Our 2026 NFL Preview rolls on into the AFC North, a division once renowned for its coaching consistency, only to now feature 3 new head coaches. Will Jesse Bates’ return vault the Ravens back into Super Bowl contention? How much juice is left in the marriage between Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers as they reunite in Pittsburgh? Will the Browns’ embrace of the youth movement under Todd Monken pay off sooner rather than later? Have the Bengals FINALLY fixed their disastrous defense? Fear not, ladies and gentlemen, the Oracle has the answers…
Baltimore Ravens: Back for the First Time
After missing the playoffs by the narrowest of margins in last year’s finale, the Ravens decided that change was finally necessary on the sidelines, parting ways with longtime HC, John Harbaugh, after a largely successful 18-year marriage. Indeed, from 2008 to 2025, Harbuagh led Baltimore to a stellar 180-113 record (.614), including a dozen trips to the playoffs and a Lombardi Trophy in 2012. However, coming up short in the playoffs became an unfortunate trend over the past few years, which combined with Super Bowl or bust expectations, is why he was finally shown the door. Since 2023, there was a real argument to be made that the Blackbirds owned the most talented roster in the AFC, headlined by (2-time MVP) Lamar Jackson, (ageless RB) Derrick Henry, and a plethora of playmakers on the defensive side of the football. When you have that kind of talent at your disposal, expectations can become something of a burden, with Harbaugh ultimately falling victim to that weight. With that in mind, where did (Owner) Steve Bisciotti and (GM) Eric DeCosta turn to for a successor, you ask? Ironically, they knocked on the door of his brother, Jim, hiring Chargers’ DC, Jesse Minter, to be their leading man moving forward. Of course, Minter is no stranger to the Ravens, having spent 4 years with the franchise as a defensive assistant from 2017-2020. The 43-year-old then transitioned to the collegiate level where he teamed with Harbaugh to bring a national championship back to Michigan, before returning to the NFL alongside him to direct Los Angeles’ defense. Creative, detail-oriented, and tactically astute, he will be charged with turning around a talented defense that has grossly underperformed in recent years; Baltimore ranked 24th overall in total yards allowed (354.5) and 30th against the pass (247.8) and in sacks (30) last season. Furthermore, the overall mentality must be hardened, for this is a team that struggled mightily to close under his predecessor. Since 2021, they have lost a dozen games in which they had held a lead of 7+ points in the fourth quarter, including a pair of double-digit collapses last season.
Our Take: The Ravens have long been one of the most consistent franchises in the NFL, which is a major reason why we expect them to bounce back in 2026. Since arriving in Baltimore in 1996, they have historically performed well immediately following a losing campaign, producing a cumulative 52-29 ledger (.641) in such seasons. Jackson remains one of the elite dual-threat QBs that the sport has seen and Henry has continued to be insanely productive at an age where most RBs are physically breaking down, while the rest of the offense features playmakers in the passing game. Given his CV, we’d back Minter to get more out of this defense than his predecessor did, which would go a long way towards assuaging those late-game meltdowns. Poaching (2-time sack leader) Trey Hendrickson from division rival, Cincinnati, will likely go a long way towards doing so. The Blackbirds should not only return to the playoffs, but should emerge as a legitimate Super Bowl contender, though to finally get over the hump it will take their stars (I.E. Jackson and Henry) to be at their best when the lights shine brightest, which just hasn’t been the case of late.
Cincinnati Bengals: Defensive Measures (Finally!!!)
