Burning questions for the AFC North's four teams

Burning questions for the AFC North's four teams
By Matt Vensel
The Baltimore Sun
11:24 a.m. EDT, September 4, 2012

With three teams making the playoffs and two winning 12 games during the regular season, the AFC North was arguably the NFL’s most competitive division last season. Unfortunately for the Ravens, it figures to be hyper-competitive again in 2012 -- well, except for anything involving the ever-rebuilding Cleveland Browns.

The Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers both experienced some losses during the offseason, but they don’t appear to be heading for a huge drop-off this season and both teams are popular picks to win the AFC North. Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Bengals, who snuck into the playoffs last season as the AFC’s final wild-card team, bolstered their young corps with a strong draft class in April. The Browns? Hey, there is always 2013 or 2023.

I’m not going to make any predictions, at least not today, because they will probably end up being wrong, and I just wouldn’t be able to handle you ridiculing me for it in the comments section. But I will look ahead to the season, which starts tomorrow night, by giving you the three burning questions for each AFC North team.

Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4 in 2011)

1. Will Mike Wallace continue to be a distraction? The speedy wide receiver has signed his restricted tag and is back with the team after missing most of the offseason and preseason due to a contract stalemate. While he was gone, the Steelers gave a lucrative extension to fellow wide receiver Antonio Brown, and his signature may serve as the writing on the wall for Wallace, who will become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.

2. Can an aging defense hold the championship window open? According to ESPN, the Steelers will have the NFL’s oldest defense entering the season (if you’re wondering, the Ravens rank in the middle of the pack). Four starters, including James Harrison and Casey Hampton, are over 31 years old and safety Troy Polamalu is 31 on the dot. But let’s not forget that the Steelers ranked first in scoring defense and total defense in 2011.

3. Will the offensive line again be a liability? A lot of people, myself included, praised the Steelers when they took Stanford guard David DeCastro and Ohio State tackle Mike Adams in the first two rounds of the draft. But any enthusiasm should now be significantly curbed for now. DeCastro is out indefinitely with a knee injury and Adams struggled during the preseason, meaning Max Starks and Ramon Foster will be forced to start.

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Will Mike Wallace continue to be a distraction?

Wallace was a distraction for the fans, but when was he ever a distraction for the team? His teammates supported him, and the coaches took the approach of "we're not even going to talk about him until he's here." There was endless speculation from the media and fans, but his absence didn't really affect the team. Aside from the media circus on the first day he reported, what distractions have there been since he's been back?

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2. Can an aging defense hold the championship window open?

How many years are we going to have to hear about the "aging defense"? On the line, we've got the "old" man in Kiesel, but we've got a lot of youth in McLendon and Hood. And Heyward is ready to step in if something happens to Kiesel. Harrison's health is an issue, but Foote, while older, doesn't have a lot of wear on his body. And we've got younger linebackers in Woodley and Timmons. Troy's age and health is a concern. Clark and Taylor show no sign of slowing down, and we've got a youngster in Lewis at the other CB spot. So basically, the only three players where age is really a factor this year is Kiesel, Troy, and Harrison. Is there a team in the league where at least a few players' age and health isn't a concern?

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Will the offensive line again be a liability?

DeCastro's injury was a hit, but Colon alone makes the line better than it was. Gilbert now has a year of experience. Haley, unlike Arians, won't constantly put the line in a position to fail. And if Adams can step up and take over from Starks at some point, that's great. If not, the line should still be much improved even without DeCastro.

Kind of a crap analysis of the Steelers if you ask me, much like what we've been hearing from a lot of the "experts" this off-season. It's just regurgitated wishful thinking for a gaggle of mediot haters out there. What else would you expect from the Baltimore Sun?

The BALTIMORE Sun.