Whoever wins the AFC North will be a tough team to play in play-offs.......Both Ravens and Steelers have DEFENSE......Ravens have Steve Smith back and Steelers have Big Ben back.....Both teams can run and pass......Baltimore has a great kicker......Ravens or Steelers can beat any team in the AFC......So this thing of saying how weak the AFC North is, well don't you bet on it.......Ravens or Steelers can mop up the floor with AFC South winner and can beat any team in AFC West or AFC East....Baltimore or Pittsburg are not teams you want to play in the play-offs. These teams have a habit of going to Super Bowl and are not easily beaten. ......Whoever wins the AFC North will be one tough team.

Generally, I would agree. Except for NE. PIT or BAL 'could' beat NE, but only in the same way the CLE 'could' beat CIN (i.e. it 'could' happen, but it probably won't.)

(11-25-2016, 10:49 AM)Bengalzona Wrote: Generally, I would agree. Except for NE. PIT or BAL 'could' beat NE, but only in the same way the CLE 'could' beat CIN (i.e. it 'could' happen, but it probably won't.)

I don't agree.   I have seen better New England teams......I'm saying the Chiefs, Raiders, Broncos, whoever wins the AFC South and the Patriots will find Baltimore or Pittsburg AFC North Champs one damn tough team....Great defenses, Great Quarterbacks, Great Coaches, Can beat you in the trenches, Many offensive weapons now, and both know how to get to the Super Bowl.....Both can play in cold weather....both have the defenses to beat Patriots. ....and it may be Patriots not even in AFC Championship Game....There are some good teams in this thing......Baltimore is out front, but if Steelers catch them that means they got red hot.....We Bengals fans know what a bear it is to play Steelers in play-offs and Baltimore is more of the same.

(11-25-2016, 02:03 PM)kevin Wrote: I don't agree.   I have seen better New England teams......I'm saying the Chiefs, Raiders, Broncos, whoever wins the AFC South and the Patriots will find Baltimore or Pittsburg AFC North Champs one damn tough team....Great defenses, Great Quarterbacks, Great Coaches, Can beat you in the trenches, Many offensive weapons now, and both know how to get to the Super Bowl.....Both can play in cold weather....both have the defenses to beat Patriots. ....and it may be Patriots not even in AFC Championship Game....There are some good teams in this thing......Baltimore is out front, but if Steelers catch them that means they got red hot.....We Bengals fans know what a bear it is to play Steelers in play-offs and Baltimore is more of the same.

I think the Steelers will be the best representative of the division. But I don't think they have a great defense. If the offense is hot they might beat the pats in a close one.  I think Baltimore does have a tough defense, but the offense is only tough when they are psyched for the Steelers.  I don't see Baltimore beating Denver or KC.

Steelers will likely win the division and beat the first wild card team at home, but unless they get "hot" in December, i don't see them getting past the divisional round.

And this is a tough Pats team this year.

Looking at the schedule Ravens at 5-5 and a hard schedule.....but Steelers with Big Ben back and Bell running great have a schedule to go 11-5 or 10-6.....If Steelers get hot and win their last 7 games they are always a team that can go Super Bowl. ....but their 2 wins have been Browns and Colts without Luck, so they have to prove a lot more....If they beat Giants, Bills, Bengals, Ravens and Browns and finish 11-5 they will host a play-off game in Pittsburg and win that and the probably play at winner of AFC West. ....As a Bengals Fan I'm telling you all that nobody wants to play Steelers in play-offs if they are healthy and on a roll and same goes for Ravens if they win the Division...Now if the wildest thing would happen and Bengals win Division, do I have to remind anybody of our play-off record. No, I don't see Bengals doing much, but with just 3 wins, Bengals may not even beat the Browns next week. ..

Just because the Browns and Bengals stink doesn't mean Steelers or Ravens can't get healthy and hot and be one tough play-off team. The odds are it will be The Steelers. I hate the Steelers, but they do go to Super Bowls...I look at Chiefs, Raiders, Broncos, Patriots and have to say the Steelers I hate can beat any of them when they are healthy and on a roll. Big Ben is pretty darn good.

If the Steelers beat Giants and Bills and go to 8-5 watch out...They may clobber my Bengals, win a tough one over Ravens and just destroy Browns to go 11-5 and no AFC West Wild Card is going to win in Pittsburg in round one. Steelers would go on to round two. Unlike my Bengals, they win play-off games.

(11-25-2016, 10:49 AM)Bengalzona Wrote: Generally, I would agree. Except for NE. PIT or BAL 'could' beat NE, but only in the same way the CLE 'could' beat CIN (i.e. it 'could' happen, but it probably won't.)

Until the 4th quarter we were within 1 point of NE while Landry Jones was at the helm.

Ravens can win on defense alone. Steelers can win on offense alone. Neither is a complete team, but they could take on a WC team at home and it wouldn't be a cakewalk for the WC team with a better record. A lot of teams in the AFC have holes.

The Broncos offense is mostly silent but they did have an incredible 2nd half last night. Unfortunately, poor situational football lost them the game. Which brings us to the Chiefs, who have no offense. The Raiders have no defense and keep games tight against not so great teams. The Ravens were one 4th down stop away from beating them.

The Titans, Colts, and Texans all have trouble pulling away in games and keeping up with teams over .500.