After enjoying back-to-back trips to the AFC Title Game, including an appearance in Super Bowl LVI, the Bengals have thus failed to build upon that momentum and have now missed the playoffs three years in a row. Indeed, Cincinnati’s campaign was thrown off the proverbial tracks as early as Week Two, as (3-time Pro-Bowl QB) Joe Burrow suffered a toe injury that was initially feared to sideline him for the rest of the season, instead keeping him on the shelf for the next 10 weeks. During this stretch, they looked completely toothless, losing all but 1 of their 9 games along the way. While it is logical that their QB play would fall off a cliff without Burrow pulling the trigger, the ongoing struggles of the defense continued to be their most glaring weakness. Then again, this isn’t anything new for the Bengals, who have ranked no better than 25th in total defense in any of the past 3 campaigns. Last season, they finished 30th in points allowed (28.9) and next-to-last in total yards permitted (380.8), along with dead-last against the run (147.0). However, it appears that their notoriously frugal ownership is finally willing to do something about it, opening the check book for (HC) Zac Taylor and (DoPP) Duke Tobin to add necessary reinforcements. Cincinnati shipped a 1st round pick in last Spring’s NFL Draft to New York in exchange for (3-time Pro-Bowl DT) Dexter Lawrence, immediately signing him to a 1-year, $28 million extension. At 6-4, 340 pounds, Lawrence is arguably the most influential player in the league at his position and should singlehandedly improve that woeful run defense. Furthermore, veterans such as Jonathan Allen, Boye Mafe, and Bryan Cook were added via free agency, while Cincy also went defense with their first 2 picks in the Draft, adding (Edge) Cashius Howell and (CB) Tacarlo Davis. If this group can improve to somewhere around the league average, then this becomes a playoff team, though as we have seen so often in the past, these games aren’t decided on paper for it will be up to (DC) Al Golden to put the pieces together.
Our Take: The Bengals have been something of a tough nut to crack over the past 3 years, as few teams in the NFL have exhibited such wildly volatile potential. At their best, they look like a nightmare for anyone in the playoffs, though at their worst, they are competing for a top-10 pick in the Draft. Simply put, there is no greater boom or bust team in the league at the moment. If Burrow can avoid the injuries that derailed them in 2023 and 2025, then this offense is ELITE, capable of making even the toughest defenses sweat. However, we saw how poor they were without him, which makes it difficult to get behind them when he has missed 16 games since 2023. If there is something to inspire confidence in Cincinnati this season, it is the additions on defense, particularly that of Lawrence, which runs counter to how this organization has operated under the Brown family. Needless to say, they’ve been among the cheapest in the league, rarely searching outside of the building for pricy solutions via trade and free agency. Despite allowing the aforementioned Hendrickson to leave in free agency (to Baltimore, no less), the fact that they made such an investment in Lawrence a summer after backing up the brinks truck for (All-Pro WR) Ja’Marr Chase, tells us that the Browns really do understand what they have on their hands and the opportunity for contention that lies before them. With a much-more inviting schedule on their side, we have a feeling that they’ll be back in the postseason.
Cleveland Browns: Turning the Page
Starting over is nothing new for the Browns, though there is a bit of a different feel about this latest rebuild in Northern Ohio. Indeed, Cleveland definitely went through peaks and valleys in their 6 years under (former HC) Kevin Stefanski, breaking the longest playoff drought in the NFL with not 1, but 2 postseason appearances, though also managed to lose 10+ games on 3 occasions, including a dreadful 8-26 ledger over the last 2 seasons. Granted, there is a lot of contexts to be divulged here, folks, as their trajectory was completely altered with the disastrous acquisition of veteran QB, Deshaun Watson. Long story short, the organization thought they were getting an upgrade with Watson, though due to ongoing legalities and a series of injuries, managed to appear in only 19 games in 3 seasons, tearing his Achilles just 7 weeks into the 2024 campaign. In the 2025 Draft, the Browns selected the controversial Shedeur Sanders to compete for QB1 as Watson continued his rehab, with the rookie appearing in each of the final 8 games; the Colorado product completed 56.4% of his throws for 1,400 yards, 7 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, though did go 3-4 as the starter. At the end of the season, Stefanski was relieved of his duties, with (Owners) Jimmy and Dee Halsem ultimately settling upon Todd Monken as his successor. Of course, Monken had spent the previous 3 years revolutionizing the Ravens’ offense, resulting in the highest-scoring attack in 2024 and MVP honors for the aforementioned Jackson. Cleveland also parted ways with (2-time Defensive Player of the Year) Myles Garrett in a trade with the Rams, acquiring (2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year) Jared Verse alongside 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-round picks over the next 3 years. While losing Garrett, who set the single-season sack record last year, certainly hurts in the present, Verse, who has racked up a dozen sacks in 2 campaigns, is 5 years younger and fits the timeline of a young roster that is undergoing change all over the place. Monken and (GM) Andrew Berry completely rebuilt the Offensive Line with 5 new starters, while also adding pass-catching weapons in the Draft, with the likes of K.C. Concepcion and Denzel Boston joining the Dawg Pound.
