The legend of Achilles states that he was dipped in the River Styx as an infant by his mother, making him invulnerable everywhere but the heel that his mother held him by. Hence the term “Achilles heel” being a substitute for “biggest weakness.” The AFC North figures to be a juggernaut of sorts in the 2024 season. After leading the NFL in combined wins in 2023, the division will be returning two starting quarterbacks that ended the year on IR. The Steelers also added Russell Wilson which makes the division even more competitive.
Regardless of how strong each team is, they all have their flaws. Today we will be looking at each team’s Achilles heel that could lead to their downfall in 2024. NFL.com’s Eric Edholm recently released his 10 most “complete” rosters and all of the AFC North teams made the cut other than the Steelers.
Pittsburgh Steelers – Wide Receiver
The Steelers figure to run the ball a whole lot in 2024, but it is ultimately still a passing league. George Pickens has never been the unquestioned WR1, and will have to adjust to life with extra attention coming from defenses. That will especially be the case if no clear WR2 emerges in the offense. Could that be Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, or maybe even Van Jefferson?
It was a mixed bag last year when Diontae Johnson was out with an injury. During those four weeks, George Pickens went for over 100 receiving yards twice, but was also held to just 25 yards in Week 4 against the Houston Texans. He also only had double-digit targets twice last season and the most receptions he had in a game was seven. True WR1s in the NFL command 10-plus targets more often than not and double-digit receptions on a regular basis.
If Pickens were to get injured at any point in the season, it would be a total disaster for the Steelers. This remains the biggest concern entering the season, and could limit how effective QB Russell Wilson is able to be in the offense.
Cornerback should also be mentioned, and specifically slot corner. If they re-sign Patrick Peterson or Cam Sutton later in the offseason then it will be less of an issue.
Baltimore Ravens – Offensive Line
The Ravens traded away OT Morgan Moses and lost OG Kevin Zeitler and OG John Simpson in free agency. Zeitler was a Pro Bowl player in 2023, and Moses has been a solid tackle in the league for a long time. Between those three players, they lost 46 starts from their 2023 offensive line. That is a lot to try to replace in one offseason.
They added OL Josh Jones as a free agent, but he has only started 12 games over the last two seasons. OT Roger Rosengarten was taken in the second round of the draft. He has a lot of upside and is highly athletic for the position, but he is also 308 pounds and might need some time to acclimate his body and technique to the NFL level.
Will Andrew Vorhees and Ben Cleveland be able to hold down the guard spots despite very little experience between the two of them? For a team that has a mobile quarterback and that just added Derrick Henry in free agency, the offensive line could create big issues.
Cleveland Browns – Inside Linebacker
The Browns’ ILB room has been almost completely transformed this offseason. They still have Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah, but Sionte Takitaki and Anthony Walker Jr. both departed in free agency. They also lost some depth and special teams ability at the position with Matthew Adams, Jordan Kunaszyk, and Jacob Phillips no longer on the team. That is 25 combined starts no longer on the team. They added ILB Nathaniel Watson in the sixth round of the draft, and they signed Jordan Hicks and Devin Bush Jr. in free agency. As a 4-3 base defense, they will have Hicks and Owusu-Koramoah starting, but they will likely also be forced to start Bush.
Their defense should still be among the league’s best, but the Steelers know all too well what it can be like to have a weak link at the inside linebacker position. And specifically with that weak link being Bush. He only managed three starts in his one-year stint with the Seattle Seahawks and now comes back to the physical AFC North where he already has a history of struggling.
Cincinnati Bengals – Running Back
The Bengals might be forced to go against the grain this season in the AFC North that is known for physical, run-first offenses. They lost RB Joe Mixon in free agency, and replaced him with Zack Moss. The most rushing attempts Moss has ever had in a season was the 183 last year. Najee Harris had 255 last season, and that was in an offense that was in a committee backfield with Jaylen Warren.
Can Moss make the jump to being a featured back? Chase Brown and Trayveon Williams behind him don’t have a ton of experience either. They beefed up their offensive line this offseason, so we will find out just how fungible running backs really are.
Cornerback is also a position that could cause some issues. Cam Taylor-Britt, D.J. Turner, and Dax Hill are probably the worst tandem of outside corners in the division. They have depth, but no real high-end talent or lockdown option on the roster, though Taylor-Britt has a chance to take the next step in his third season. The Bengals were the 27th-ranked defense against the pass last year, and that could continue being a weakness of the team.
