Ravens rival continues its defensive implosion
Stop us if you have heard this before. The Baltimore Ravens enter the 2025 NFL season looking to win a third straight AFC North title. Here's what you may not know. Doing so would end a jinx that has lasted for over two decades.
The NFL realigned in 2002, and the AFC Central was transformed into the AFC North. Since then, no member of this division has won three consecutive divisional crowns.
Baltimore could be on their way to doing so. They're good enough to make that happen, but the task gets easier if their rivals continue to fall asleep behind the wheel. As the offseason wore on, the Ravens' interdivisional roadblocks seemed more like traveling comedy routines than serious football franchises.
The Pittsburgh Steelers appear to be getting things on track after a lengthy delay in finalizing the T.J. Watt extension. Additionally, they have signed Aaron Rodgers. As for the Cleveland Browns, they are making efforts to improve, but they still have a reputation to overcome.
The Cincinnati Bengals are home to the best quarterback not named Patrick Mahomes or Lamar Jackson, but they seemingly don't want to find him any help other than paying their wide receivers. Perhaps the plan is to win shootouts.
We've seen them struggle to sign a rookie draft choice. They refuse to pay their best defensive player. The wheels have fallen off the Trey Hendrickson bus as Cincy is reportedly interested in dealing the four-time Pro Bowler. Stop laughing. This is a real story.
So, as another season nears and Baltimore remains one of the league's model franchises, we keep one eye on the Bungles and a continuing saga. Okay, we have to ask...
Do they not understand that this could be a mark against them both now and in the future? How will they ever attract free agents when young stars are thinking, "If they don't take care of Trey Hendrickson, who will they take care of?"
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