I don't hold any weight on talking head predictions outside of the comical entertainment they sometimes provide me.

I did browse the predictions, so far and, naturally every poll I saw has Pittsburgh winning the division.

Who wins the AFC North this year and why?

As I said before, I am not convinced the Bengals can play with enough poise to beat the Steelers. That combined with strength of schedule. I will be rooting for the Bengals, but, at this point, I feel like Pitt will win the division.

If they stay healthy, Pittsburgh could very well have the best offense in the league. Baltimore should be an improved team, as well. When you combine that with the Bengals playing a 1st place schedule, it will be tough for the Bengals to get many predictions as repeating division champs.

Bengals will win it again.

Should have beaten the steelers in playoffs with back up QB even.

Bengals are the better team as long as AJ and Eiffert stay healthy.

The Steelers might have a slightly better offense (if that), but their defense is light years behind ours. The Bengals have a much better all around team than the Steelers. The only reason why the Steelers beat us last year is because Dalton was out, and with him coming back healthy we will be fine. The Bengals could easily go 14-2 this season.

(05-15-2016, 07:30 PM)Brownshoe Wrote: The Steelers might have a slightly better offense (if that), but their defense is light years behind ours. The Bengals have a much better all around team than the Steelers. The only reason why the Steelers beat us last year is because Dalton was out, and with him coming back healthy we will be fine. The Bengals could easily go 14-2 this season.

I consider myself an optimist, when it comes to all things Bengals.  But 14-2??  Really?  They are playing a 1st place schedule, I'm hoping for 12-4 or 11-5. 

Not only are we replacing 2 WRs, but also incorporating a new man into the starting OL.  I'm expecting all the new guys to play well, but realistically there will be a bit of a learning curve.

(05-15-2016, 07:37 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: I consider myself an optimist, when it comes to all things Bengals.  But 14-2??  Really?  They are playing a 1st place schedule, I'm hoping for 12-4 or 11-5. 

Not only are we replacing 2 WRs, but also incorporating a new man into the starting OL.  I'm expecting all the new guys to play well, but realistically there will be a bit of a learning curve.

Let's not act like the NFC east and the AFC east are some amazing divisions. The Ravens are still not that great considering they haven't had a good draft in a while, and a lot of their stars are old as dirt. The Texans and the Broncos aren't that great of teams either. The Broncos lost quite a bit of people from their SB winning team. And the Texans... well they do give us some problems, but we should be able to beat them.

Let's not act like Sanu has really did anything on this team. So really we lost 1 WR in Marvin Jones, but we replaced him with Brandon LaFell who's just as productive, and Tyler Boyd who could possibly be a future star. Andre Smith will be easily replaced by Ogbuehi.

14-2 is easily possible. I remember making a prediction thread before the 2015 season and everyone said those predictions were absurd, and most of them came true, or would have if Dalton would have stayed healthy.

I still haven't figured out how people act like losing Martaviois Bryant isn't a big deal. Wheaton showed a couple flashes but has disappeared plenty. Sammie Coates is still unproven, yet people act like their WR groups is amazing. Without Bryant it is no better than any of the other crew of one super star and a bunch of other guys.

(05-15-2016, 08:26 PM)Au165 Wrote: I still haven't figured out how people act like losing Martaviois Bryant isn't a big deal. Wheaton showed a couple flashes but has disappeared plenty. Sammie Coates is still unproven, yet people act like their WR groups is amazing. Without Bryant it is no better than any of the other crew of one super star and a bunch of other guys.

The Steelers obviously aren't concerned about their WR stock.  They didn't take a WR until the 7th round, and he's a short, slow guy, who's best hope is to make the team for ST/ret man.

(05-15-2016, 08:26 PM)Au165 Wrote: I still haven't figured out how people act like losing Martaviois Bryant isn't a big deal. Wheaton showed a couple flashes but has disappeared plenty. Sammie Coates is still unproven, yet people act like their WR groups is amazing. Without Bryant it is no better than any of the other crew of one super star and a bunch of other guys.

It is going to hurt them, but they still have Ben, Brown, and Bell. Those three players could carry any offense. Wheaton had about the same stats as Marvin Jones did last year, so I'm not going to underestimate him. Their offensive line will be healthy again, and that's going to help their offense also. The Steelers still have a very good offense, but that still doesn't make me think that they're going to be better than us.

(05-15-2016, 08:32 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: The Steelers obviously aren't concerned about their WR stock.  They didn't take a WR until the 7th round, and he's a short, slow guy, who's best hope is to make the team for ST/ret man.

Maybe not concerned but their WR core could be secondary to our WR core when you factor in losing Bryant plus Big Bens safety net "Miller" retired and the lack of additions by the Steelers in the off season.  So what do you think about comparing below

1. Bryant slight add over Green
2. Lafell  slight edge over Wheaton
3. No proven 3rd TBA with Boyd, Core ect v. Coates Heyward Bey
4. Eiffert big edge over James.

I actually would take our WR/TE core over Steelers on paper.

