The AFC North is the home to some of the NFL’s elite players. Last week we took a look at some rookie impact players. Next up will be the “Faces of the Franchise” for each team. This division was once known as the toughest division in the NFL. There are three potential playoff teams in the AFC North. Who will lead each team on their quest to become Super Bowl Champions?
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens have been known as a defensive team for almost all of their existence. The 2014 team will continue the tradition with top players such as Haloti Ngata, Lardarius Webb, Jimmy Smith and Matt Elam. However, the face of the Ravens is none other than Terrell Suggs. Suggs is the Ravens all time leader in career sacks (84.5), post season sacks (12) and sacks in a season (12).
The departure of Ray Lewis and Ed Reed left a void in the Ravens locker room. It stripped them of the player that had been both the face and spiritual leader of the organization. Suggs felt the loss as well, but he knew what he needed to do I order to step up in their absence. “I think the thing we can learn from last year with those guys not being here was that they were once-in-a-lifetime guys. All we can be is ourselves. They’re not going to come walking through the door to help us win another championship. All you can be is yourself, and that should be enough.”
Suggs is now the longest tenured player for the Ravens and will be the focal point of the media going into the 2014 season. He is getting older but that drove him to work hard to report to mini camp in the best shape possible.
“I feel great to be totally honest with you,” Suggs said. “If you think you’re old, you’re going to train old and then you’re going to perform old. I’m 31, but I feel like it’s Day 1 for me. I just get to go out there and have fun. I think it’s all in the mindset. When you start climbing in age, you can’t do the things you used to do so well. Everything counts from what you’re doing while you’re training to everyday what goes into your diet.”
It has been three years since Suggs won the Defensive Player of the Year award. He doesn’t want to fade away in the sunset and will be looking to improve on his nine sack season of a year ago. With Suggs, it’s not about the numbers. It’s more about the calming influence that he is in the locker room. It’s about his ability to diffuse a stressful situation with a well time joke followed by his hearty smile.
The Ravens still value Suggs and see him as the leader of their team. That is why they signed him to a four year contract extension in February. Both sides hope this last deal will make Suggs a Raven for life.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals have enjoyed a resurgence during the tenure of head coach Marvin Lewis. They have some elite players such as A.J. Green and Vontaze Burfict. Their quarterback, Andy Dalton is set to sign a big time contract in the near future. However, this is one of the rare cases when the coach is actually the face of the franchise. It’s similar to the situation a few years ago in San Francisco when the 49ers tried to make then head coach, Mike Singletary the organization’s spokesperson.
Marvin Lewis is the second longest tenured coach in the NFL, behind only Bill Belichick. He’s been with the Bengals since 2003. There have been many players that came and gone such as Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson and more. Lewis is the all time winningest coach in Bengal history and was named the NFL Coach of the Year in 2009. His time as the head coach of the Bengals has stretched over a longer time period than any other Bengals coach. No other coach in Bengals history can match his three straight playoff appearances from 2011 – 2013.
Lewis’ contract will be up after the 2014 season and the Bengals will be looking to finally get past the AFC Wildcard game. That has been the one hurdle that Lewis is yet to get over. Sam Wyche did lead the Bengals to the Super Bowl in 1989 but the franchise had their most successful stretch ever under Marvin Lewis. The streak of playoff appearances is likely to continue this year.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns are a franchise that has been bombarded with misfortune. The recent Josh Gordon news along with the focus on Johnny Manziel’s off the field experiences have drawn all of the attention. That’s what makes Joe Haden such a refreshing change whenever his name surfaces in the media. Haden has quietly become one of the top corners in the NFL.
Haden is the best player on the Browns and the organization showed it when they signed him to a five year $67.50 million contract. After signing the contract, Haden was quick to say that it sent a message to fellow Browns players when he said; “It shows that the organization, if you do right by the Browns and you go out there and play well, play like a Brown, they reward their players. I want my teammates and everybody to know that the organization will take care of you.”
This year he will take on more of a leadership role as the Browns selected Oklahoma State’s Justin Gilbert, a fellow man to man cornerback. Their new scheme requires corners to be top notch when it comes to man coverage on an island. Haden will play a key role in the development of Gilbert. He was a fan of Gilbert’s play making ability even before he became a teammate. “He was the number one dude I had on the board as a cornerback, when he gets interceptions, you can tell it turns automatically into a return game.” Haden said.
The Browns have created a defensive identity over the last two years. Haden has been at the core of the team’s success on defense. His passion for the game shows when he is on the field. Few players have more fun out there than him. According to Haden, he has’t peaked yet and has room for improvement. His goal is to show everyone that he is the number one corner in the NFL.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers are a team that is known for their tough, blue collar style of play. Few quarterbacks in the NFL exemplify that more than Ben Roethlisberger. He is clearly the face of the franchise and has been the center of their recent run which includes two Super Bowl trophies.
Roethlisberger plays quarterback with the grittiness of a linebacker. Defensive players tee off on him yet he continues to come back for more. His ability to break free from would be tacklers and push the ball down field is something that stands out whenever you watch him. He is the Steelers all time leader in passing yards and holds many other records including: highest passer rating (92.7), highest winning percentage (63.1%), most pass completions (2,374) and more.
Steelers quarterbacks coach Randy Fichtner talked about the effect that Roethlisger has on the team. “He’s been around every function that we have. It helps with the younger guys, the older guys and the coaches. He even pumps up the coaches. It gets everyone excited when they see him in the building. When he comes into the building, there’s an energy.
It’s pretty clear that this team’s success depends on their big time quarterback. Roethlisberger is the driving force of the Steeler mentality. His teammates look to him to make a big play in crunch time moments. Whenever people think of the Steelers, Roethlisberger’s #7 jersey is usually the first image that pops into their mind. He’s the face of the franchise.
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