Sunday Night Football Games to Look Forward to

Sunday Night Football Games to Look Forward to

Robert Lewis Knuckles III

“Waiting All Day For Sunday Night”

We are months away from football season. We already got the schedule a few months ago and I want to talk about the Sunday Night Football games to look forward to.

1. New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys September 10th

What a great way to end the first sunday of football games with a great matchup of the Giants against the Cowboys. Last year the Cowboys with rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot took the league by storm but there has been one team that's been a throne at their side and that's the Giants. Giants were the only team to the Cowboys (Eagles did too but that game didn’t count for the Cowboys.) Prescott worse games came up against the Giants and he’ll definitely be fired up to face this team.

The Dallas Cowboys offense will return and they have a new defense but can this team beat a Giants team with a triple threat wide receiver trio with Sterling Shepherd, Brandon Marshall and O’dell Beckham Junior and their top ranked defense? We’ll have to see wait and see but get ready for a great game.

2. Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons September 17th

Rematch of the NFC Championship where the Falcons destroyed the Packers. Now a lot of people picked the Falcons to win the game due to the fact Aaron Rodgers didn’t really have anyone. Jordy Nelson came back from an injury so really didn’t have a huge impact and their defense was already lost a good amount of people. The Packers got busy during the offseason getting tight end Martellus Bennett to replace Jared Cook and they drafted cornerback Kevin King to help out their secondary. Falcons have majority of their team returning and drafted defensive end Takkarist Mckinley. This will be a different Packers team the Falcons will face but can the Falcons recover from their Super Bowl Loss?

3.New York Giants at Denver Broncs October 15th

Battle of the defenses. Giants will come across a huge test going up against Denver’s defense. The No Fly Zone will look to shut down the Giant’s triple threat receiver group. The same goes for Giant’s defense looking to shut down Denver’s offense. Denver did improve their offensive line by getting Ronald Leary and drafting tackle Garett Bolles. It’s going to come down to which offense can make plays and keep their defense off the field and make plays but one thing is for sure. It’s not going to be easy for the Giants playing in the Mile High stadium but who will be Denver’s starting quarterback?

4. Atlanta Falcons at New England Patriots October 22nd

Super Bowl Rematch are always something to look forward to. Falcons were up 28 to 3 before losing against the Patriots and it looks like the Patriots got better by getting receiver Brandin Cooks and cornerback Stephon Gilmore. They still have Malcom Butler and Don’ta  Hightower. Falcons still have most of their players and remember this offense can compete but will losing Kyle Shanahan have a huge effect?

5. New England Patriots at Denver Broncos November 12th

The seventh time meeting these two teams will meet each other. When these two teams faced each other last year Denver’s defense managed to keep it close but their offense couldn’t get it done. With a new offense line can this Denver team beat a re amped New England team?

6. Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys November 19th

You can’t have sunday night football with a classic Eagles against Cowboys matchup. Last year quarterback rookies Dak Prescott and Carson Wentz played a great game but it was Dak who came up with the win in Overtime. Eagles did get really busy in free agency getting Wentz a lot of weapons and changing up their defense but are these new additions enough to stop this high powered Cowboys offense?

7. New York Giants at Washington Redskins November 23rd

Back to back NFC East matchups and this we have the Giants at the Redskins. The biggest thing that’s going to be talked about is the Odell Beckham and Josh Norman matchup. Norman not to long ago said that the NFC East is going to be a battle and there will be blood. There’s already bad blood between these two players enough as it is so be prepared to see more.

8. Green Bay Packers at Pittsburgh Steelers November 26th

Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger. Two elite quarterbacks going at it. Now the Steelers do have more weapons on offense but that still doesn’t stop the Packers because they have  Aaron Rodgers who's up for any challenge and playing in Pittsburgh will be difficult. Both defenses aren’t the best so expect a high scoring game.

9. Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers December 10th

Another classic Sunday Night matchup. The Ravens and Steelers do not like each other and that’s no surprise. Ravens failed to beat the Steelers last year on Christmas to clinch the division title. Ravens did add some defensive pieces during the off season and they also got receiver Jeremy Maclin in free agency. Steelers still have their offense and will be getting receiver Martavis Bryant back from suspension.

10. Dallas Cowboys at Oakland Raiders December 17th

Cowboys and Raiders two similar teams. Great quarterbacks in Dak and Derek Carr, great offensive lines, great running backs in Zeke and Marshawn, great receivers and an ehh defense. Now the Raiders do have something the Cowboys don’t have and that's Khalil Mack. I can see this being a high scoring game so it's going to come down which defense can make turnover.

11. Minnesota Vikings at Green Packers December 23rd

The last of the Sunday Night Football between the two teams that many people believe will be battling the NFC North title. Mike Zimmerman’s defense has given Rodgers trouble a couple of times. Vikings do have a double headed running backs in Latavius Murray and Dalvin Cook. Vikings had a good start last year going 5-0 but fell to 8-8. Vikings offensive line suffered, they lost Adrian Peterson and their receivers didn’t do well. The Vikings hope to have better season in 2017 to win the division.

Now I will probably update this list when the season starts. For the other games that I didn’t post here depends on how well they play this season. If they play great I’ll add the game to this list.

Top 10 NFL Players Predictions

Top 10 NFL Players Predictions

Robert Lewis Knuckles III

“My Prediction of the top 10 Players”

The two hour finale of the top 10 players of the NFL will be announced tonight so I want to make my top 10 predictions.

10. Odell Beckham Jr.

I think Odell will get the same spot he got last year. Odell had a good year but not better than his 2015 year. Odell finished the season with 1,367 yards and averaging 13.5 yards per reception and 10 touchdowns.  We saw in the beginning of the season how a couple of corners would get into Odell’s head and make him lose focus. He managed to get together towards the middle of the season but when it came to the big games for example the wildcard game against the Green Bay Packers where he dropped easy catches. If Odell was to come up big and win that game his peers might put him up higher. Odell is without a doubt one of the top receivers in the game and the giants getting veteran receiver Brandon Marshall I believe Odell will have a great year next football season with Marshall giving him guidance.

9. Khalil Mack

The Mack Daddy Khalil is one of the best defensive ends in the game right next to J.J. Watt. Khalil finished the season with 11  sacks four less than last year and had five forced fumbles and recovering three of them with one ending up in a touchdown. You need at least two lineman to defend this guy because one on one….. Yea it ain’t happening. Khalil is still young and still has great years ahead of him. The Raiders are going to be very special in the 2017 season

8. Von Miller

I was definitely scratching my head last year when Von Miller wasn’t in the top 10 last year. I mean Super Bowl MVP wasn’t in the top 10? Well this year Von showed he should’ve been in the top last year and after having another great season he will. Von finished the season with 13.5 sacks a couple of them came up big towards the end of some games and Von also had three forced fumbles one came up big when facing the Colts. The Colts had one more drive to get the lead but Von came with the strip fumble and it was recovered for a touchdown. Von is Denver’s best player on defense. Without him we don’t know where Denver would be right now. Von is without question one of the best outside linebackers in the game.

7. Le’Veon Bell

Running back Le’Veon Bell was suspended for four games due to missing several drug tests. Bell’s first game he came back with a vengeance against the Chiefs. Bell averaged 8 yards per carry and rushed for a total of 144 yards. Bell finished the regular season rushing for 1,268 yards. That’s really good for a running back that missed four games. Not only is Bell a great running back but he can also line up as a receiver and catch the ball. What makes Bell different from other running backs is that he’s very patient. When Bell sees a clear path he burst right through that hole. Bell did come up short against the Patriots in the AFC championship but that didn’t stop from getting respect from his peers and putting him in the top 10.

