This is part of an ongoing 8-part series where the Steel City Underground team takes their stab at predicting the 2016 NFL season.

This edition focuses on the AFC North.

2015 Finish	Brian	Terry	Joe	Josh
CIN	PIT	PIT	PIT	PIT
PIT	CIN	BAL	CIN	CIN
BAL	BAL	CLE	BAL	BAL
CLE	CLE	CIN	CLE	CLE

Finally, we pick the Steelers’ division, and of course, no real surprises here. Let’s see what the panel full of biased “homers” thought about the AFC North!

Joe

We all knew my pick would be Pittsburgh. The last two years I made these predictions, I swapped Cincy and Pittsburgh, and got them backwards both times. Let’s hope that’s not the case this year, as I think Cincinnati has enough to play for a Wild Card spot, but tend to think the change in OC is going to affect them. Tyler Eifert needs to be on the field, as he’s the only proven difference maker in their passing game other than A.J. Green.

The Ravens are throwing everything at the wall and hoping something will stick. WR? Check. TE? Check. RB? Check. Yep, no clear definition of who can and will step up for them, so they just stuck with EVERYONE. This could’ve easily been Pittsburgh, so a few yinzers should acknowledge that Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin did a fine job rebuilding, whereas Baltimore stumbled on several drafts and allowed longtime staples to leave.

Cleveland… could surprise a bit. If RG3 is healthy, I think he does okay there. Josh Gordon looks like his old self. They get him back in Week 5. Don’t sleep on Ray Horton‘s defensive schemes, but do knock yourself out that they cleaned house on every player on that side of the ball worth any value, in an attempt to move back to Horton’s previous system that was eradicated after stint 1 in Cleveland.

Brian

I would pick the Steelers first even if we had the Browns roster.

I would make this pick if we had my local high school JV roster.

Black and Gold ‘Til I’m Dead and Cold!

It’s easy to make this pick this year though because they are better than anyone else in this division, and all of those people who say the Bengals have more talent, they are the ones smoking crack. The Bengals are the second most talented team in the division. Pittsburgh is first.

I say the Bengals have the second most talent in the division, and I think they do. I do think that some of the losses in free agency will impact them this year, and they might slip just a hair. I won’t be surprised if they are a wild card team, and I won’t be surprised if they aren’t. I will be surprised if they do better than 2nd in the division.

Ravens third – because I can’t pick the Browns. I just can’t. The Ravens will be better this year than last year, but I’m still not thinking they will be contenders. If they put it all together and the Bengals slip a bit, maybe they manage 2nd. I don’t see it though.

The Browns… anyone who thinks they finish higher is smoking crack.

Terry

Big Ben and company… enough said.

Baltimore will be tough this season. A healthy Flacco and a newly acquired Mike Wallace should be able to find 9 wins, but they are thin at RB so it’s a crap shoot.

RG3, the new starting QB in Cleveland, is out to prove he belongs in the NFL. Let’s see if he does. Chemistry with back-from-the-suspension list Josh Gordon, and converted WR Terrelle Pryor, will be interesting to see. T

They have a few decent players in running back in Duke Johnson Jr., and tight end Gary Barnidge, so Robert Griffin III has some weapons. I predict they go 8-8.

Cincy will implode as they always do, but it will be earlier this year.