Browns Should Win AFC North: Deal with it. Believe it.

Here is a terrific article by a real NFL Columnist/analyst: Greg Rosenthol.

Greg listed the projected starters for all four AFC North teams and did a brief, but accurate summary of each position group.

The Cliff Notes version is that the North will be a formidable division, as all four teams will have above average offensive lines (with the Steelers in the top 2-3).

Two of the best Quarterbacks in football will play in the North, along with one or more top 5 Defensive Lines, Receiving Corps', and secondaries.  As many as 4 top ten running backs should play in the North--it's scary!

Comparing the teams, you have to give the Steelers their props for one of the best Offensive Lines in football.  This is why both of Ebineezer Bell's backups came pretty close to his numbers.

Second-best is hard to pick, really.  The lack of sacks under Kitchens had a lot to do with more intelligent scheming, and Mayfield's decisiveness and mobility.

You have to give the Browns new WR corps and WR/TE combo the top prize here, but the Steelers and Bengals aren't far behind and now the Ravens have some nice young weapons too (massive upgrade from "junk").

Isolating the Tight Ends, Vance McDonald is the best, because he can block (and run people over like a tank).  But Njoku is the scariest pure receiver, and is still ascending...tough call, actually.

I do believe that Nick Chubb and Joe Mixon are the top two running backs, mainly because Melvin Ingram is so old.  The Steelers' guys are really good, but Mixon/Chubb/Ingram are better IMO.

The Browns own the best Defensive Line, period.  That gets muddied up by the Ravens and Steelers' schemes, of course, so it's more fair to just compare the front 7's.

The Steelers are pretty close to the Browns, with Watt and Bush now, but I still think the Browns front 7 have the edge because Avery is being massively underrated and Takitaki looks like a big sleeper himself.

Huh?  Sorry---the Ravens lost all 3 starting linebackers (and more) and didn't adequately replace them.  They might even be behind the Bengals now.  Deal with it.

I rate the Browns' secondary ahead of the Ravens' now (in a tight race), and these should be two of the best secondaries in the NFL.

I know a Ravens fan would beg to differ, but Damarius Randall was outstanding in 2019, and now they've added Greedy Williams to Denzel Ward and Terrence Mitchell at cornerback.  

Burnett isn't "all that" as a Free Safety, but is an above average Strong Safety, and Redwine is very talented too.

Anyway the Browns have one of the two best real quarterbacks, one of the best running backs, the best wide receivers (ok no starting skyscrapers we can argue later), the best (ok dammit one of the 2 best) front 7's, and (arguably) the best back end in the Division.

Here are the reasons why I think the upstart Browns will win the AFC North:

1: Baker Mayfield.  The Quarterback is obviously THE critical player, and the Browns haven't had one, for a long time, until now.

Even casual fans get this.  They FEEL it.  No more sick, depressed feelings when they're down by 10 points, or it's 3rd and 8 (or 15 for that matter).  In the red zone.  

I haven't seen anybody like Mayfield since Brian Sipe, and you know what?  Sipe had a pop-gun arm, was smaller,  and less accurate.  (Ok I need Jake Burns to film-room this: What I mean is that Mayfield can make low-trajectory "BB" throws that Sipe couldn't.)

...anyhoo, the Browns unmistakably have a franchise Quarterback now.

2: The Coaches.  That's correct.  Harbaugh, Tomlin ooo scary!  Freddie Kitchens is the coaching version of Baker Mayfield.

People wonder if a guy who was never even an Offensive Coordinator before 2018 can handle running a whole team.

I wonder why Freddie never got a chance before that.  Did people think he was a dumbass due to his accent and relaxed personality?

It looks to me like it's still happening.  Everybody ignores the all-star coaching staff John Dorsey brought in to support him, and instead of being impressed by how he instantly turned a crappy offense into one of the scarier ones in the NFL, it's "yeah but can he handle running a whole team?"

I'm sorry, you people: This is profoundly ignorant to me.  Freddie Kitchens might fall on his face somewhere else (probably NOT, but just sayin), but absolutely not here or now:

With the Coaches surrounding Freddie Kitchens now, if he felt like it he could just do exactly what he did in 2018.

Right now, he's trying to curb his players' enthusiasm and make sure they know they got work to do, but let's not conflate that.

Freddie is pissed off and insulted.  He is sick of being treated like a moron.  He will play the public role of Head Coach, entertain us all with his humor and charm, but:

He'll do what he does best, in conjunction with Monken: He'll come up with wild and crazy game-plans and use every trick in the book to smash every Defense he faces.

Tomlin and Harbaugh won't be "outsmarting" him.

3: (Redundancy alert): Overall talent.  But you people need to keep the Quarterback and Coaches in mind here:

You have Stockholm Syndrome.  You don't yet understand that this is irrational.  

You've become so accustomed to losing that you expect disappointment regardless of context.  You are brainwashed.

In reality, the current Coaches and Quarterback change everything.  NOW, the most talented team should WIN.  EVEN IF IT'S THE BROWNS! 

4: Mike Preifer (and the kickers and the new special teamers):

Nobody can guarantee that a kicker will make a Field Goal or Extra Point, but you can find a lethal returner and coverage guys.

In both free agency and the draft, John Dorsey brought in exceptional special teams players for Preifer to play with.

It matters.

...but yes: the 2018 Browns' kickers cost them 3 games.  

...okbye