There's a reason why HBO decided to follow the AFC North for the entire 2024 season. People want to watch the best division in the NFL. 

All four teams in the North finished above .500 in 2023, making it the first NFL division since 1935 to not have a single team with a losing record at season's end. The chances of that happening for a second straight year are microscopic, but not zero.

How would it look if the entire division finished with winning records once more? Here is how we see it unfolding. 

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AFC North 2024 Record Predictions

1. Cincinnati Bengals (11-6)

No, this is not "The Last Dance" in Cincinnati despite Tee Higgins playing on the franchise tag. Franchise staples such as Tyler Boyd and Joe Mixon are already out the door anyways. But this is shaping up to be a prime year for the Bengals to get back to where they desire to be. Having the luxury of playing the sixth-easiest schedule when looking at projected win totals, the Bengals have one of the best chances out of last year's last-place teams to finish first in their division.

With Higgins back in the fold along with Ja'Marr Chase and young receivers Jermaine Burton and Andrei Iosivas, franchise quarterback Joe Burrow is set up with perimeter weapons to target, along with Mike Gesicki and Zack Moss as new complementary options to support him. Burrow will be standing tall behind a strong offensive line bookended by two mammoths at tackle in Orlando Brown Jr. and Trent Brown. The offense should be in good shape to pair with a defense that's shored up most of its holes from last year as well. This division is rarely conquered with ease, but Cincinnati has as good a chance as any of the four. – John Sheeran, A to Z Cincinnati

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2. Cleveland Browns (11-6)

Cleveland had what was a whirlwind of injuries come about in 2023, an amount that a team has to wish they never run into. Still, they managed to start five different quarterbacks, and with no Nick Chubb to run the football after Week 2. Deshaun Watson only played in six games last year but the Browns had a defense that helped pick up much of the slack. Myles Garrett was Defensive Player of the Year in his first season with Jim Schwartz as the defensive coordinator, which is a good sign building forward.

The road is going to get tougher for the Browns in the 2024 season. After finishing second in the division in 2023, the schedule is a bit tougher this season. Cleveland has new additions like wideout Jerry Jeudy, defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr., and running back D’Onta Foreman who will help them improve. It is all about the quarterback for the Browns in 2024 and if he can be anything close to the guy they thought they traded for, Cleveland is going to do a lot of winning. – Brandon Little, A to Z Cleveland

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3. Baltimore Ravens (10-7)

Baltimore won a playoff game last year and made it to the AFC Championship as the No. 1 seed before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs. The next step for the Ravens would be to make it all the way, but it is hard to see that with the offseason that Baltimore had.

The glaring improvement that the Ravens made was adding running back Derrick Henry in free agency. However, anytime you take the ball out of Lamar Jackson’s hands the opposing defensive coordinator is going to be delighted. Baltimore lost multiple starters along the offensive line and will be pulling for two unproven players to replace the nice season that Jadeveon Clowney had last season off the edge. The Ravens are always well-coached and their roster is still pretty good, they’ll be in the mix. – Brandon Little, A to Z Cleveland

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4. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-8)

These are uncharted waters for one of the biggest fanbases in professional sports. Not the record, at 9-8, which has become all to common for the Pittsburgh Steelers faithful, but the bottom of the division. The last time Pittsburgh finished last in their division was 35 years ago in 1988. They have never finished last in the AFC North, and have not had a losing season in over two decades. 

But Pittsburgh could be in store for a massive overhaul after the 2024 season. With both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields on one-year deals, and multiple other starters playing on expiring contracts, Pittsburgh is approaching the season as make-it-or-break-it for the current roster. Even with Mike Tomlin extended, there could be massive change in 2025, including at the QB position. – Rob Gregson, A to Z Pittsburgh

2024 AFC South record predictions

The AFC South is no longer the weakest division in the NFL, which many believed it to be for quite some time.  All four teams have real playoff aspirations ahead of the 2024 season. And I think it'll be a tougher race for the division crown than people realize in 2024.  Below, I give my […]