6. Antonio Brown

I mean it’s no question that Brown has to be a top 10 player. Getting drafted in the sixth round plays a huge chip on your shoulders and Antonio Brown has shown time and time again that he should’ve been drafted in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Brown had once again had a great year. Brown finished the season with 106 receptions rushing for 1,284. Now he didn’t get the numbers he had in 2015 but when you have Le’Veon Bell running the ball numbers will drop but that’s not a bad thing. Brown is one of the hardest guys to cover in the NFL with his great speed and route running. He’s also dangerous when returning punts. So anytime you see Antonio Brown defenses better prepare.

5. Ezekiel Elliott

The Dallas running back had a fabulous rookie season. Ezekiel Elliott was drafted in the first round last year and he had huge expectations and boy did Zek show that. Zek averaged 5.1 yards per carry and rushed for a total of 1,631 yards leading the league in rushing. Almost close to 2,000 yards and he might’ve gotten there if he didn’t have a bad game in his two games he played and also not playing the final game against the Eagles. Zek is always hungry for the ball with his signature feed me more move. Zek if fast, strong and he also got jumps. Zek can hurdle over a lot of defenders. Zek is only going to be a problem for a lot of teams in the future.

4. Julio Jones

The best receiver in the NFL in my opinion. Julio Jones is just a freak. Jones had another great year despite him only playing 14 games this season. Jones finished the regular season with 83 receptions and rushing for 1,409 yards. Jones had tremendous games in the playoffs against the Seahawks and Packers he just looked unstoppable. Jones played in his first Super Bowl against the Patriots and had a great play with his toe dragging. Jones is fast, strong and most importantly he’s a humble dude. You never see him talk and he’s all about the team. He just lets his play do the talking.

3. Aaron Rodgers

One of the most talented Quarterbacks to play the position. Rodgers Is always in the top ten to a lot of people but this was rough at the start. They were losing games but the biggest had to be against the Titans. After their bye week. Rodgers said we can turn the tables and he wasn’t lying. They went from 4-6 on a seven game win streak and advanced all the way to the NFC Championship. They destroyed the Giants in the wildcard and won a close game against the Cowboys in the divisional round. Now they did get destroyed by the Falcons but the fact that Rodgers lead his team to the game after all the negativity surrounding the team due to the media deserves a lot of credit. When Aaron Rodgers speaks you listen.

2. Matt Ryan

Many people wondered will Matt Ryan ever get past the hump? Will he ever lead a team to a Super Bowl? Is he an elite quarterback? Matt Ryan showed that he’s an elite quarterback. Ryan won MVP for the first time in his career. He led the number one offense in the NFL by completing 69.9 percent of his passes, threw for 4,944 yards and had 38 touchdowns and seven interception. He played in his first ever Super Bowl and played pretty well but it wasn’t enough as they came up short against The Patriots. Now will Matt Ryan have another good season coming into the 2017 season? Or will Ryan and the Falcons suffer from Super Bowl hangover?

1. Tom Brady

I think this is no question that Brady will have the number one spot even after having a four game suspension from deflategate. He finished the season by completing 67.4 percent of his passes and throwing for 3,554 yards and had 28 touchdowns and two interceptions. Brady led his team when they were down 28 to 3 in the Super Bowl when things were looking down. Brady kept fighting and now has five Super Bowl Rings the first in NFL history beating Joe Montana.

Divisions to Watch in 2017 Part 5 NFC East

Divisions to Watch in 2017 Part 5 NFC East

Robert Knuckles

“Best division to Watch in Football”

For the past couple of years the NFC East was seen as a weak division in football but after watching it last year it had become very competitive and this coming year should be even more interesting to watch.

