AFCN

The Bengals are back, baby. No, not the Carson Palmer or Andy Dalton-led Bengals, which both managed a playoff appearance every other year and an occasional AFCN title.  No, we’re referring to the illustrious David Klingler or Akili Smith eras, which featured a bizarre willingness of the front office to embrace and stand by mediocre…

Schizophrenia, thy name is the Cleveland Browns. Seriously, the emotional toll the 6-10 Browns must inflict on their fans has to be wearying.  Granted, the Cleveland fanbase has had little to cheer for football-wise for nearly a generation, and the Browns’ 2018 finish lifted expectations to unsustainable levels.  The 2019 version of the Browns remains…

So that’s that. Despite the fanfare, hype, projections, eye-popping numbers, yards gained and touchdowns scored, the top-seeded Ravens lasted exactly one game and two weeks longer than their AFC North counterparts, losing in ugly, disjointed fashion to the plodding, methodical, sixth-seeded Tennessee Titans and mammoth running back Derrick Henry (why isn’t this guy promoted as…

Not much to report in the AFC North this week. As the last AFC North team in action, the Ravens are producing news of a sort, but let’s be honest – how many human interest stories does the public really need to see?  We know all about Ravens’ QB Lamar Jackson’s humble, grassroots beginnings.  We…

The season just kind of came and went, didn’t it? Speaking as a doom-and-gloom prognosticator, I was surprised by the AFC North’s final standings.  At season’s outset, the Ravens were considered an ascending but developmentally raw 8-8, 9-7-ish team.  Even with some notable free agent defections, the Steelers were the sentimental favorites to reclaim the…

It’s Week 17!  The REAL season is about to begin. I’m refraining from calling this a “prediction” piece this season. Predictions indicate one firmly believes something will happen and isn’t afraid to stand behind that judgment. In the NFL, nothing is certain except Roger Goodell’s poor judgment. That said, I’ll offer some form of prognostication,…

I’m refraining from calling this a “prediction” piece this season. Predictions indicate one firmly believes something will happen and isn’t afraid to stand behind that judgment. In the NFL, nothing is certain except Roger Goodell’s poor judgment. That said, I’ll offer some form of prognostication, even if it’s lighthearted and not entirely backed up by…

Now that that unpleasantness is behind us… Quite an ugly Sunday, eh?  The three AFC North teams in action lost, while the Baltimore Ravens, winners of last Thursday’s game vs. the Jets, widened their now-insurmountable lead in the division and increased their hold on home field advantage throughout the playoffs.  Baltimore is no doubt enjoying…

I’m refraining from calling this a “prediction” piece this season. Predictions indicate one firmly believes something will happen and isn’t afraid to stand behind that judgment. In the NFL, nothing is certain except Roger Goodell’s poor judgment. That said, I’ll offer some form of prognostication, even if it’s lighthearted and not entirely backed up by…