2014 NFL Season Previews: AFC North

The season preview continues and this division includes an intriguing one. If I did this blog just a day or or two ago it would be completely different than it is now. This division is usually very competitive and now that the Browns have a defense it is more so now. Let's dive into the preview.

1. Cincinnati Bengals:

2013: 11-5, 1st in the AFC North, lost in the wildcard round of playoffs.

Key Losses: James Harrison, Kyle Cook, Andrew Hawkins, Anthony Collins, Michael Johnson, Brandon Ghee, OC Jay Gruden, DC Mike Zimmer

Key Additions: Marshall Newhouse, Jason Campbell. Darqueze Dennard, and Jeremy Hill.

Toughest Match ups: New England Patriots, Denver Broncos,
Indianapolis Colts, and the New Orleans Saints.

2014 Outcome:
This is more of a default pick than anything. I do think that the Bengals probably have the best overall team in the division. They just seem to be lacking once playoff time comes around. They will be hurt by the losses of both their coordinators. Especially Jay Gruden who helped Mold Andy Dalton into a quarterback that nobody thought was possible. Yes Dalton came up short in the playoffs but he was a guy that threw for 33 touchdowns and over 4,000 yards. I also love Giovanni Bernard and the drafting of running back Jeremy Hill will make for an effective run game. The Bengals didn't make too many moves in the offseason but they still remain the overall best team in the division. Also Dalton has looked tremendous in preseason. It may be the preseason but it has to be good to see the offense do well after losing their defensive coordinator. I see them going 10-6.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers:

2013: 8-8. Second in the AFC North. Didn't make playoffs.

Key Losses: Al Woods, Emmanuel Sanders, Ziggy Hood, Jericho Cotchery and Jonathon Dwyer

Key Additions: Lance Moore, Mike Mitchell, Darius Heyward-Bey, LeGarrette Blount and Arthur Moats.

Toughest Match ups: New Orleans Saints, Indianapolis Colts, and Kansas City Chiefs.

Monday Spread Option 07-28-14

1. At the end of last week the NFL announced Ray Rice's suspension of two games for his part

in an altercation with his then fiancé, which resulted with him knocking her unconscious and dragging her out of an elevator. What do you think of the suspension? Does the punishment fit the crime, or was it not severe enough? 

Spencer- 
Obviously the biggest problem with Ray Rice's suspension is the fact that two games seems extremely forgiving for something as serious as domestic violence. Not only did he break rule number one of not ever hitting a woman, but he full on knocked rung her bell and knocked her out. That's about as bad as it can get. Obviously since then he has apologized and married Janay Palmer, his fiancé at the time, but that doesn't excuse what he did. The NFL had a chance to take a stand on something that is a big problem not just in United States society, but around the world and instead they came up with a whopping two game suspension. How NFL senior vice president of labor policy Adolpho Birch defended the decision on Mike and Mike this morning is literally beyond me. They dropped the ball and we all know that. Josh Gordon is set to receive a full year suspension for failing a second drug test for a substance that is quickly becoming legal around the nation, but Ray Rice can knock out a woman and just get two games. How lopsided is that? What was even worse for me was John Harbaugh's press conference after it was announced and that the Ravens as a team said they felt shafted by the NFL for announcing the suspension on the first day of training camp. Harbaugh sounded completely idiotic saying that the suspension was "a good lesson for the kids" and all that other nonsense like it wasn't a big deal.
Oh okay John, it's not a big deal that your star running back almost ruined a woman's life. And by the way all this teaches kids is that you can get away with minimal consequences for beating up women. Way to go John. And I get that Baltimore wants to defend their teammate and Ray Rice is important to the team's success but in no way should the Ravens feel shafted by the announcement coming at the start of training camp. You all had to know it was coming, or do you all think what your teammate did was a good thing? Bunch of selfish cry babies man. Sorry your day was ruined cause you lost your running back for two measly games when it should of been eight. Complete garbage man by both the Ravens organization and the NFL. If I'm Josh Gordon, I'm fighting my year suspension till the Super Bowl after all this.  

Ty- 
No. Ray Rice should have received at least a 4 games or 6 game suspensions. The NFL has seemed to completely change the way they dealt with these matters. On one hand I do see why someone would say that the NFL doesn’t have to deal with these manners and should let it play out in the court. Which in Ray Rices case the charges were dropped and his then fiancé has forgiven him and since married Rice. Those facts do complicate the situation but I think that the NFL had a duty to say they weren’t going to tolerate this. This is the same league that disciplined Adam “PacMan” Jones for being in constant nightclub situations without even have been convicted of anything. Yet now they decide to hand out a slap on the wrist. I understand them waiting for the law system to play out because unlike what most people believe people are innocent until proven guilty. But after the investigation they had to take a tougher stand and say that that kind of conduct isn’t tolerated under any circumstance. Instead they choose to perpetuate the notion that women aren’t as important as men. I for one am embarrassed because it reflects badly on myself as a man and it is something women have had to deal with forever and in 2014 we shouldn’t have this issue.