With NFL teams in the AFC North, 2022 could be an interesting season.
The Baltimore Ravens have hurt themselves by trading Hollywood Brown, which upset Lamar Jackson.
Cleveland and the Browns have drama galore with their quarterback situation.
Pittsburgh is entering their first season without Ben Roethlisberger as quarterback.
And the Cincinnati Bengals are coming off their Super Bowl 56 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
While every fan of these AFC North teams thinks their team is the best, there can only be one team who’s the best.
With trades, free agent signings, and draft day all behind us, who really is the best team in the AFC North right now?
Pittsburgh And Baltimore Aren’t The Best
Two teams who usually are considered the best in the AFC North are the Steelers and Ravens.
However, they are no longer in that talk for the best team in the AFC North.
The Ravens lost their spot when they traded away Brown.
When Jackson heard about the move, it really upset him.
— Lamar Jackson (@Lj_era8) April 29, 2022
He let his anger about the move be known to the world with some of his blunt tweets about the deal.
In Pittsburgh, they are dealing with a quarterback issue.
They don’t know if Mitchell Trubisky or Kenny Pickett will take over Big Ben’s throne in the Steel City.
With both teams having issues, they are clearly out of the running to be the best.
We now have two teams remaining on the list.
Cleveland Isn’t The Best Either
Despite making all the moves in 2022, they still aren’t the best in the AFC North.
Yes, they got Deshaun Watson and Amari Cooper.
Yes, they still have a solid defensive unit.
However, they might see Watson suspended for a while during the 2022 season.
Again, this was from Watson’s side of the story, so take it as you will. As Hardin said, it’s almost impossible for no suspension at this point. I’m sticking at 4-6 games.
— Offseason Chopz (@Pchopz_) May 23, 2022
If Watson misses four to six games, it could knock the Browns out of playoff contention.
So based on the fact he most likely could miss six games, it takes away everything the Browns did to become the best.
That now only leaves one team that can wear the crown of the best team in the AFC North.
The Bengals Are Currently The Best In The AFC North
Making it to the Super Bowl automatically makes you one of the best teams in the NFL.
While the Bengals lost a couple players to free agency, they still have some of their core players.
They also have an up-and-coming superstar with Joe Burrow.
Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase were a nightmare for defenses.
Their late-quarter heroics got them into the Super Bowl.
Just ask Kansas City and how they lost twice to the Bengals offense late in the game.
Besides the one-two punch of Burrow and Chase, they have Joe Mixon, a solid running back who plays great when healthy.
With all the tools Cincinnati has with their offense, they give plenty of reasons to be named the best team in the AFC North.
However, there are still doubters that feel Burrow is a fluke.
But he’ll have an answer for those people come this winter.
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