05-04-2022, 08:48 PM
I was thinking about the drafts and free agency within the division today, and it occurred to me that the AFC North is becoming a sort of war of philosophies on offense. I don't know if it's deliberate, but we seem to have two primary schools of thought emerging, each reflected by two teams:
Everything we do is about running the ball.
Both Cleveland and Baltimore have experienced almost irrefutable downgrades this offseason in terms of pass-receiving talent. The Browns replaced Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry with solely Amari Cooper, and the Ravens traded away Marquise Brown. Neither team addressed their holes at receiver meaningfully in the draft. The Ravens did add tight end depth, but that doesn't figure to move the needle much when Mark Andrews is already their biggest remaining target barring a Rashod Bateman breakout.
Moreover, both teams drafted running backs this year despite already boasting deep running back groups. The Browns added Jerome Ford (5th round) to what might have already been the deepest group in the league with Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, and D'Ernest Johnson. They also obviously brought in Deshaun Watson, a quarterback that adds a strong running dimension. The Ravens added Tyler Badie (6th round) despite already having a high-ceiling duo in J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards (and Lamar Jackson can put up 1,000 yards himself).
Mobile quarterbacks, deep offensive lines, endless stables of running backs, and weak receiving groups -- Baltimore and Cleveland are both taking that approach to its limit.
We're here to throw the ball over your heads.
We already know what the Bengals are and what they can be. They're an admirably balanced outfit with Mixon, but still -- their most lethal offensive potential comes by way of Joe Burrow and one of the league's best group of starting wide receivers. I figure that "let Joe cook" philosophy will be even more pronounced in 2022 with the knee injury further in the past and an MVP-caliber season already in his resume, especially while Chase makes his case as the best receiver in the NFL. The Bengals are going to throw the ball, and they're going to expect to dominate opponents by doing so.
The Steelers look to me like they're trying to build something similar. Najee Harris may become a bigger share of their offense than Mixon is of the Bengals', but the common ground is that they're irrefutably feature backs. The Steelers drafted two receivers this year (George Pickens in the 2nd round and Calvin Austin in the 4th round), which should complement what was already at least a decent group with Dionte Johnson and Chase Claypool. Then, of course, they took Kenny Pickett in the first round -- a guy that has already said that he tries to emulate Joe Burrow as a quarterback. There's some skillset and habitual overlap between the two, primarily in that they are mobile within the pocket and throw accurate balls. Pickett's small hands even recall Joe's two years ago (albeit Pickett's are half an inch smaller). I don't think Pickett is going to be Joe Burrow or even close, but that could be described as his best-case scenario.
Cerebral quarterbacks who are mobile as passers with team-building emphasis on the outside at receiver before the inside on the line and high-emphasis feature backs -- Cincinnati and Pittsburgh both fit this description.
In this way, right now I kind of see Cleveland as a poor-man's Baltimore and Pittsburgh as a poor-man's Cincinnati.
Everything we do is about running the ball.
Both Cleveland and Baltimore have experienced almost irrefutable downgrades this offseason in terms of pass-receiving talent. The Browns replaced Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry with solely Amari Cooper, and the Ravens traded away Marquise Brown. Neither team addressed their holes at receiver meaningfully in the draft. The Ravens did add tight end depth, but that doesn't figure to move the needle much when Mark Andrews is already their biggest remaining target barring a Rashod Bateman breakout.
Moreover, both teams drafted running backs this year despite already boasting deep running back groups. The Browns added Jerome Ford (5th round) to what might have already been the deepest group in the league with Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, and D'Ernest Johnson. They also obviously brought in Deshaun Watson, a quarterback that adds a strong running dimension. The Ravens added Tyler Badie (6th round) despite already having a high-ceiling duo in J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards (and Lamar Jackson can put up 1,000 yards himself).
Mobile quarterbacks, deep offensive lines, endless stables of running backs, and weak receiving groups -- Baltimore and Cleveland are both taking that approach to its limit.
We're here to throw the ball over your heads.
We already know what the Bengals are and what they can be. They're an admirably balanced outfit with Mixon, but still -- their most lethal offensive potential comes by way of Joe Burrow and one of the league's best group of starting wide receivers. I figure that "let Joe cook" philosophy will be even more pronounced in 2022 with the knee injury further in the past and an MVP-caliber season already in his resume, especially while Chase makes his case as the best receiver in the NFL. The Bengals are going to throw the ball, and they're going to expect to dominate opponents by doing so.
The Steelers look to me like they're trying to build something similar. Najee Harris may become a bigger share of their offense than Mixon is of the Bengals', but the common ground is that they're irrefutably feature backs. The Steelers drafted two receivers this year (George Pickens in the 2nd round and Calvin Austin in the 4th round), which should complement what was already at least a decent group with Dionte Johnson and Chase Claypool. Then, of course, they took Kenny Pickett in the first round -- a guy that has already said that he tries to emulate Joe Burrow as a quarterback. There's some skillset and habitual overlap between the two, primarily in that they are mobile within the pocket and throw accurate balls. Pickett's small hands even recall Joe's two years ago (albeit Pickett's are half an inch smaller). I don't think Pickett is going to be Joe Burrow or even close, but that could be described as his best-case scenario.
Cerebral quarterbacks who are mobile as passers with team-building emphasis on the outside at receiver before the inside on the line and high-emphasis feature backs -- Cincinnati and Pittsburgh both fit this description.
In this way, right now I kind of see Cleveland as a poor-man's Baltimore and Pittsburgh as a poor-man's Cincinnati.