1. Dallas Cowboys

In 2015 The Dallas Cowboys were 4-12 making them last in the NFC East but with that 4-12 record got the Cowboys a high pick in the 2016 draft. The Cowboys got running back Ezekiel Elliott from Oklahoma. Arguably the best running back from last year’s draft. People around the NFL was giving huge praises for the Cowboys. Tony Romo with the best offensive line, Dez Bryant, Jason Witten and new running back Elliott was going to make a huge noise in the NFL but during the pre-season Romo suffered a back fracture injury against the Seahawks. Seeing Romo injured wasn’t good news for Cowboys fans until a young star named Dak Prescott came into the picture

Prescott was a fourth round pick that many people believed to be the second string quarterback to Tony Romo but Prescott soon took the league by storm. Prescott lost his season debut against the Giants but won 11 straight eventually having a 13-3 record being first in the NFC.

Prescott’s numbers for a rookie were incredible completing 67.8 percent of his passes, throwing for 3,667 yards and throwing for 23 touchdowns to 4 interceptions. Prescott’s partner in crime Elliot had a great rookie season rushing for 1,631 yards.

These two rookies led the Cowboys to the divisional round of the playoffs where they fell short to Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. Despite them losing Prescott led a huge comeback to tie the score before the Packers won by a field goal.

The Cowboys offense was just spectacular but their weakness was their defense and it showed in the playoffs, while their offense can compete against big time teams their defense had their troubles.

In the off season the Cowboys lost cornerbacks Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr. They also lost veteran safety Barry Church. The Cowboys signed veteran cornerback Nolan Carroll but it wasn’t enough to fill in the other huge roles.

In the draft the Cowboys got defensive end Taco Charlton to help with their pass rush. In the second round they drafted cornerback Chidobe Awuzie who can potentially start.

The Cowboys did address their problems but they are asking a lot from their rookies. Can these rookie cornerbacks make a huge impact? We’ll have to see.

2. New York Giants

In 2015 the Giants probably had the worst defense in the league. In the off season the Giants spent $200 million on cornerback Janoris Jenkins aka Jack Rabbit, defensive end Olivier Vernon and defensive tackle Damon Harrison. Now question comes to mind is that is the money worth these additions? Answer to that is… yes. Giants defense became one of the best in the league. Not only did the free agency signings helped but the Giants also drafted cornerback Eli Apple last year and second year safety Landon collins had a breakout year becoming an all pro safety. Dominic Rodger Cromartie had a good year as well. The offense under Ben Mcadoo was still good. Eli Manning had weapons in wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr., Sterling Shepard and Victor Cruz coming back from a devastating knee injury. Now despite all these weapons the offense line was bad, there was no running game and Eli didn’t have the best year.

In the off season Giants released Cruz and Rashad Jennings and signed veteran receiver Brandon Marshall which was one of the biggest moves this offseason. Brandon Marshall is itching to make his playoff debut and he might just do that with the Giants this year. Not only is Marshall a great addition but he can also be a mentor for Odell. In the draft Giants got tight end Evan Engram making the case that for the first time in his career Eli Manning has four great weapons and giving defenses big trouble.

Many people say that the Giants defense are the Cowboys Kryptonite last year but will the Cowboys finally get the upper hand on the Giants? We’ll have to see.

3. Washington Redskins

This could be a surprise for some people. With their general manager Scot McCloughan being this off season the franchise seems to be sinking and with the handling of Kirk Cousins contract doesn’t look good. To make matters worse they lost Desean Jackson and Pierre Garcon two huge targets for Cousins.

In free agency the Redskins signed wide receiver Terrelle Pryor from the Browns on a one year prove it deal. They still have Jordan Reed, Fat Rob and Josh Doctson. In the draft Redskins addressed a serious need in defense. Redskins drafted defensive end Jonathan Allen and his teammate linebacker Ryan Anderson. These two can be potential starters and help this defense. This team can be a sleeper in the NFC East

4. Philadelphia Eagles

Another sleeper of the NFC East. The Eagles were off to a good start with a 3-0 record with rookie quarterback Carson Wentz but everything started falling apart after the bye week and finished 7-9.

