After a thrilling season, the NFL is officially over for another year. So, the team at SportsTips thought it would be a good idea to go through every team in the AFC North, and have a look at the year that was!
Baltimore Ravens
While going 8-9, the Baltimore Ravens season might’ve been even more tragic than Cleveland. Going into their twelfth game of the season, the team was 8-3 and in first place. Unfortunately, the Ravens’ players including Quarterback Lamar Jackson, were hit with injuries.
The @NFL Moment of the Year❗️
🐐 @jtuck9
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) February 11, 2022
Baltimore dropped their final six games, finishing 8-9, in a division where the first place team was 10-7. Before the season started, the Ravens were hit by the injury bug, as starting running back J.K. Dobbins went down with a season-ending injury, as did former All-Pro cornerback Marcus Peters. The team would also eventually lose other players like Lamar Jackson, Marlon Humphrey, and more.
Still, they stayed resilient: their run defense was the best in the NFL and they continued to get outstanding performances from the likes of tight end Mark Andrew’s and kicker Justin Tucker. It’s safe to say the Ravens won’t dwell on the 8-9 record too long. Under the circumstances that they faced, that record is quite good. Next year, if healthy, there’s no reason this team shouldn’t be able to take the AFC North division.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals were about five minutes from having the season of their dreams. Two years removed from being the worst team in football, the Bengals not only won their first playoff game in thirty years, but they also rode that success all the way to the Super Bowl.
Unfortunately, when it came to the big game, they fell just short, losing 20-23 to the Los Angeles Rams. Still, they have so much to be proud of, along with their best playoff result since the late ’80s, they were able to watch quarterback Joe Burrow develop into a star talent, while rookie Ja’Marr Chase became one of the best receivers in football in just 17 career games.
An unforgettable season falls just short.
Thank you, Who Dey Nation. pic.twitter.com/o3cmFoDRo9
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) February 14, 2022
On defense, they were one of the best run-stopping units in the league thanks to the likes of Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard. During the regular season, they were a solid 10-7, winning the AFC North, but it ended up being almost as successful of a season as a team can have.
They’ll hope to return in the future, but it won’t be easy in an ever-competitive AFC. Still, with Burrow and Chase being so successful and so young, you have to imagine this team is far from done.
Cleveland Browns
At 8-9, the Cleveland Browns were in no way a disaster this season. But, they did fall well short of expectations and had some messy drama overshadow any on-field success in 2021. The big news was Odell Beckham Jr.’s dissatisfaction with his time in Cleveland.
The star wide receiver had come to Cleveland in 2019 to help quarterback Baker Mayfield excel and take the team to new heights. At first, it worked: just one season prior, the Browns looked ready to put their abysmal past behind them.
2021 Top Moments: @NickChubb21‘s longest TD runs of the season pic.twitter.com/oMXuA6HD8c
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) February 20, 2022
After 17 seasons of missing the playoffs, including a two-plus year period where they only won one game, the Browns made the playoffs in 2020 and even won their wild-card game. They looked primed and ready to build on that success in 2021 but instead fell short. Beckham became upset with the offense and was eventually let go.
Baker Mayfield often looked like a liability on offense. Luckily the team looked strong on defense. The exceptional play of defensive lineman Myles Garrett led the way as the team finished top five in run defense and were solid in pass defense as well. With the defense mostly doing their part, it’ll be up to Mayfield and the offense to make waves next season—or else another era of change may hit “The Land” very soon.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers said goodbye to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger this season, after 18 seasons and two Super Bowl championships. In their beloved quarterback’s swan song season, the team was able to get to the postseason but eventually lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 21-42.
Luckily the team had a lot to look forward to in the coming years. Rookie running back Najee Harris and star receiver Diontae Johnson were both Pro-Bowlers—so whoever takes over for Rowthlisbweger will have some major weapons in place.
We have named Brian Flores as our senior defensive assistant/linebackers.
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) February 19, 2022
But while their offensive forecast looks strong, there are both positives and negatives on their defense. The positive? Linebacker TJ Watt won Defensive Player of the Year. The negative? The Steelers had the NFL’s worst run defense. Whoever succeeds Roethlisberger at quarterback, will have an easy time settling in due to so many weapons.
On the other hand, the defense can’t rely solely on Watt to make big plays. They don’t have to be perfect, but they certainly can’t be last in that run-stopping category if they want to contend in the always competitive AFC.
Even though the season has finished, we’ve got you covered with all the latest information on the NFL! We keep you as up to date as possible, so you don’t miss any of the action this off-season.