Our Take: There is a lot of risk in predicting progress from a franchise that has advanced to the playoffs just 3 times since returning to the NFL in 1999. After all, there are A LOT of things working against Cleveland heading into the Fall. Despite his success in Baltimore, Monken didn’t exactly have a wealth of suitors after he hit the market and won’t be bringing with him the premium talent he worked with in Charm City. He also has a VERY young offense at his disposal this season, which could very well render the ongoing QB battle moot. With a year left on his albatross of a contract, we believe that Watson’s days in Northern Ohio are all but numbered and that his presence in this competition is simply to push Sanders to mature even further. Thankfully, the defense should remain a strength even after Garrett’s departure. Over the past month, Berry has locked down many figures on that side of that ball, including (Pro-Bowl CB) Denzel Ward and (S) Grant Delpit, while much is expected of (DT) Mason Graham and (DROY) Carson Schwesinger, as they enter their second season with the team. So, what does success actually look like for Browns in 2026? 6 wins feels a bit generous, though don’t be surprised if they take a step backward before making a sizable lead in 2027.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Reunited in Twilight
After sneaking into the playoffs where they were once again eliminated on Wild Card Weekend, the Steelers FINALLY succumbed to the voices clamoring for change, opting to part ways with (longtime HC) Mike Tomlin after 19 years of success. Indeed, the longest-tenured coach in the NFL did an awful lot of good during his near 2 decades in Western Pennsylvania, compiling a 193-114-2 ledger (.628), including 13 trips to the playoffs, 2 Super Bowl appearances and the franchise’s record 6th Lombardi Trophy in 2008. However, many believe that Tomlin had lost his luster as Pittsburgh failed to win a single playoff game since 2016, with their ugly 30-6 drubbing at home versus Houston last January serving as the final nail in his coffin. Moving forward, the Rooney family and (GM) Omar Khan combed through a variety of candidates, with the reality emerging that this was far from the most attractive job opening in the NFL. An aging defense and an attack that featured few playmakers isn’t the greatest of sales pitches, particularly when you consider the ongoing uncertainty at QB, as (4-time MVP) Aaron Rodgers once again mulled retirement. In his first run with the Steelers, the 42-year-old proved that he was a far cry from the generational passer he was in his prime, though still performed well enough to keep the offense afloat. With that said, the organization didn’t do much in the offseason to court a replacement or draft a successor, leaving the fans frustrated as they waited in limbo for a second consecutive summer. And then came the announcement that Pittsburgh hired Mike McCarthy as their leading man, which brings with it a wealth of storylines moving forward. A Pittsburgh native, McCarthy certainly has the credentials to succeed Tomlin, owning a 174-112-2 record (.608) between his stays with the Packers and Cowboys, including a dozen playoff appearances in 18 years, bringing the Lombardi back home to Green Bay in 2010. Ironically, that triumph in Super Bowl XLV came at the expense of the Steelers, while his QB and MVP of that affair was none other than Rodgers. It was McCarthy who ended the future Hall of Famer’s infamous draft slide back in 2005, and it was the offensive guru who was credited with much of his development into the elite passer that he grew to be. Granted, their relationship did become frayed towards the end of their tenure together in Green Bay, but the fact that they have reunited 8 years later suggests that the fences have been mended. Simply put, if there were still hard feelings between them, then we highly doubt that Rodgers would have committed himself to coming back to Pittsburgh.
Our Take: McCarthy reuniting with Rodgers, who finally committed to playing 1 more season before calling it a career, is a great story and it offers some legitimacy towards the Steelers competing in 2026. However, it is going to take a lot more than that for this team to get any further than they have over the past 3 seasons, which admittedly isn’t very far at all. Again, no matter how McCarthy tailors the offensive system to his QB’s preference, the fact remains that Rodgers will turn 43 in December and his supporting cast isn’t necessarily the kind of group that will allow him to simply play complementary football. (WR) D.K. Metcalf’s acquisition last year ended up being more style than substance with 59 catches for 850 yards and 6 touchdowns, while this year’s big get, (RB) Rico Dowdle, is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns with the Cowboys and Panthers. McCarthy and Khan also focused on the offense early in the NFL Draft, adding (OT) Max Ihenachor, (WR) Germie Bernard, and (QB) Drew Allar, who may or may not end up succeeding Rodgers at some point. Is this really enough though? We’re not particularly inspired…