The Sports Lowdown For All Your News and OpinionsThe AFC North is the division with arguably the biggest rivalries in the league. This year, those games were as feisty as ever, including several bust-ups in one game between the Bengals and the Steelers. It would be those two that led the way, with the Bengals taking top spot in the division. Pittsburgh gained a Wild Card spot in the playoffs, while Baltimore and Cleveland had QB issues all through 2015.
Bengals (12-4)
Steelers (10-6)
Ravens (5-11)
Browns (3-13)
Cincinnati Bengals – 12-4 (#3 seed)
Wild Card Weekend – L 18-16 to Steelers
With Andy Dalton at QB, the Bengals always looked like an exciting prospect in 2015. They were one of the four perfect teams at the 8-0 mark through Week 9. However, defeats here and there meant they started to lose their way. With Dalton then breaking his thumb, AJ McCarron had to come in and play at QB. A tight defeat to the Broncos gave up their first-round bye in the playoffs, with a last-week win sealing the #3 seed in the AFC, nd the AFC North division title.
They only lasted one game in the playoffs, losing in the Wild Card round. The worst part of it, was that they played the Steelers in that game. A narrow 18-16 defeat saw their season end at home to divisional rivals.
The Bengals will have pick number 24 in the draft, with the best record of the four teams who lost in Wild Card Weekend.
Pittsburgh Steelers – 10-6 (#6 seed)
Divisional Weekend – L 23-16 to Broncos
The Steelers are always contenders, with weapons like Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Santonio Holmes. However, in 2015, they started poorly, with a 4-4 record through eight games. Some big wins towards the end of the season, including a win over the Bengals in Week 14, pushed them above the New York Jets and into the final payoff spot, the #6 spot in the AFC.
They were placed against divisional rivals, the Bengals in Wild Card Weekend. They won that tight match-up, 18-16, to go through to Divisional Weekend. It was there that they faced Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. A 23-16 loss saw them fall out of the running but Big Ben could take this team to glory once more with the right acquisitions in the off-season.
The Steelers will take the 25th pick in the NFL draft.
Baltimore Ravens – 5-11
The Ravens 2015 season was very up and down. They started terribly, going 2-6 through their eight games before the bye week. They then occurred problems, when QB Joe Flacco went down injured midway through the season, and was forced out for the rest of the campaign. From then on, it just got worse, with the Ravens finishing 5-11, despite beating the Steelers both home and away.
Baltimore will get the 6th pick in the draft, and will be looking for a star early on.
Cleveland Browns – 3-13
What can be said about the Cleveland Browns in 2015 that has not already been said? Four starting QBs, injuries galore, and one man that just stole the limelight (however, that was off the field). With a 2-3 start, they were there and thereabouts, but seven straight defeats saw to that. The QB carousel did not help, with each starter having two games maximum before being changed, and with Johnny Manziel’s off he field problems the organisation has been in disrepute.
As one of the teams with the worst record in the NFL, the Browns will get the 2nd pick in the draft.
