subject: Nfl Tickets - Afc North Preview [print this page] Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens have been on the rise over the past two seasons and I think they're a good bet to win the North in 2010. Quarterback Joe Flacco is entering his third season in the NFL and has been steadily improving while showing signs of star potential. With wide receiver Anquan Boldin now at his disposal, 2010 could be a breakout season for young signal caller. Boldin gives the Ravens a physical receiver capable of making the kind of after-the-catch plays that have people lining up to get their hands on NFL tickets. With Boldin and tight end Ed Dickson in place, Flacco should benefit greatly from his new weapons.
Ray Rice should continue to establish himself as one of the most electric players in the league. His abilities as a receiver out of the backfield have really aided Flacco's development and Rice should continue to be a threat both on the ground and through the air. The defensive unit is an aging one, but one that keeps producing. However, some critical injuries in the secondary could be the thing that holds Baltimore back in 2010.
Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals surprised everyone and won the division in 2009, going undefeated in divisional matchups. Running back Cedric Benson shed his bust label and had a solid season on the ground, though his yards per carry average wasn't really anything special. If Benson can hold up for the 2010 season (he put a ton of mileage on his legs at Texas), it should open things up for an improved Cincinnati passing game. The Bengals brought in wide receivers Terrell Owens and Antonio Bryant via free agency, and added tight end Jermaine Gresham through the draft. With all of these new weapons, Carson Palmer could have his best season this side of his devastating knee injury. With a solid defense, the Bengals will only need their offense to be adequate in order to contend in the division.
Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers will be without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for a minimum of four games, potentially six, so it will be interesting to see how they start the season. Most likely, they'll probably dig a hole too deep to get out of, at least as far as winning the division is concerned. One has to remember that this was a team that only won nine games in 2009 and didn't necessarily get any better in the offseason. The Steelers will lean heavily on running back Rashard Mendenhall in 2010, especially early on, but he'll have to be an absolute beast for them to get to the postseason.
Cleveland Browns: The Browns are coming off a tough season, but one in which they finished strong. Eric Mangini finally seemed to win over his players toward the end of 2009, which is probably why new team president Mike Holmgren decided to keep him on for 2010. Holmgren did a good job of bringing in some veterans that should help improve the team in the short-term. I'm not quite ready to write off Jake Delhomme, who could help this offense move the ball this season. If some of the team's young receivers can develop, this offense could be decent. There are still plenty of holes on both sides of the ball, but this team should take steps in the right direction this season.
by: Pat Smith
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