The AFC North is building up a case for being the toughest division in the NFL. There could be two playoff teams coming from the division this year. The Bengals are off to a good start. The Browns are coming off of a tough win at home against the New Orleans Saints. The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers played in prime time on Thursday night. Each team is looking to kick it into high gear. Let’s take a look at some highlight stories from Around the AFC North: week three.
Baltimore Ravens
The big story out of Ravens camp is the absence of Joe Flacco, Eugene Monroe and Timmy Jernigan from practice on Wednesday. Flacco was said to have missed practice due to a cold. It was not revealed how much time Flacco will miss this week, but you can be sure a cold won’t hold him out of the game against the Browns this weekend. He hasn’t missed a start since his first NFL game and is on and 82 consecutive games played streak. Tyrod Taylor took the snaps with the first team offense in place of Flacco.
Jernigan missed practice because of a knee problem and could possibly miss a few games. The Ravens hope to be able to have Jernigan rehab his knee and avoid surgery. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reported that Jernigan could miss a game or two. That will make the Ravens even thinner at a position that they already lacked depth in.
Monroe missed practice with a knee injury also. He said that he is going to suit up on Sunday. His presence will be needed against a Browns team that has two pretty solid pass rushers in Barkeveous Mingo and Paul Kruger. If he should miss time, expect to see a shuffle on the line. The Ravens have some interior lineman such as Kelecchi Osemele that can bump outside and play tackle.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals 1-2 punch of Jeremy Hill and Giovanni Bernard are proving to be a valuable part of the offense. We talked about the Bengals running game before in this column. Hill and Bernard are a dangerous thunder and lightning combo that is on pace to carry the ball 480 times! They won’t get that many carries but the point is that the running game has been something that the coaching staff is looking to establish. The two have been a key part in the Bengals 2-0 start. That includes a signature win in Atlanta against the Falcons.
The two backs have great respect for each other. Hill actually called Bernard the toughest backs that he has ever been around. Hill is a powerful running back that will bowl over defenders yet he has the wiggle to make them miss. Bernard is a very good option in the screen game and the Bengals will go to that to slow down the opposing pass rush. The two are evoking memories of James Brooks and Ickey Woods. That’s not a bad tandem and it actually is a train that the Bengals rode to the Super Bowl in 1988. They could be in a position to ride their two tough backs to a divisional title and deep into the playoffs.
Cleveland Browns
Rookie running back Terrance West is making a strong case for himself to be the starter even once Ben Tate is back. West scored his first touchdown as a professional football player last week against the Saints. It was a 19 yard run that included a nice move to make a defender whiff when trying to tackle him. He is getting plenty of opportunities as shown by his 35 carries in two games. The Browns like the way he is able to make defenders miss in the hole but has the speed to bump the run outside and get to the second level of the defense quickly. West also is able to be a factor in the passing game whether it be in pass protection or catching the ball out of the backfield.
Having a running back like West is perfect for the Browns style of play under Mike Pettine. They want to eat up the clock by running the ball consistently and rely on their strong defense. West is the kind of running back that gets stronger as the game goes on and as he gets more carries. The Browns even gave him a shot to get them the first down on a 4th and 1 play from the Saints five yard line. West to date has 35 carries for 168 yards and one touchdown. Tate is a possibility to come back after the bye week which is right before the Browns face the face off against the Tennessee Titans.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers made a few conservative ventures into the free agent market, specifically at the wide receiver position. They brought in Darius Heyward-Bey but that doesn’t not seem to be helping much. Another acquisition was Lance Moore. Moore is set to make his debut against the Carolina Panthers. Head coach Mike Tomlin said that he loves the ability for the slot receiver to “see the game the same way that a quarterback does.” Moore could give them a boost and give Ben Roethlisberger another target on third downs.
Ironically, Moore was brought on to be the tough receiver that makes the plays in the middle of the field. That title was previously one that Jericho Cotchery held. Cotchery will be playing against his former team on Sunday. Injuries have been a consistent thing that has been around throughout Moore’s career. This time, the injury is a groin injury that has sidelined Moore since mid August. The Steelers will go back to Justin Brown in the slot if Moore is a no go.
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