AFC NORTH MIDSEASON REVISITED

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

The Pittsburgh Steelers finished the first half of the season with a 5-2-1 record. Here’s a look at how they have fared and what’s ahead:

First-half rewind: This season has stayed true to the Steelers' identity, mixing brilliant moments with curious lapses. A three-game winning streak quelled concerns after a 1-2-1 start. The offensive line was tremendous in October, helping James Conner post three straight 100-yard rushing games while Ben Roethlisberger took one sack. The defense was among the league's worst through the first four weeks, keeping the Steelers from an above-average grade, but things have settled down with more defined roles on third downs. Five different players have at least 2.5 sacks, led by T.J. Watt with seven. And JuJu Smith-Schuster has become an upper-tier receiver on pace for nearly 1,400 yards. 

Grade: A

What has to happen for the Steelers to make the playoffs? Have Baltimore fall into mediocrity and beat Cincinnati in Week 17. A wild-card berth for the AFC North is no layup after strong starts by the Patriots, Chiefs, Chargers and Texans, so the Steelers need more separation from the Ravens and Bengals. The Steelers have lost a combined six straight games at Oakland and Denver, two places they travel over the final six weeks. They need at least one win on that swing.

Here's how I see the rest of the Pittsburgh Steelers season playing out.

DATE	OPP.	W-L
Nov. 8	vs. Panthers	W
Nov. 18	at Jaguars	W
Nov. 25	at Broncos	L
Dec. 2	vs. Chargers	L
Dec. 9	at Raiders	W
Dec. 16	vs. Patriots	W
Dec. 23	at Saints	L
Dec. 30	vs. Bengals	W

Final season record 10-5-1

MVP: Roethlisberger. This race isn't so clear-cut because several playmakers -- from Brown to Smith-Schuster to Conner -- have put up big numbers but haven't carried the team to victories, either. The offensive line has been collectively good. Watt and Joe Haden are among the defensive standouts, but the unit was too shaky as a whole early in the season. That leaves Roethlisberger, who has had issues keeping the ball (seven interceptions, five fumbles) but is sixth in the league in passing entering Week 9 (2,290 yards) and is flirting with 700 passing attempts on the season.

Hurdle to overcome: The Steelers stood pat at the trade deadline, leaving uncertainty at cornerback opposite Haden. Third-year corner Artie Burns has struggled mightily, leaving veteran Coty Sensabaugh and Cam Sutton to fill out the rotation at that spot. Is this a championship-level defense with the secondary intact? The Steelers hope a versatile third-down package with safety Morgan Burnett, linebacker L.J. Fort and others can offset the lack of high-level corners.

BALTIMORE RAVENS

The Baltimore Ravens finished the first half of the season with a 4-5 record. Here’s a look at how they have fared and what’s ahead:

First-half rewind: The Ravens looked like one of the top teams in the AFC, jumping out to a 3-1 start. But Baltimore did its usual fade in October, watching each phase suffer a breakdown. Justin Tucker missed his first extra point in a loss to New Orleans. The NFL's top-ranked defense looked vulnerable in a loss at Carolina. Joe Flacco and the offense struggled to get into the end zone in a loss to Pittsburgh. This three-game losing streak has shrunk the Ravens' margin for error in the second half of the season. 

Grade: C

What has to happen for the Ravens to make the playoffs? The Ravens need to get healthy (especially along the offensive line), break out of their offensive funk and create more turnovers on defense to end a three-game losing streak at the bye and turn their season AROUND. Baltimore is currently 1.5 games back of the Cincinnati Bengals for the sixth and final playoff spot in the AFC. If the Ravens can reach the postseason, they would end a three-year playoff drought. If they don’t, the 11-year run for Coach John Harbaugh and Flacco likely will come to an end. The pressure has never been greater for the best quarterback-coach tandem in franchise history.

Revised game-by-game predictions

Here's how Baltimore Ravens reporter Jamison Hensley sees the season playing out.

DATE	OPP.	W-L
Nov. 18	vs. Bengals	L
Nov. 25	vs. Raiders	W
Dec. 2	at Falcons	L
Dec. 9	at Chiefs	L
Dec. 16	vs. Bucs	W
Dec. 22	at LAC	L
Dec. 30	vs. Browns	W

Final Season Record 7-9

MVP: Flacco. The former Super Bowl Most Valuable Player remains the biggest barometer of success for the Ravens. In four wins, Flacco has seven touchdowns and one interception (101.0 rating). In five losses, he has thrown five touchdowns and five interceptions (76.1 rating). It sets up for a strong finish for Flacco. All eight remaining opponents rank in the bottom half of the NFL in pass defense, including five of the bottom six (Cleveland, Kansas City, Atlanta, Tampa Bay and Cincinnati).

Biggest surprise: Running game. The Ravens plummeted from No. 11 last season to No. 27 in the NFL. It’s been a combination of factors, from inconsistent blocking to a lack of burst from the running backs. Alex Collins is averaging less than 4 yards per carry, and Buck Allen is less than 3 yards per attempt. Baltimore is the only team without a running back who has recorded a run longer than 20 yards. Without a running attack, the Ravens have had to lean heavily on Flacco.

