With the NFL season right around the corner (crossing fingers, toes, and nose), I am going to kick off a series where I breakdown each division in the NFL. Recap the key additions, subtractions from the offseason and tell you what you should bet on the Over/Under for each team.
Today I am going to transition into the the AFC North and tackle the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns.
Key Additions: Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins, Vonn Bell, D.J. Reader, Trae Waynes, Logan Wilson, Akeem Davis-Gaither
Key Subtractions: Andy Dalton, Tyler Eifert, Cordy Glenn, Andrew Billings, John Miller
Last years record: 2-14
Strength of Schedule: .477 (27th)
Vegas Over/Under Win Total: 5.5
Andy Dalton is out and the Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow is in, and for the first time since 2011, Dalton will not be the signal-caller on opening day.
This team has a lot of firepower by adding Tee Higgins through the draft, the return of AJ Green, Tyler Boyd, and stud running back Joe Mixon, Burrow has an arsenal in his first season in Zac Taylor’s offense. Last year’s first-round pick offensive lineman Jonah Williams who missed all of 2019 will be back, and the line should be secured up and keep Burrow from being sacked a ton.
Defensively, this is where it gets dicey. The front seven should be fine led by Dunlap and Atkins, the secondary is where we could have some issues. They added Waynes from the Vikings, which will help, but overall, I am not sure this defense will be able to withstand this division.
The Verdict:
Bengals Over/Under 5.5: Over, but I am cautious about betting it hard
2020 Record: 8-8
I think the Bengals overachieve a little bit in 2020 due to the easy schedule. I believe Burrow will put them over the top with his ability in 2020 on his way to winning the Rookie of the Year with ease.
Key Additions: Jack Conklin, Austin Hooper, Case Keenum, Adrian Clayborn, Andrew Billings, Kevin Johnson, Andrew Sendejo, Jedrick Wills Jr., Grant Delpit
Key Subtractions: Drew Stanton, Christian Kirksey, Joe Schobert, Damarious Randall
Last years record: 6-10
Strength of Schedule: .461 (29th)
Vegas Over/Under Win Total: 8.5
The Browns have had a hell of an offseason, and not a lot of people are talking about it. The additions far out weight the subtractions here with some big-time moves to help Baker Mayfield improve in 2020. They stole Jack Conklin from the Titans, snagged Austin Hooper from the Falcons, and beefed up the O-line in the draft by adding Jedrick Wills Jr.
Nick Chubb, OBJ, Jarvis Landry, Austin Hooper, and Kareem Hunt, the excuses for 2020 will be short-lived if Mayfield can’t produce with this talent. One thing we will need to see improvement in 2020 is the turnovers. He turned the ball over 26 times a year ago, throwing an interception in 13 out of the 16 games last year.
The Verdict:
Browns Over/Under 8.5: Over, but staying away.
2020 Record: 10-6
The Browns have had a hell of an offseason, and not a lot of people are talking about it. The additions far out weight the subtractions here with some big-time moves to help Baker Mayfield improve in 2020. They stole Jack Conklin from the Titans, snagged Austin Hooper from the Falcons, and beefed up the O-line in the draft by adding Jedrick Wills Jr.
Nick Chubb, OBJ, Jarvis Landry, Austin Hooper, and Kareem Hunt, the excuses for 2020 will be short-lived if Mayfield can’t produce with this talent. One thing we will need to see improvement in 2020 is the turnovers. He turned the ball over 26 times a year ago, throwing an interception in 13 out of the 16 games last year.
This season lives and dies by Baker, and I believe this is the year we see him take that next step.
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