CLEVELAND, Ohio — Let’s start here: the AFC North will be a meat grinder again in 2024.
All four teams in the division finished above .500 last season and three made the playoffs. The AFC North produced the league MVP, the Defensive Player of the Year, the Coach of the Year and Coordinator of the Year and, even more impressively, had multiple candidates for each of the latter three.
Most of the key pieces are back for 2024 — we’ll get to the Steelers quarterbacks — and this division will live up to its black and blue reputation once again.
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The AFC North will also take center stage during “Hard Knocks: In Season” and with good reason: there’s a little college football conference feel to this year’s division schedule.
The Ravens play four division games after Week 9, as does Cincinnati. Four of the last seven games for the Browns are division games while Pittsburgh will play four consecutive division games starting in Week 11.
In this series leading up to Browns training camp, we’ve identified 15 keys to them making a run at the Super Bowl this season, whether it be a player, a coach, or an issue such as all the amazing quarterbacks they’ll face this season.
Today, it’s the AFC North
Why the AFC North made the list
Joe Burrow is rarely smiling when Myles Garrett is near.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
The Browns are a prime example of why winning the division matters. They finished tied with the second-best record in the AFC last season but had to open the playoffs on the road because they failed to win the North.
Last season marked the first time since 2007 they finished as high as second in the division, but winning the North for the first time in franchise history would go a long ways toward setting up a deep playoff run.
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Key AFC North Fact
The Browns are no longer a pushover in the division, but they are still seeking their first AFC North crown.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
This specific division was formed in 2002, but specific to the Browns, they haven’t won their division since 1989, when they played in the AFC Central. The Oilers/Titans franchise and the Jaguars have each won the Browns division more recently.
The AFC North’s keys to being a key
The last game Deshaun Watson played against the AFC North was his most impactful game.John Kuntz, cleveland.com
It’s all about the quarterbacks.
Lamar Jackson is back after winning the MVP for the second time and playing his first healthy season since 2020. He’s still searching for success in the postseason after coming up short against the Chiefs last year.
Joe Burrow returns from injury and wants to remind the league he belongs in the top five discussion while Deshaun Watson is trying to do the same after playing in just 12 games since 2020.
Meanwhile, the Steelers, who you can pencil in every season for a winning record but also a quick playoff exit, are trying to find a way to revive the career of Russell Wilson or, if they can’t do that, develop Justin Fields into a long-term starter.
What’s new for the AFC North in 2024
All eyes are on Pittsburgh and their Russell Wilson lottery ticket in 2024.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
The Steelers’ quarterback position is the biggest question. Wilson is far-removed from his days in Seattle and Denver couldn’t move off of him fast enough, willing to eat big money to do so.
Fields, meanwhile, showed promise in Chicago but never enough to prove he could be a franchise quarterback. New offensive coordinator Arthur Smith will try to get the best out of one of these reclamation projects, but Pittsburgh could get to the end of the season still having no answer at the most important.
Who’s favored to win the AFC North?
The Bengals and Ravens are neck-and-neck on DraftKings right now at +140 with the Browns at +600. Pittsburgh is +850 to win the division.
While the Steelers would be a mild shock, there’s not an outcome in the AFC North that would leave anyone with their jaw on the floor after this division is done beating up on each other.
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