SRI’s NFL Preview: AFC North
September 1, 2010 – 8:30 am by Paul BessireSportsRadioInterviews.com has teamed with PredictionMachine.com to preview the upcoming NFL season division-by-division. Today, we will preview the AFC and NFC North. PredictionMachine.com plays every game 50,000 times before it’s played. In this case, the site has played the entire season 50,000 times for this preview, which combines that statistical analysis with some of the most notable sports radio interviews from teams in the division.
PredictionMachine.com’s Take on the AFC North
(results from 50,000 NFL season simulations)
Despite the Bengals recent addition of Terrell Owens (which added 0.3 wins from our previous projections), the Baltimore Ravens are the clear favorites in the AFC North and have the second highest likelihood to win the division of any team (at 57%, behind the Colts at 58%). With or without Ed Reed, Baltimore should be very good, but it’s Reed that could make them great and potentially put the Ravens ahead of the Jets in our championship odds. The Bengals are not a good enough offensive team to expect another division title. Pittsburgh has already been marred by suspension and injury. Troy Polamalu means as much to the team as Ben Roethlisberger, so the Steelers trade a partial season of one for a partial season of the other and end up even. Cleveland may have won its last four games of 2009, but the Browns are a mess. Collectively, the AFC North is 14% likely to win the Super Bowl – the only AFC division with three teams that are at least 1% likely to win it all. The AFC North plays the AFC East and NFC South – two divisions that should put two teams in the playoffs.
Baltimore Ravens
Power Rank: 4
Offensive Rank: 10
Defensive Rank: 2
Projected Record: 11.0 – 5.0
Make Playoffs: 78.3%
2009 Playoff Teams on Schedule: 5
Projected 2010 Playoff Teams on Schedule: 4
Biggest Strength: Ray Rice
Greatest Weakness: Age and Health of Defense
Most Important Offensive Player: Michael Oher, OT
Most Important Defensive Player: Ed Reed, S
Fantasy Stud: Ray Rice, RB
Fantasy Dud: Mark Clayton, WR
Fantasy Sleeper: Ed Dickson, TE
Recent SportsRadioInterviews from the Baltimore Ravens:
Derrick Mason (8/23): Can Still Talk with the Best of Them in His 14th Season
Ray Lewis (8/19): Don’t Tell Ray Lewis He’s Lost a Step
Donte Stallworth (8/4): Is Trying to Make the Most of His Second Chance in Baltimore
Ed Reed (7/29): Attacks Members of the Baltimore Media
Cincinnati Bengals
Power Rank: 10
Offensive Rank: 25
Defensive Rank: 3
Projected Record: 9.1 – 6.9
Make Playoffs: 43.1%
2009 Playoff Teams on Schedule: 7
Projected 2010 Playoff Teams on Schedule: 8
Biggest Strength: Emerging Defense
Greatest Weakness: Offensive Chemistry (On-Field)
Most Important Offensive Player: Terrell Owens, WR
Most Important Defensive Player: Antwan Odom, DE
Fantasy Stud: Chad Ochocinco, WR
Fantasy Dud: Antonio Bryant, WR
Fantasy Sleeper: Bernard Scott, RB
Recent SportsRadioInterviews from the Cincinnati Bengals:
Cedric Benson (8/26): Battles “Demons” to Revitalize Career
Marvin Lewis (8/13): Needs Carson Palmer to Take Next Step
Carson Palmer (8/2): Helped Bring the TO Show to Cincinnati
Chad Ochocinco (7/29): On TO Signing
Pittsburgh Steelers
Power Rank: 15
Offensive Rank: 27
Defensive Rank: 4
Projected Record: 8.2 – 7.9
Make Playoffs: 32.2%
2009 Playoff Teams on Schedule: 7
Projected 2010 Playoff Teams on Schedule: 6
Biggest Strength: Troy Polamalu
Greatest Weakness: Playing Without Ben Roethlisberger and Willie Colon
Most Important Offensive Player: Byron Leftwich, QB
Most Important Defensive Player: Troy Polamalu, S
Fantasy Stud: Rashard Mendenhall, RB
Fantasy Dud: Antwaan Randle El, WR
Fantasy Sleeper: Jonathan Dwyer, RB
Recent SportsRadioInterviews from the Pittsburgh Steelers:
Ben Roethlisberger (8/20): Still Saying, Doing the Right Things
Dan Rooney (8/16): On Big Ben and President Obama
Byron Leftwich (8/9): Re-learning Offense Like “Riding a Bike”
Hines Ward (8/6): Like a Fine Wine, Hines Ward Gets Better with Age
Cleveland Browns
Power Rank: 31
Offensive Rank: 32
Defensive Rank: 31
Projected Record: 2.9 – 13.1
Make Playoffs: 0.2%
2009 Playoff Teams on Schedule: 7
Projected 2010 Playoff Teams on Schedule: 6
Biggest Strength: Special Teams and Running Game
Greatest Weakness: Everything Else
Most Important Offensive Player: Jake Delhomme/Colt McCoy, QB
Most Important Defensive Player: Joe Haden, DB
Fantasy Stud: Jerome Harrison, RB
Fantasy Dud: Mohamed Massaquoi, WR
Fantasy Sleeper: Joshua Cribbs, Wildcat/Returner
Recent SportsRadioInterviews from the Cleveland Browns:
Eric Mangini (8/16): Thinks Mike Holmgren Has Made Him a Better Coach
Joshua Cribbs (6/15): Role in the Offense will Increase This Year
Jake Delhomme (6/3): Is Looking to Have Fun in Cleveland
Joe Haden (4/26): Is Going to Try to Improve Pass Defense in Cleveland
Tags: AFC North, Baltimore Ravens, Ben Roethlisberger, Chad OchoCinco, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, NFL, NFL Preview, Pittsburgh Steelers, Ray Lewis, Terrell Owens
