The AFC North could be one of the more competitive divisions in football this season. The Cleveland Browns are an up-and-coming team with some good, young talent. Their in-state rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals, have had experience in the playoffs now and Andy Dalton and A.J. Green are shaping up to be one of the best quarterback/wide receiver combinations in the league.
The Baltimore Ravens added a number of pieces in the offseason to help their struggling offense (Steve Smith and Owen Daniels most notably), while the Pittsburgh Steelers are fighting to remain relevant despite an aging roster, but they will still play their division opponents tough. So, let’s take a look at some of the best games AFC North teams will play all season.
10. Week 17: Browns at Ravens, Dec. 28 at 1 p.m.
At this point, it’s almost impossible to say for sure where either of these teams will be at at the end of the season. But one thing’s for sure, whenever these two teams meet, it’s going to get rough. Sure, the Browns almost always lose to the Ravens, but Jason Campbell was at least able to beat Baltimore last year. If the Ravens are looking to get into the playoffs at this time, Cleveland can at least hope to play spoiler to either a division championship or a Wild Card spot.
9. Week 10: Browns at Bengals, Nov. 6 at 8:25 p.m.
The sad, sad Browns only have one primetime game all season, and it’s this Thursday night game against the Bengals. You’d have to believe Cleveland will be fired up to play at night, while the Bengals will have already played a Sunday night game at this point. The division race will be shaping up by this point, and if the Browns can find a quarterback they could easily be competing with Cincy for the top spot in the AFC North.
8. Week 3: Steelers at Carolina Panthers, Sept. 21 at 8:30 p.m.
Pittsburgh really struggled last year, yet still almost snuck in to the playoffs as a sub-.500 team. If they want to be a competitive team this season, this Week 3 matchup should be a good measuring stick for them. The Panthers start out with a cupcake schedule to start out the year, so they could be sleeping on the Steelers, and getting a win in primetime over a playoff team for Pittsburgh could go a long way toward boosting their confidence for the remainder of the year.
7. Week 16: Denver Broncos at Bengals, Dec. 22 at 8:30 p.m.
By the time Week 16 rolls around, it’s pretty safe to say the Broncos will already have a playoff spot locked up. But who doesn’t love to watch Peyton Manning on national television? The Manning factor is strong in this one, and the Bengals will be looking to pull an upset as they presumably will be fighting for playoff positioning.
6. Week 1: Browns at Steelers, Sept. 7 at 1 p.m.
This is a good game to open up the season for both teams. As previously stated, the Steelers are looking to build some early confidence after their terrible season last year, and the Browns could be a surprise team in the AFC with their strong defense. In Week 1, it’s way too early to say something is a must-win, but whoever wins this game will already have a leg up on the division after just one game, and a lot of confidence heading into other divisional matchups throughout the year.
5. Week 14: Ravens at Dolphins, Nov. 30 at 1 p.m.
If I may take a second to throw up some non-AFC North predictions, the Dolphins could snag a Wild Card spot in the playoffs this year. They play in a fairly easy division sans-New England, and almost had it last year. You have to think Miami was thrown off last season by the Jonathan Martin incident, and they will bounce back this year. The Ravens basically eliminated Miami from playoff contention last year, and they will be looking to exact some revenge while fighting for their playoff lives in this late-season game.
4. Week 12: Ravens at Saints, Nov. 24 at 8:30 p.m.
Like the Denver game, this matchup benefits from the opposing team. The New Orleans Saints are an exciting team to watch in the Superdome at home, and this game will feature two strong (and underrated) defenses. If Joe Flacco wants to live up to his huge contract, he needs to win big-time games against big-time quarterbacks (in this case, Drew Brees).
3. Week 5: Bengals at New England Patriots, Oct. 5 at 8:30 p.m.
Cincinnati has made the playoffs each of the last three years, but each time lost in the Wild Card round. If Dalton wants to take that next step, he needs to start beating playoff-caliber teams, and what a better way to start than the tried and tested Patriots. The Bengals beat New England last season 13-6, but lost very winnable games throughout the season to the Chicago Bears and the Dolphins. They need to start playing more consistent and beating playoff teams before they can actually win in the postseason.
2. Week 5: Ravens at Colts, Oct. 5 at 1 p.m.
The pure name power in this game should be enough to make you tune in. It’s always fun to watch Andrew Luck, and this is a matchup you could easily see in the divisional round of the playoffs. On paper, these are two evenly matched teams, and the receiving corps. of Smith, Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones should be able to carve the poor Indianapolis secondary.
1. Week 1: Bengals at Ravens, Sept. 7 at 1 p.m.
For the last three season, it has always been the Ravens and Bengals battling it out for the top spot in the division. And what better way to get things started than in Week 1? Late-season games can always be hard to get excited about this early on, as you never know who could be injured or what teams will even be good. But in the first week, you know what you’re getting: Two teams who don’t like each other. Coming away with a win in this game will already put one team ahead in the standings and in the tie-breaker going forward.