Hurdle to overcome: Winning on the road. Since winning the Super Bowl, the Ravens are among the NFL’s worst road teams. Baltimore is 16-29 (.356) away from M&T Bank Stadium the past 5.5 seasons. The Ravens are likely going to need to win once or twice in their final three road games. They have to travel to play the Atlanta Falcons, Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers, all of whom are a combined 10-3 (.769) at home this season. Since 2015, the Ravens have won once on the road in December (at the Browns last season).

CINCINNATI BENGALS

The Cincinnati Bengals finished the first half of the season with a 5-3 record. Here’s a look at how they have fared and what’s ahead:

First-half rewind: The Bengals' grade for the first half of the season is based on two factors. Their record is certainly better at this point than it has been the past two seasons, and the offense has made a marked improvement from 2017. They've also closed out some tough games they might not have closed out before. However, it certainly teeters between the above average/average grade when their defense comes into consideration. The defense gave up a last-minute touchdown to the Steelers and has given up at least 480 yards in each of the past three games. That's a big problem. 

Grade: B

Biggest factor in making a deep playoff run: Injuries and defense. If the Bengals can get some players healthy and improve their defense significantly, they should be able to get to the playoffs. But as always with this team, the question is, what can they do once they get there? Marvin Lewis' 0-7 playoff record looms large, and the defense is going to have to make a remarkable turnaround to get to the playoffs and knock another team out.

Here's how Cincinnati Bengals reporter Katherine Terrell sees the season playing out.

DATE	OPP.	W-L
Nov. 11	vs. Saints	L
Nov. 18	at Ravens	W
Nov. 25	vs. Browns	W
Dec. 2	vs. Broncos	W
Dec. 9	at Chargers	L
Dec. 16	vs. Raiders	W
Dec. 23	at Browns	W
Dec. 30	at Steelers	L

Final Season Record 10-6

MVP: As always, A.J. Green remains one of the most important players on the team. If the team has to make a last-minute drive to win the game, Green has always been the go-to guy, and that's why it's so concerning he could miss at least two games with a toe injury that occurred before the bye. The offense is already depleted enough, and none of the receivers have stepped up outside of Green and Boyd. The offense could struggle in a major way without him.

Biggest surprise: Tyler Boyd. The third-year wide receiver has taken a big step forward and has continued the upward trend he began in the final game of the 2017 season. Surprisingly, he leads the team with 59 catches and trails only Green with 620 yards and five receiving touchdowns. Outside of Green, Boyd has been the biggest contributor to the offense and has had a fantastic year.

Hurdle to overcome: The linebackers need to play better, and that starts with Vontaze Burfict. Burfict hasn't done much this year after starting the season on suspension and getting injured right before the bye. Burfict needs to live up to the contract extension they gave him last year. The Bengals need to get Nick Vigil healthy, and the unit overall needs to take a step up if they're going to be able to stop the run, which has been one of its issues this year.

CLEVELAND BROWNS

The Cleveland Browns finished the first half of the season with a 2-6-1 record. Here’s a look at how they have fared and what’s ahead:

First-half rewind: Perhaps expectations were too high for a team coming off a winless season, but when the Browns got to .500 after an overtime victory over Baltimore, excitement was on a rampage. Three games later, the Browns were 2-5-1 and had an interim head coach and new offensive coordinator. This is a new level of dysfunction for a team that regularly sets standards for dysfunction. Rebuilding is tough. The Browns proved it. Again. 

Grade: D

What is the Browns’ biggest hole to fill? For the fifth time since 2010, the Browns need a head coach. The most important move they make will be to find a coach who can last, who can win, and who can develop a young quarterback in Baker Mayfield. Team Upheaval starts over again. The NFL trend is toward offensive coaches, and the trend is to young coaches who are up to date on what elements of the college game can be transferred to the NFL. Think the next Sean McVay. This is general manager John Dorsey’s chance to put his stamp on the team for years to come.

Here's how I see the rest of the Cleveland Browns season playing out.

DATE	OPP.	W-L
Nov. 11	vs. Falcons	L
Nov. 25	at Bengals	L
Dec. 2	at Texans	L
Dec. 9	vs. Panthers	L
Dec. 15	at Broncos	L
Dec. 23	vs. Bengals	L
Dec. 30	at Ravens	L

Final Season Record 2-13-1

MVP: If this isn’t Mayfield, there’s a problem. This season is totally about developing the draft’s first overall pick, to the point that the moves with Hue Jackson and Todd Haley were made with Mayfield’s growth in mind. Jimmy Haslam blamed “internal discord” for the need to get rid of the head coach and offensive coordinator, and that discord was getting in the way of Mayfield’s growth. A quarterback caught between opposing factions cannot stand. If Mayfield can get his legs back under him and emerge with a positive second half, the Browns and the QB alike will benefit.

Biggest surprise: The sudden fall from favor of Haley. He arrived with a résumé and credentials after six successful seasons with the Steelers. He had managed the egos and abilities of Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell. He quickly became the star of "Hard Knocks." But Haley and Jackson did not see eye to eye, and Haslam got rid of both.

Hurdle to overcome: Keeping the prevailing negativity that seems to seep into the Browns' psyche from taking over after Jackson and Haley were sent packing. The Browns have an interim coach in Gregg Williams and, in Freddie Kitchens, an offensive coordinator hired by the front office and not by the interim coach. The team is on a slide, the final seven-game schedule is brutal, and injuries have chipped away at depth. Mayfield needs to come out of this season feeling good about himself and the team. He does not need to be dragged down by negativity that has infected past Browns teams.