 pounds there is a concern about Parkers ability to be successful against eight man fronts and if his body can take the punishment of getting 20 to 25 carries per game. Parker only averaged 15 carries a game in 2005. Duce Staley will try and fill the role of the departed Jerome Bettis but Staley has been injured the last two seasons.
The Steelers will have to rely on their receivers more in 2006 because defenses will take away their running game. Look for WR Hines Ward to catch more than the 69 balls he caught last season. Once defenses begin to key on Ward can Cedrick Wilson and rookie Santonio Holmes make teams pay? Wilson has not been consistent enough in his career for the Steelers to count on. Holmes has the size and speed to get the job done but it is rare for a rookie WR to have a major impact in their first season.
CINCINATI BENGALS
The Cincinnati Bengals are young at the linebacker position. The Bengals suffered a setback when MLB Odell Thurman was suspended for the first four games of the upcoming NFL season. Thurman had an outstanding rookie year with 98 tackles, 5 interceptions and 1.5 sacks. Fellow rookie David Pollack 28 tackles and 4.5 sacks and should be even better this year. WLB and nine year veteran Brian Simmons is slowing down and will be challenged by rookie LB Ahmad Brooks who the Bengals picked up in the 2006 supplemental draft. MLB Caleb Miller will have to start the first four games of the season in place of Thurman unless the Bengals add a veteran either by trade or by acquiring a player that got cut by another team.
The defensive line is a concern, the Bengals added Sam Adams in the off-season. Sam is accustomed to Marvin Lewis defensive scheme so he will be able to step right in and contribute. Justin Smith is the team’s best d-lineman, but Justin has never recorded double digits sacks in any of his years in the NFL. Smith is solid against the run and on occasion can get to the QB. The Bengals don’t have a player that can consistently get to the QB. There is a possibility that LB David Pollack or LB Ahmad Brooks will be moved to DE to replace Robert Geathers. Coach Lewis could have been more eager to make this adjustment if Odell Thurman had not been suspended.
CLEVELAND BROWNS
The Cleveland Browns have a talented WR in second year player Braylon Edwards at 6-3 and 211 pounds Edwards is a big target with above average speed. Edwards is coming off an injury and he will be a major part of the Browns passing attack. Edwards must be more consistent this season. Braylon played in four games in which he caught two or fewer balls. Nine-year veteran Joe Jerevicius comes over from the Seahawks where he experienced a lot of success in the west coast offense. Joe must now adjust to a new offensive system and the ups and downs of playing with a second year QB. Northcutt is a good third WR. Excluding Edwards there are no game breaking players at the WR position on this team that scare opposing defensive coordinators.
The Browns best CB is Gary Baxter. Baxter is coming off an injury he sustained in 2005. What Baxter is not is a #1 shutdown corner in his four years in the NFL Baxter has never had more than three interceptions in a season. Daylon McCutcheon is in his eighth year and at this point in his career he would be better suited as the Nickel Back. Leigh Bodden is slightly better than McCutcheon. The Browns have no defensive backs to match up with future opponents such as Oakland, Carolina, Baltimore, Denver and the Texans.
The Ravens are hopping that RB Jamal Lewis can get close to the form he had when he rushed for over 2,000 yards a few seasons ago. Last year Lewis seemed to be very tentative when running the ball and he didn’t hit the hole with any type of explosion. He could have still been suffering from the previous years ankle injury. Backup RB Mike Anderson comes over from Denver to provide some insurance in case Lewis gets hurt and also to occasionally spell him during games. Anderson must adjust to a new rushing system in Baltimore and he may not be as effective a runner in Baltimore as he was in Denver.
QB Steve Mcnair should improve the Ravens WR production. It might take Mcnair at least four games to get comfortable in the Ravens system. WR Derrick Mason and QB Steve Mcnair already have a certain feel for each other from playing together with the Titans. Mason is a good route runner and knows how to get open and should improve on the 86 catches he had last season. 2nd year WR Mark Clayton enjoyed some success as a rookie and should continue to get better now that he has Mcnair as his QB. Clayton had 44 catches last season. Clayton and Mason are not game breaking receivers and that is what the Ravens need at WR to really make this offense explosive. When they go 3 wides they don’t have a player with the combination of speed and hands to stretch defenses.
