The AFC North was one of the strongest divisions in the National Football League in 2020, sending three of its four teams to the post-season. The division promises to be equally competitive in 2021. In some ways, the biggest question for each AFC North team revolves around its quarterback. Three of the teams in the division have young QBs with tremendous upside, while the Steelers are led by 2-time Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger, entering his 18th NFL campaign. Two of the questions revolve directly around the quarterbacks, while the other two are related to them.
Baltimore Ravens – Is LaMar Jackson ready to become a quarterback that can lead a team to a championship?
Jackson took the league by storm and quickly became one of the most exciting and dynamic players around. He has led his team to the playoffs in all three of his seasons and in 2020 won his first playoff game after two prior defeats. His incredible running skills pose a serious problem for opposing Defensive Coordinators, and he has the natural athletic ability to break a game wide open with his legs on any play. His weakness has been that he has been a tentative and inaccurate passer. Much like Randall Cunningham early in his career in Philadelphia, Jackson relies too much on his tremendous running skills. The big question for the Ravens is will Jackson, like Cunningham in his later career in Minnesota, develop into a dangerous pocket passer. If Jackson can do so, the added dimension of his running ability will make him the most dangerous quarterback in the league. However, if Jackson remains the player he has been so far, he might become the modern-day Vince Young. If so, it will be quite some time until Baltimore is the home of the Super Bowl Champions.
Cincinnati Bengals – Can Joe Burrow recover from his terrible leg injury?
Before suffering a season-ending knee injury, Joe Burrow’s rookie campaign was proceeding better than anyone could have predicted. In a little over 10 games, Burrow completed 65% of his passes for 2,688 yards with 13 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions. He added another three touchdowns on the ground for the last-place Bengals. However, in week 11 in a game against Washington Burrow’s season came to a premature end when he tore the Anterior Cruciate Ligament and Medial Collateral Ligament in his left knee along with damaging his meniscus. The severity of his injuries brings into question how fast he can get back onto the field this season. If Burrow misses any time during the preseason, it could hamper his development in his sophomore NFL season. Surgically repaired knees can also be vulnerable to further damage and could affect Burrow’s mobility going forward. If Burrow is able to get back early enough and continue to improve on his excellent rookie performance the Bengals’ future looks bright. If not, he could join a long list of first-round quarterbacks that failed to lead Cincinnati to the promised land of a Super Bowl championship.
Cleveland Browns – Are the Browns finally for real, or just the Same Old Browns of the last 20 years?
In 2020 the Cleveland Browns returned to the NFL playoffs for the first time since 2002. They won their first playoff game since returning to the NFL in 1999, then played the eventual-AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs tight for most of a second-round playoff game before falling 22-17. A sound defense and a solid running game give Browns fans reason to believe that 2021 could be an even better year than 2020 was for the home team. But Cleveland fans have seen this story before. Prior to the 2019 season, some in the media were predicting a Super Bowl run for the Browns. Instead, the Browns went a disappointing 6-10 and missed the playoffs once again, leading to the firing of first-year coach Freddie Kitchens. Quarterback Baker Mayfield flashes outstanding skills but has a tendency to make mistakes at critical times. He was able to avoid disaster often enough for Cleveland to win 11 games in 2020. Now expectations are sky-high in Cleveland once again, and the pressure is on the Browns to exceed their excellent 2020 season. Is this the year that the Browns prove that their young team is a real contender for years to come, or do they once again fall back into the old patterns of losing, losing, and more losing?
Pittsburgh Steelers – What will the offensive line look like?
After beginning the 2020 season 11-0, the Steelers staggered to a 12-4 record and a disappointing first-round home playoff loss to the rival Cleveland Browns. Despite veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger returning from injury to lead the team, the Steelers’ offense was one-dimensional and predictable. A short passing game that relied upon the young wide receivers to pick up considerable yards after the catch fell apart when opposing defenses played tight and Roethlisberger was unable to make them pay. Big Ben’s downfield passing was inaccurate and erratic, and the team totally abandoned the running game as the season wore on. The offensive line was a major weakness for the team in 2020, and in 2021 it will be manned by almost totally new faces. Gone are the retired 9-time Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey and perennial Pro Bowl guard David DeCastro, released this summer for injury reasons. Gone with them are 5 first-team All-Pro selections. Also gone is left tackle Alejandro Villanueva, a solid veteran starter and twice a Pro Bowler. The Steelers’ offensive line will enter 2021 as a major question mark. It will need to be effective to open holes for the Steelers’ first-round draft pick in 2021, Alabama running back Najee Harris. The line’s success, or lack thereof, will go a long way to determining the team’s fate in the upcoming season.
Writer
-By: Damian Mastrangelo