The Eagles got busy in the off season. They got rid of Connor Barwin due to his performance. They signed defensive end Super Bowl Champ Chris Long to replace Barwin. They also acquired defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan in a trade who’s excited to play in a Jim Schwartz's defense. The Eagles did have trouble with sacking the quarterback. They would create the pressure but just not finish.

Eagles got weapons for Wentz by signing receivers Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith to help take the pressure off Jordan Matthews. Eagles probably had the worst wide receiver core due to A LOT of dropped passes. The Eagles also got guard Chance Warmack to add more depth to the offensive line.

In the draft Eagles got defensive end Derek Barnett who broke the legendary Reggie White’s sack record. In the second round Eagles surprisingly got cornerback Sidney Jones who suffered an achilles injury at his Pro Day. It’s been said that Jones was the best cornerback in the draft before suffering his injury. Now he might not play this season but it’s about future and the Eagles might have gotten their future cornerback. In the third round Eagles draft another cornerback in Rasul Douglas who could potentially start but he’ll be competing against Jalen Mills and Patrick Robinson.

After the draft Eagles still needed a running back. Ryan Mathews can’t stay healthy and doesn’t seem to be he’ll be on the Eagles roster this year. Surprisingly Eagles signed two-timed Super Bowl Champ running back Legarrette Blount. Blount is a huge upgrade at running back. He’s a strong runner and can run up the middle and can set the tone for other running backs in Wendell Smallwood and Darren Sproles. This is a different time from last year and expect the Eagles to make some noise this year.  

In the end every team has a shot to win this division. It might be the toughest and most funniest division to watch. The NFC East has to face the AFC West and the NFC West so their schedule will be a lot tougher.

Now every team does have a weak point. Dallas with their secondary. They lost three of their starters and Nolan Carroll got arrested recently so he might be suspended. So can these rookies make an impact?

The Giants do have weapons on the offensive side of the ball but what about their offensive line and running game?

The situation going on with the Washington Redskins. Can Kirk Cousins come through at big moments and get them over the hump? And after what happened in the off season does Cousins want to even play in Washington?

Philadelphia Eagles secondary still might be a problem. You have two good safeties in Rodney Mccloud and Malcolm Jenkins but they have two rookies and a second year player in Mills. Robinson is the only real cornerback veteran, so teams might target the secondary a lot.

The whole Nation should pay attention to the NFC East. Just like cornerback Josh Norman said “It’s going to be a battle.”

Divisions to Watch in 2017 Part 4 AFC West

Divisions to Watch in 2017 Part 4 AFC West

Robert Knuckles

“Everyone has a chance”

I can’t wait to talk about this division. For the past couple of years the AFC West ras run by the Denver Broncos but last year the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs showed Denver that you guys aren’t winning the division. Quarterback for the Oakland Raiders Derek Carr had a great year completing 63.8 percent of his passes and throwing for 28 touchdowns and six interceptions. Carr’s tremendous season came to an end in week 16 when he suffered a broken fibula.

Now despite Carr’s injury I don’t think they would’ve won the division. The Chiefs were the only team that didn’t lose to a division rival and those games can play a crucial part of winning a division. Denver and the Los Angeles Chargers fell short of making the playoffs but after this draft and free agency I believe every team has a shot of winning this division.

1. Los Angeles Chargers

I’m going to start off with the team that finished last in the division. In a division that's dominated by defense quarterback Philip Rivers and his offense look to show that they can be problem for Denver and Kansas City. The Chargers drafted wide receiver Mike Williams who’s one of the best receivers coming from the draft the draft next to Cory Davis. Williams is like a Dez Bryant. He can’t break coverage but is a physical freak and locate the ball. Put Williams on the opposite side of Keenan Allen can bring problems to corners. The Chargers still have Pro Bowl Tight End Antonio Gates and young running back Melvin Gordon who looks to make 2017 a breakout year.

Now the defense might not be to the level of their offense but defensive end Joey Bosa had a great rookie season with 10.5 sacks and won defensive rookie of the year despite not playing a full season. Cornerback Casey Hayward had his best season leading all cornerbacks with seven interceptions and got in his first Pro Bowl.

