The woeful AFC North — remember when they were picked to be toughest in AFC?

NFL.com picked the Browns to win the division. 

… the word is pitiful

Often, the NFL prognosticators are horrible, and that is what has happened with those who in the preseason picked the AFC North to be the premiere division in the AFC. They and the NFC West were supposed to rule the league.

The NFC West has delivered with arguably the best team in the West being the Cardinals. Only the Seahawks have failed to deliver. 

As for the AFC North, the Browns and Ravens were supposed to dominate, but both have been somewhat woeful. The Ravens lost to the Dolphins and the Browns were pummeled by the Patriots, who have been resurrected from oblivion. 

As for the Steelers, they are .500 only because of the woeful Ravens and their superstar QB. 

How wrong were they?

Here is how far out there the prognosticators were about this allegedly tough division, from one of the weakest divisions in the media, NFL.com,

THE GOOD: It says plenty about the strength of the AFC North when last year's champion went 12-4 and is now the third-best team in the division. Say what you will about the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they're still employing one of the top coaches in the business (Mike Tomlin) and that defense has some of the best young playmakers in the game (outside linebacker T.J. Watt, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and inside linebacker Devin Bush, who's returning from a torn ACL). 


Jeffri Chadiha. “2021 NFL season preview: Ranking all eight divisions,” NFL.com, August 25, 2021


Remember when Tomlin got that reputation of a young genius? That was his only Super Bowl won with Bill Cowher’s boys, though Cowher never did much with them either. 


And it was 13 years ago. 


And the team is definitely on a downward trajectory. 


Steelers now in the cellar


Today, the Steelers are in the AFC North cellar with the Browns. Remember those Browns? They were supposed to be one of the premiere teams in the league led by that future hall of fame, Baker Mayfield,


The Cleveland Browns have built one of the best rosters in football. They used the draft and free agency to load up on athletic players to improve a mediocre defense, while quarterback Baker Mayfield has learned to maximize all the talent around him on offense. The Baltimore Ravens also know their window to win a Super Bowl with this current core won't stay open forever. They've given quarterback Lamar Jackson plenty of weapons to bolster the passing game. Now he has to make that dream a reality.


Jeffri Chadiha. “2021 NFL season preview: Ranking all eight divisions,” NFL.com, August 25, 2021


How dumb were they? Bengals may make the playoffs


Now, in reality, two of the teams in that division could make the playoffs, including the lowly Bengals. Here is what this genius said about them,


THE BAD: The Cincinnati Bengals still have a long way to go. Ben Roethlisberger's ability to perform at a high level remains very much in question after the way he faded down the stretch last season. As much as there is to like about the Browns' new additions on defense, those players still have to get it done on the field. As for Jackson, he's already rankled some folks by being caught on video participating in WR and DB drills on a basketball court with kids in Florida earlier this offseason and then testing positive for COVID-19 at the start of training camp. He risked injury in the former incident and missed time to recover in the latter, which was his second bout with the virus. Upon his return, he would not say he'd get vaccinated, a decision that could end up costing him and his team during the season.

Jeffri Chadiha. NFL.com, August 25, 2021


Really clueless?


To understand how bad this analysis was, just read this after the season is about 80 percent in the can,


THE BOTTOM LINE: The Browns look like the biggest threat to the Kansas City Chiefs for AFC supremacy, while the Ravens could also be in that conversation if Jackson turns the corner as a quality passer.


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