(05-15-2016, 09:26 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: Maybe not concerned but their WR core could be secondary to our WR core when you factor in losing Bryant plus Big Bens safety net "Miller" retired and the lack of additions by the Steelers in the off season.  So what do you think about comparing below

1. Bryant slight add over Green
2. Lafell  slight edge over Wheaton
3. No proven 3rd TBA with Boyd, Core ect v. Coates Heyward Bey
4. Eiffert big edge over James.

I actually would take our WR/TE core over Steelers on paper.

How is Lafell better than Wheaton?

(05-15-2016, 09:30 PM)Nately120 Wrote: How is Lafell better than Wheaton?

Yeah, I'm not gettin' this either.  Show me some stats to prove Lafell is better.

(05-15-2016, 09:33 PM)Tiger Teeth Wrote: Yeah, I'm not gettin' this either.  Show me some stats to prove Lafell is better.

Just a quick glance shows Wheaton to be younger, less injury-prone, more productive (5 TDs to 0), returning to a familiar system vs. being in a new one, and so on.

(05-15-2016, 09:33 PM)Tiger Teeth Wrote: Yeah, I'm not gettin' this either.  Show me some stats to prove Lafell is better.

Quite easy

LaFell average yards 770, average TDs 4
Wheaton average yards 492, average TDs 2

That's including last season for LaFell when he was out for a big portion of the year.

(05-15-2016, 09:26 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: Maybe not concerned but their WR core could be secondary to our WR core when you factor in losing Bryant plus Big Bens safety net "Miller" retired and the lack of additions by the Steelers in the off season.  So what do you think about comparing below

1. Bryant slight add over Green
2. Lafell  slight edge over Wheaton
3. No proven 3rd TBA with Boyd, Core ect v. Coates Heyward Bey
4. Eiffert big edge over James.

I actually would take our WR/TE core over Steelers on paper.

Do you mean Antonio Brown?  No, I would consider him equal to AJ Green.  However, I'm thinking that you are wrong about LaFell being better than Wheaton.  Until one of our new players steps up and shows on game day, I'm still giving the edge in WR corps to the Steelers, on paper anyway.
 
TE, is a bit of a different story...

(05-15-2016, 09:38 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Just a quick glance shows Wheaton to be younger, less injury-prone, more productive (5 TDs to 0), returning to a familiar system vs. being in a new one, and so on.

LaFell has been very healthy throughout his career. He had an injury last season, but the rest of the time he's played the vast majority of the time. Last year was the only year LaFell didn't get any TDs, and every other year he's improved in that category. In 2014 he had 7 TDs.

(05-15-2016, 09:41 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Do you mean Antonio Brown?  No, I would consider him equal to AJ Green.  However, I'm thinking that you are wrong about LaFell being better than Wheaton.  Until one of our new players steps up and shows on game day, I'm still giving the edge in WR corps to the Steelers, on paper anyway.
 
TE, is a bit of a different story...

Brown is better than Green, and LaFell is better than Wheaton.

(05-15-2016, 09:41 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Do you mean Antonio Brown?  No, I would consider him equal to AJ Green.  However, I'm thinking that you are wrong about LaFell being better than Wheaton.  Until one of our new players steps up and shows on game day, I'm still giving the edge in WR corps to the Steelers, on paper anyway.
 
TE, is a bit of a different story...

Brown yes.. but i still give edge to Lafell coming in over Wheaton.. Lafell has been in the position of being a starter, Wheaton has not.. and has show some real lapses of judgements... and less be honest.. you have to factor TEs into WR cores now.. you tell me any bigger difference when comparing Steelers WR v. Bengals WR than Eiffert over James.. nothing is close

(05-15-2016, 09:41 PM)Brownshoe Wrote: Quite easy

LaFell average yards 770, average TDs 4
Wheaton average yards 492, average TDs 2

That's including last season for LaFell when he was out for a big portion of the year.

I suppose it depends on what you look at.  Wheaton has shown steady improvement each year and he's in a familiar system while Lafell is trying to recover from a terrible season, was a FA, and is headed to a new team and system. 

Also, to check your numbers:

Lafell has 3,853 yards and 20 TDs in 6 seasons which is an average of 642 yards and 3.33 TDs.  Better than Wheaton, but there is an upward trend in Wheaton's performances and Lafell is trying to dig himself out of a hole.  Not saying he can't do it, but I'm not so sure I can objectively give him the nod yet.

Hell, we are going to spend the entire offseason talking about how Core, Alford, and Wright are going to knock Lafell out on his arse!

(05-15-2016, 09:41 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Do you mean Antonio Brown?  No, I would consider him equal to AJ Green.  However, I'm thinking that you are wrong about LaFell being better than Wheaton.  Until one of our new players steps up and shows on game day, I'm still giving the edge in WR corps to the Steelers, on paper anyway.
 
TE, is a bit of a different story...

Lets have some fun here.. Lets go 4 wide for both teams.

Left side:  Green/ Boyd v  Brown /Coates

Right side:  Eiffert/Lafell v.  Wheaton/ ?  James or Bey... 

Who looks stronger... BENGALS