Bold predictions have the AFC North representing the conference in the Super Bowl, and Joe Burrow to have a magical season
The AFC North has been one of the toughest divisions in football for quite some time. That remains the case ahead of the 2025 season. The divisional crown seems truly up for grabs, and three of the four teams enter the year feeling solid about their chances. Two of our writers here at A to Z Sports, […]
The AFC North has been one of the toughest divisions in football for quite some time. That remains the case ahead of the 2025 season.
The divisional crown seems truly up for grabs, and three of the four teams enter the year feeling solid about their chances. Two of our writers here at A to Z Sports, Destin Adams and Kyle Crabbs, took a close look at each of the AFC North teams and came away with some blazing hot takes. Let's see what they had to say and see if they even agree with each other.
AFC North Hot Takes
Baltimore Ravens
Hot Take: The Baltimore Ravens win the AFC title
Lamar Jackson is playing the best ball of his career. Derrick Henry's late stage career is playing out like his 4th quarter carries — he's only getting stronger the later it gets. DeAndre Hopkins joins a loaded supporting cast with Zay Flowers and an emergent Rashod Bateman. The Ravens had the most potent 12 personnel grouping of the last 20 years and have all those pieces back. Sprinkle in the depth of the secondary and the young pass rushers on defense?
This team is going to be a force. The Buffalo Bills or Kansas City Chiefs have ended the Ravens' season in each of the last three seasons. I believe Baltimore has the best roster from top to bottom out of any of the three, and Lamar Jackson is ready for that big game breakout after seeing how he battled against Buffalo on the road last winter. – Kyle Crabbs
Buying or out on this take: I'm out
I went back and forth on this one, because I agree the Ravens are very talented and clearly one of the favorites to win the AFC. Ultimately, though, I have to be out on the take because I have the Bills winning the AFC. The time is now for the Ravens and the Bills to unseat the Chiefs, and I think both got better on paper this offseason.
I think Baltimore and Buffalo could end up being the top two seeds in the conference, and it feels like a battle that whoever can lands the top seed in the AFC would have the edge. The Ravens have to deal with a stacked AFC North where the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals are going to be stiff competition for the crown. Whereas the Bills' path to winning the AFC East seems more plausible with the Dolphins moving on from multiple key veteran starters this offseason, and the Jets and Patriots still seemingly to be at least a year away. – Destin Adams
Cleveland Browns
Hot Take: Shedeur Sanders will finish his rookie year with more starts than any other Cleveland Browns QB
Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders' free fall during the 2025 NFL Draft was by far the biggest surprise of the event. He went from being projected as a first round selection to not hearing his name called till the fifth round. While the Browns ultimately stopped his fall in the draft, they also selected a QB ahead of him in Dillon Gabriel out of Oregon. I think Samders will end up starting more games than Gabriel and every other QB on their roster for two reasons.
I think he has more upside than Gabriel and is worth betting on as a potential long-term starter, whereas I see Gabriel as a career backup. Secondly, I think the Browns are going to struggle this season, no matter who is under center, and Sanders will sell tickets and get fans excited, no matter if they win or lose. Veteran Joe Flacco seems like the favorite to be the day one starter, but I don't think it'll be long before the fan base begins banging the table to see Sanders inserted into the lineup. – Destin Adams
Buying or out on this take: I'm out
I don't think there's any question that the Browns quarterback situation this season is going to be, well, chaotic. There's a pretty good chance one of the four talents currently in the room doesn't make the roster. I'd bet the odd man out in that scenario would be Kenny Pickett. But the fact that Dillon Gabriel was drafted first isn't lost on me — if the Browns are a team moving with conviction, I would assume their primary choice and investment in the room is going to get the biggest opportunity. That is, of course, barring injury. – Kyle Crabbs
Pittsburgh Steelers
Hot Take: T.J. Watt claims his fourth single-season sack title. in 2025
Pittsburgh's defensive investments in names like Derrick Harmon and Darius Slay should have the team well-positioned to finish in the top 10 in scoring defense for the sixth time in seven years. The difference this season? The Steelers have every reason to aspire to be better than in the 20s in scoring offense with Aaron Rodgers at the helm.
That means more complimentary game scripts, which means more time to tee off on opposing quarterbacks. Watt's one of the league's best pure pass rushers, and he had 19 sacks as recently as 2023. – Kyle Crabbs
Buying or out on this take: Buying
It would be hard to ever not buy TJ Watt's ability to lead the league in sacks. As Kyle said above, he's already done it three times in his eight year NFL career. When he's healthy, he's one of the most unstoppable forces in the NFL. The Steelers' improving their defense overall should open up even more possibilities for him.
2024 was a down year for Watt, and he still eclipsed 10+ sacks with 11.5. Last year's sack leader, Trey Hendrickson, has had a complicated offseason, to say the least, with the Bengals, and it seems safe to assume it could prevent him from repeating his success in 2025. If the Steelers' secondary can be better this year, I think Watt should be the odds-on favorite to lead the league in sacks as well as to win Defensive Player of the Year. The biggest hurdle still remaining is getting his new contract figured out so there are no distractions in his way come the regular season, but I'd be surprised if the two sides aren't able to come to an agreement before training camp concludes. – Destin Adams
Cincinnati Bengals
Hot Take: Joe Burrow wins his first MVP
Over the last four years, we've seen four different QBs bring home the MVP trophy, and I think we'll see that trend continue for a fifth straight season. Joe Burrow was fantastic last season, and if the Bengals had won more games, the race for MVP with Josh Allen would have been much closer. He led the NFL in passing yards with 4,918 yards and passing touchdowns with 43. The teams defense struggled for the majority of the year and some could say robbed Burrow of a deserved MVP season.
I expect him to continue where he left off in 2024, and I seriously doubt the Bengals will find themselves out of the playoffs in back-to-back years. Burrow has his top two weapons back in the fold with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins both inking new contracts this offseason, and I don't see any reason he won't be just as successful, if not more, in 2025. The Bengals are going to remind people just how good their offense is this year, and a year off from the playoffs was the outlier, not the new normal in Cincinnati. – Destin Adams
Buying or out on this take: I'm out
I just don't think I can. Any time you can take a player versus the field, the field is going to be calling my name. I think the biggest argument you could make against Burrow being the MVP is that if he didn't win the award last year with how good he played, what else is he going to have to do to win the award? Burrow led the league in completions, attempts, yards, passing touchdowns, and yards per game while only throwing nine interceptions on 652 attempts.
Burrow dragged the Bengals to a winning record despite starting 4-8 on the season and having the 25th-ranked defense in both points and yards. What else do you want from the man? I just worry that Burrow's resume is going to be capped by the issues that will likely plague the Bengals elsewhere once again in 2025. – Kyle Crabbs