Breakdown of the AFC contenders (March edition)

any AFC team is necessarily better than the Steelers on offense (as we hope to see them opening day 2010), but need better production from the LBs, massive improvement in the secondary, and a credible running game. And with our aging D, we have to expect injuries – no way around that.

The Jets, Ravens and Colts are three teams who have enough oomph to make life tough for us, and as we saw last year key injuries will make any team tough for us. I’m not a Bengals believer, they’re building a nice team but they have holes.

I’m hoping to see some of last year’s rookies become starters, the draft rarely does anything immediate for the Steelers. I was pleased with Ziggy Hood’s rapid progress.

How will a guy who’s fathered 7 kids with 6 different women in 5 states adjust to life in NYC?

How about fathering 7 kids from 8 different women in 1 state. :) No one can top that.

The Big Ben thing is extremely ominious. I don’t know what we can count on from him this year. Another thing, this D depends so heavily on Troy, it is essential that he be healthy all season long. As last year proves, the rest of the guys back there are exactly that, just guys.

Baltimore 13-3
Steelers 9-7
Bengals 8-8
Browns .5-15.5

I could see Pittsburgh and Baltimore duking it out again, Indy will be dominant until they lose a game in the playoffs, Bengals are slipping back into third where they belong and New England/San Diego are good only in hype these days.

I think the Titans will have a good year, and I think the Giants might bounce back to being a top team, but that’s just a gut thing.

If the Steelers are healthy they’ll be in it at the end. But then that is the case most years.

they seem to improve every year

This is insane. I have known Steelers fans and always seem to be a bit more arrogant than the average fan. I’m not saying you don’t have a right to given the history,but even when things aren’t that rosy you guys still think you’re the cream of the crop. This one is over the top. To list the guys that you have coming back without any mention of guys on other teams coming back, ignoring signings, passing off other teams because every year they look good, ect. is to just completely discredit the entire post. You guys have brought back a couple of role players. You haven’t really added anything and there are holes on the team.

I think the Steelers are still a very strong team, but if no other team scares you then you just aren’t aware that there are 31 other teams that threaten the Steelers. Moreover, the Bengals and the Ravens are in great spots. I think the Bengals have really solidified themselves as contenders. That is if the team can stay healthy. It’s not a question of whether Bryant will be good or not (which is what you limit it to), it’s how he changes what the team can do. He stretches the field. He makes teams respect his downfield presence, somthing that Henry did. Also, they get last year’s sack leader at the time of his injury back. They bring back role players and are capable of drafting any position. TE would be nice, but they have Matt Jones now and don’t really that presence on the line as much. The board is wide open at this point.

Secondly, if you don’t respect what the Ravens are putting together your blinders are too resticting and may just really be a virtual helmet that plays Steelers highlinghts. That team is coming into it’s own on offense. They have a foundation on the defense and need to shed a few players and draft some younger ones, but that team is studded with, well, studs.

Menawhile your franchise quarterback is in hot water. Your MVP on defense is coming off a nagging injury that kept him out for a season. You still have holes in your offensive line ad your defense isn’t what it was a few seasons ago. I’m sure some of those will be fixed, but counting on everything to just come together? Well, good luck with that.

This division will rough each other up and it’s going to be a dogfight to get out of it alive. Trying for a bye, for any team in the AFC north, is going to be rough. Once out, the Chargers have enough talent to run over a team, and the Colts are the defending AFC Champs. The Texans haven’t broken out yet, but if they get that secondary and run game up to snuff (I know, it’s a tall order) They will really be a force too. All of thier players are coming into thier prime and they are getting better step by step. I would say that by the AFC Championship the Steelers will be watching a great game.

is not batter than indy pitt or balt but we couild win the west