CBS pundit says that Steelers will win the AFC-North this year: What is the answer? Is he 1. Smoking too much weed? Or 2. Spot on?

 … my analysis overall, positive but not overwhelming

The Las Vegas money has the Cleveland Browns as one of the top five teams to win the Super Bowl this year, along with the AFC-North title, according to one pundit.

However, that pundit, CBS' Will Brinson, does not agree with Vegas. Instead, he wrote last week, “I’ve already planted my flag in the Steelers bandwagon this year.”

Now, for clarity, he is writing about his record on picking over/under winners. However, at the end of it, he says what he thinks will happen with each.

Browns: “[The Browns] end up going about 9-7, with the potential to have a monster year, but I also think it's juiced up because of the public.”

So, 9-7 or a monster year. Love how precise he is.

Steelers: “I see 10+ wins and a division title for this team.”

Ravens: “My prediction is 8-8 and just outside the playoffs.”

Bengals: “I think they can pretty easily finish 6-10 or better.”

My selections for 2019

AFC-North

1. Ravens

2. Browns tie

2. Steelers tie

4. Bengals

So, he picks the Steelers to win the division, but he goes a step further: “I'm actually making the case Ben Roethlisberger, who will be supremely motivated to have a big season, will be a good value pick for MVP because if he plays well and the Steelers win the division, people will credit him for doing it without the two skill position superstars.”

That is where he lost me with his analysis.

Are Browns overrated since they really have not done anything yet?

Brinson could be right that the Browns being designated the champion of the AFC-North is very premature. I agree with him that nine wins may be about right for them. So, why the rush to crown them as the power of the future?

Well, Baker Mayfield, plus some of their pickups like Kareem Hunt and Odell Beckham. Sports Illustrated listed their receivers of Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, and Antonio Callaway as the tops in the league.

Hmm, one of the reasons that they might win 11 or 12 games.

They also have some playmakers on defense, including Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward, Larry Ogunjobi, and Christian Kirksey. They will need that for supplant the offense.

However, I am placing them behind the Ravens because of the potential for attitude problems, a.k.a. "Antonio Brown syndrome." Beckham has been known to blow up on the sidelines. Could he become an attitude problem, along with some of the now bigger names on the roster? That is one of the keys for them.

Second, the Browns gave up Jabrill Peppers, a first-round pick in 2017 and strong safety and kick returner, and a first round pick in order to secure Beckham. Peppers was Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and an All-American at Michigan, and he has performed well defensively for the Browns.

The Browns also have a rookie head coach in Freddie Kitchen, who did a good job as offensive coordinator for the Browns for eight games last season. Can he handle all of the focus now on the team since its promise last season?

Still, the Browns have tremendous potential with a slew of first-round draft picks over about a half-dozen years who are now maturing. They will give the Steelers a run for their money this year, although I am reluctant to call them a Super Bowl contender — yet.

Nevertheless, I will go 10-6 with the Browns because of a relatively tougher schedule, a game behind the Ravens and tied with the Steelers. Definitely a playoff contender.

Ravens

Some people are downplaying the tremendous rookie season last year by quarterback Lamar Jackson. The knock on him is that he is just a great runner, not much of a passer. That is not the attitude of the Ravens front office, which traded away veteran Super Bowl winner Joe Flacco to the Broncos. Flacco had seen his best days, but Baltimore is high on Jackson.

However, the Ravens lost a slew of big-name players besides Flacco. They include linebacker C.J. Mosley, safety Eric Weddle, wide receivers John Brown and Michael Crabtree, veteran linebacker Terrell Suggs, linebacker Za’Darius Smith. They had a great draft, but can they bring in talent enough to replace such big names?

That will tell the tale. With the Steelers being rated the worst draft in the AFC-North despite a great pick in Devin Bush, that has to be a concern for fans a reason for Ravens fans to be hopeful in replacing some of their old stars.

With improvement from Jackson, I look for the Ravens to be a more significant obstacle to a division title than the Browns. [Of course, I have been wrong before.]

Ravens, 11-5

Bengals

They are without Marvin Lewis, which is an improvement, but can they be better than 6-10? I doubt it.

Bengals, 6-10.

Steelers

That brings us to the Steelers. First, I do not envision the debacle that many national pundits do with the Steelers. Losing Antonio Brown is a dual-edged sword. He was a great talent, but a major head case and distraction.

Same with Le’Veon Bell. The Steelers did not lose their playoff spot last year because he was not in the lineup. In fact, James Conner’s numbers were comparable prior to his injury, with an upside of a great attitude.

The national guys say that the Steelers will not recover. Hogwash. However, they are going to have to play much better -- more consistently -- than they did last year.

Post-mortem on 2018

The Steelers lost some key games down the stretch that cost them a playoff spot. They would likely have not done great, but having defeated the Patriots in the regular season, who knows?

Losing to the Broncos and Raiders on the road were brutal. And the loss to the Saints can be traced back to an inexplicable fourth down fake punt by Mike Tomlin with the Steelers in the lead.

Here is what must happen for the Steelers to return to the playoffs [in addition to having better officiating]:

1. Tomlin has to become a disciplinarian. He has to lay down the law and enforce it. Players are tired of the drama, and in reality, if they do not make the playoffs in 2019, the owners and fans could be joining the ranks of the highly-discontented.

2. Tomlin has to avoid making so many bone-headed decisions in the games. Let’s be honest. He has done basically nothing Super Bowl-wise since his fourth season of coaching and he is in his 12th. His game coaching decisions have been horrible at times. That has to change.

3. Ben Roethlisberger has to be consistent. He cannot have a rating of 60.5 like he had in the tie to Cleveland and 72.5 in the loss to the Ravens. He had four games where his rating was in the 60s or 70s. That is not acceptable for a QB making the kind of money he is. And, he has to avoid making boneheaded throws for interceptions in the red zone. Finally, he has to actually become a leader, particularly with this young receiving corps — and has to avoid calling out teammates for mistakes. He has to be a team player.

4. Defense has to improve significantly. Devin Bush is an upgrade, but I am not certain how much he can contribute initially. Playing him as a rookie may be a good idea. The defensive pass rush has to be more consistent. That could happen, particularly is Bud DuPree improves.  The pass defense has to be the key there.

5. Their kicking game has to improve significantly.

My pick: 10-6, they will improve, but the division has also done that. They will tie with the Browns and could make the playoffs again.

I hope to see them beat the Ravens twice, which could happen if the Ravens D does not fill its holes.

Truth: This could be the most interesting competition in the AFC-North in a long time, and I am looking forward to that.

I am also looking forward to the soap-opera drama ending. Tomlin will be the key there — and I am not confident in that area. If I was, I might think about 12 wins.