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AFC North round-up: Baltimore Ravens close 2019 season in heartbreaking fashion

By Richard Bradshaw

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JANUARY 11: Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens reacts on the sideline during the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Tennessee Titans at M&T Bank Stadium on January 11, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JANUARY 11: Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens reacts on the sideline during the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Tennessee Titans at M&T Bank Stadium on January 11, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – DECEMBER 29: Head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Baltimore Ravens during the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium on December 29, 2019, in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – DECEMBER 29: Head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Baltimore Ravens during the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium on December 29, 2019, in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Pittsburgh Steelers:

All things considered, the Pittsburgh Steelers were way better than they should’ve been. Credit that to the team’s absolutely dominant defense led by T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick. Add in stalwarts like Cameron Heyward, Devin Bush, and Joe Haden and you have the makings of one of the NFL’s best defenses. If their offense could’ve kept pace with the defense, we’re talking about a 10+ win team here.

Alas, the offense was pitiful to put it kindly. The loss of Ben Roethlisberger was huge, as former Pro Bowlers like JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Conner couldn’t get anything going. Sure, they were banged up throughout the course of the season but even when on the field they were flat out bad. It certainly doesn’t help that the quarterback carousel of Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges was bad, too.

The return of Roethlisberger could be a major boon for the unit, but there are no guarantees he’ll ever be the same guy. The Steelers must address the quarterback position in the 2020 NFL Draft, but they won’t be picking until midway through the second round. This is far from an ideal situation for the team.

Pittsburgh also has some key free agents hitting the market in guys like Bud Dupree and Javon Hargrave. Losing these two no doubt hurts the defense, but they can reload no problem. The issue here is the offense and it all starts with fixing their quarterback situation. If they can fix it quickly, the AFC North could be there’s for the taking. If there’s one team in the division that could potentially challenge the Baltimore Ravens, it’s the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Next. Free Agency: Ranking priority for Baltimore Ravens top free agents. dark

This Pittsburgh Steelers team isn’t far off from competing. Even an average offense could get this team into double-digit win territory. As long as Mike Tomlin is the head coach of this team, they’ll be a threat in the AFC North.

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