2. Kansas City Chiefs

Next we’ll talk about the Division winners. In free agency they got defensive tackle Bennie Logan which probably had to be the biggest move. They also probably had the biggest surprise in the draft by getting quarterback Pat Mahomes in the first round. Many people were scratching their heads but at the same time people have to look quarterback Alex Smith. Smith hasn’t been getting the job done in big time games. Smith couldn’t get anything going in the divisional round of the playoffs against the Steelers. Coach Andy Reid pretty much did something similar in Philadelphia when he drafted Donovan McNabb when they already had a quarterback in Doug Pederson. Now Mahomes isn’t going to be the starter but Smith is playing with a chip on his shoulders and has to perform great. Kansas City defense will still be great with Justin Houston, Marcus Peters, Eric Berry and adding Logan will help.

Offense is the biggest question. The Chiefs still have receiver Jeremy Maclin, Tight End Travis Kelce and superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill who’s just a stud and can play anywhere. This team can win the division but when it comes to the big moments what can Smith do?

3. Oakland Raiders

Next is the team that many people believe can give The Patriots problems this season and maybe even go to the Super Bowl. Raiders had a great offense this past year with Derrick Carr. Carr’s offensive line was the 4th best in the NFL giving Carr great protection and giving huge holes for the running game. Carr has a great wide receiver duo in Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree. Now they did lose Latavius Murray to the Vikings in free agency but they got Marshawn Lynch to come out of retirement and this has to be one of the greatest stories. Lynch is an Oakland kid that loved the Raiders and during his time playing in Seattle he would always spend time in Oakland and helping out the community.

Now people say that Lynch won’t dominant due to missing a year of football but some don’t see it that way. Lynch will be playing for his hometime something that he has dreamed of doing. Lynch will have plenty of motivation to get back to beast form and he’s playing behind one of the best lines football unlike in Seattle.

Oakland’s defense was their kryptonite. Most games Oakland’s defense had at least 30 points scored on them. Free agent linebacker Bruce Irvin didn’t have an impact but looks to bounce back in 2017. They still have big time stud Khalil Mack who looks to get paid big after the 2017 season. Now last year the Raiders drafted safety Karl Joseph in the first round. He played okay in first season and hopes to play even better this season. This year in the draft Oakland got cornerback Gareon Conley in the first round. A corner that the Raiders desperately needed. Now Conley is still being looked into with the rape allegations but the Raiders believe that he’s innocent. If they didn’t then why draft him? In the second round they got safety Obi Melifonwu. It doesn’t hurt to have depth in the secondary. Now Oakland only has this year and next year before they move to Las Vegas so this team will be motivated to win championship for this city. The Oakland Raiders have return to dominance.

4. Denver Broncos

Another team that I have bouncing back are the Denver Broncos. Denver does have a couple question marks starting with quarterback position. Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch are young so time will tell to see if these young guys can get the job done. The offensive line was a problem last season and they seemed to fix that by getting guard Ronald Leary in free agency and drafting offensive tackle Garett Bolles in the first round.

The other big issue with Denver was the fact that they were ranked 28th against the run. They hope to change that by getting nose tackle Domata Peko and defensive end Zach Kerr. Denver still has the best secondary in the league.

Now we still have to see how Denver’s offensive line can do this season and we also have to see what their front seven can do to stop the run and last but not least who’s going to be the starting quarterback? Is it going to be Trevor Siemian or Paxton Lynch? And whoever starts will they be able to elevate their game.

Every team in this division has a shot to win. Now the AFC West do have to face the NFC East, a division that is on the rise so they have a challenge and it’s going to be a fun division to watch.