The Patriots are the best team in the AFC. Brady is 6-1 outscoring opponents an average of 30 to 19. Miami and Buffalo are hot and cold.

New England poses the biggest threat to either. Flacco is 2-2 in New England in the Playoffs. Ben has only faced the Patriots once in the playoffs, losing 27-41 at home.

The thing is, the Ravens and Steelers have lost too many games they shouldn't have lost.

Ravens: Oakland, Washington, New York, and New York. 3 were games where they held the lead late in the 4th quarter.
Steelers: Eagles and Dolphins.

(11-28-2016, 12:30 PM)SteelCitySouth Wrote: Until the 4th quarter we were within 1 point of NE while Landry Jones was at the helm.

Not bad. But if I remember right from our game, we actually had a lead on NE in the Third Quarter... about the same time Brady remembered that all he had to do was just keep throwing the ball to Gronk.

I think PIT and BAL would have a chance to win against NE (a better chance than the Bengals right now). I just think the odds would be pretty heavy on NE for the reason Bmore mentioned below.

(11-28-2016, 02:53 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: The thing is, the Ravens and Steelers have lost too many games they shouldn't have lost.

Ravens: Oakland, Washington, New York, and New York. 3 were games where they held the lead late in the 4th quarter.
Steelers: Eagles and Dolphins.

I agree. It is also possible that either team could get into a groove. But neither has shown signs so far this season.

That said, I think both will make it to the playoffs.

(11-28-2016, 03:54 PM)Bengalzona Wrote: Not bad. But if I remember right from our game, we actually had a lead on NE in the Third Quarter... about the same time Brady remembered that all he had to do was just keep throwing the ball to Gronk.

Landry......Fn'.....Jones  

(11-28-2016, 02:53 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: The thing is, the Ravens and Steelers have lost too many games they shouldn't have lost.

Steelers: Eagles and Dolphins.

You can make a case for Dallas. Steelers had them beat at the end if it wasn't for that 15 yard face mask and blown coverage.

(11-28-2016, 03:54 PM)Bengalzona Wrote: Not bad. But if I remember right from our game, we actually had a lead on NE in the Third Quarter... about the same time Brady remembered that all he had to do was just keep throwing the ball to Gronk.

With this being an option Brady no longer has at his disposal, the door is opened just a little wider for whichever AFC North team makes it in. 

(12-06-2016, 05:18 PM)JS-Steelerfan Wrote: With this being an option Brady no longer has at his disposal, the door is opened just a little wider for whichever AFC North team makes it in. 

Maybe. He was all they needed to beat the Bengals. But I have no doubt they have some other tricks up their sleeve.

Meanwhile...

"At #12 in the 2017 NFL draft, Cincinnati selects.... Nick Saban from Alabama!"

(12-06-2016, 06:49 PM)Bengalzona Wrote: Maybe. He was all they needed to beat the Bengals. But I have no doubt they have some other tricks up their sleeve.

Meanwhile...

"At #12 in the 2017 NFL draft, Cincinnati selects.... Nick Saban from Alabama!"

:andy: :andy: :andy:

(11-28-2016, 06:22 PM)SteelCitySouth Wrote: Landry......Fn'.....Jones  

And the Patriots went 3-1 with Jacoby Brissett and Jimmy Garoppolo under center. It's more than just any one player that equals a win or a loss.

Add in that most teams have that moment where they "play down" to their opponent... 

(12-08-2016, 12:06 AM)Murdock2420 Wrote: And the Patriots went 3-1 with Jacoby Brissett and Jimmy Garoppolo under center. It's more than just any one player that equals a win or a loss.

Add in that most teams have that moment where they "play down" to their opponent... 

Texans, Dolphins, Cards

Only one team with a winning record.  It's not like they went up against arguably the best team in the AFC and nearly beat them with Landry Jones.  By the way their one loss...a team with a losing record.

(12-08-2016, 11:36 AM)SteelCitySouth Wrote: Texans, Dolphins, Cards

Only one team with a winning record.  It's not like they went up against arguably the best team in the AFC and nearly beat them with Landry Jones.  By the way their one loss...a team with a losing record.

I'd rather go into a game with Landry Jones who has had a few seasons in the system than use Jacoby Brisset regardless of the opponent. 

The road to the Super Bowl in the AFC goes through New England this year, and no team from this pathetic season of AFC North play or any team from the AFC South scares New England.

Denver's D and Oakland, those are the two teams that have a legit chance of knocking the Patriots off this season.

(12-08-2016, 11:36 AM)SteelCitySouth Wrote: Texans, Dolphins, Cards

Only one team with a winning record.  It's not like they went up against arguably the best team in the AFC and nearly beat them with Landry Jones.  By the way their one loss...a team with a losing record.

As much as the Steelers generally don't have much of a chance against the Patriots regardless

1. We did come within one late 4th quarter possession of a win with Jones at qb.
2. Gronk is out for the season
3. Two rookies are now starting in our secondary and they actually have the ability to cover players and make tackles - unlike the first time we played the Patriots this year

Stealers have soft balls.....

http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/new-york-giants-pittsburgh-steelers-deflated-footballs-sunday-alert-nfl-121116

Reality is no team from the AFC West that is going to the Playoffs nor the Patriots have any fear at all about playing any team that gets in from the AFC North. The Raiders, Chiefs, Patriots and even the Broncos are just better teams than whoever wins the North or the South.