Divisions to Watch in The 2017 Season Part 3 AFC North

Divisions to Watch in The 2017 Season Part 3 AFC North

Robert Knuckles

“This Might Surprise People"

Time for another Division to watch article. I hope you guys enjoy reading these articles as much as I did writing them. Now this article might surprise people a couple mainly due to the fact of a certain team that’s going to be on there. So let’s dive right into it and talk about the AFC North.

1. Cleveland Browns

So let's start with the team that had the most first round picks and that's the Cleveland Browns. Like i said before this pick might surprise some people but I really believe Cleveland has something special coming up. In the draft the Browns got defensive end Myles Garrett from Texas A&M, safety Jabrill Peppers from Michigan and tight end David Njoku from University of Miami, all of this in the first round. They have all this young talent that coach Jackson hopes to make into big time players. Garrett was the first person drafted whom people argue is the best person in the draft. Now people have been questioning Garrett’s work ethic so now he’s pretty much playing with a chip on his shoulders.

One questionable pick is Jabrill Peppers. Now no one knows what position he’ll play. Peppers only got one interception as a safety. He’s going to need more than that to play safety in the NFL and he’s going to learn how to cover. Peppers also played linebacker but he’s pretty small for a linebacker. All we do know that Peppers is an athlete. Jackson is going to have a position for him. From what I heard there were rumors that they might put Peppers as a wide receiver.

In the second round they drafted DeShone Kizer from Notre Dame who can possibly be their franchise quarterback. He might be red shirted but don’t be surprised if he does play. Jackson see’s something special in Kizer so time will tell.

Now I don’t see the Browns winning the division but I can see them being very competitive and having all this young talent can show a bright future.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers

Next we have the division winners the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the 2016 the Steelers had a high power offense with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, wide receiver Antonio Brown who many people argue is the best receiver and running back Le'veon Bell who many people also argue is the best running back in football. The only problem with the Steelers is their defense. In the draft they got inside linebacker T.J. Watt from Wisconsin to help with the front seven. They also drafted running back James Conner from Pitt. Bell will sometimes get injured or get suspended so they'll need depth with the running back position. Deangelo Williams is a pretty good back up but having three headed is extremely helpful.

Martavis Bryant will be coming back from missing a full year for violating League’s substance abuse policy. With Bryant coming back takes the pressure off of Brown. My only concern is Pittsburgh defense. That’s really the biggest kryptonite with this team.

3. Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens playoff hopes were gone when they lost to the Steelers on Christmas Day. Ravens had one of the best defenses in the league. Their front seven was number one in the league with stopping the run but their secondary needed some help and getting cornerback Marlon Humphrey to go opposite of Jimmy Smith will help out. Humphrey can play man to man and can tackle. They also got inside linebacker Tim Williams who can possibly be Terrell Suggs replacement in the future.

Now my concern is that they didn’t draft any receivers. Steve Smith is retired and he was their best weapon on offense. The Ravens  defense set the tone this past season and I believe it will again in the 2017 season but can Joe Flacco and the offense get it done?

4. Cincinnati Bengals

Last but not least The Bengals. The Bengals seem to have a curse not getting a playoff win in over 10 years. They hope to end this curse this season. In the draft they got speed demon wide receiver in John Ross. Pairing Ross with wide receiver A.J. Green can mean trouble for a lot of secondaries. The Bengals also drafted running back Joe Mixon in the second round. In my opinion was the best running back in this draft but due to his altercation with the young woman Amelia Molitor made Mixon drop in the draft. Mixon and Molitor have resolved their issues which is good because if they haven’t it was going to be a long year for Mixon.

Mixon plans on redeeming himself this 2017 season. This offense on paper looks really good. Now their offensive line still needs help but getting Mixon will help out just a bit. If quarterback Andy Dalton can play like he did in 2015 watch out for the Bengals and maybe just maybe they’ll win the division and might finally get a playoff win.

In the end I believe that the division will come down between the Bengals and Steelers. Ravens defense will still be good but the offense has question marks and the Browns are a young team potential on the rise. It’s still going to be a fun division to watch.