AFC North
Division Foes May Hold Nasty Surprises For Steelers
By Jerry DiPaola

CINCINNATI BENGALS

Sometime before the end of the season, Cincinnati Bengals running back Corey Dillon may be as proud of his team as he is of his $170,000 Ferrari.

Dillon, who sits behind the steering wheel of a team that may be the surprise of the AFC North in 2002, owns a Ferrari 360 Modena that he bought last year shortly after signing a five-year, $26 million contract that includes a whopping $10.5 million signing bonus.

"It fits me to a `T,' " Dillon said. "It's gorgeous, it's powerful ... and it's black." Dillon rarely drives it—after all he owns five other vehicles—but he said, "I go out and clean it. My thrill is going out, wiping it down, shining up the rims, then sitting back and looking at it and saying, `Yeah, that's a nice car.' "

People might be saying similarly complimentary things about the Bengals this season. President Mike Brown has worked diligently to construct a team that might be ready to record its first winning season since 1990. Dillon has rushed for 2,750 yards the past two seasons, without much help from a mainly lethargic passing attack. But that could change this season. Brown went out and signed Gus Frerotte, formerly of Ford City High School, the University of Tulsa, the Redskins, Lions and Broncos, to challenge Jon Kitna for the starting quarterback job. The winner will have a stable of young receivers at his disposal. Peter Warrick was the fourth overall pick in the 2000 draft, and Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, former Steeler Danny Farmer and Ron Dugans provide impressive depth.

Offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski, who nearly got the same job with the Steelers after Kevin Gilbride was fired after the 2000 season, has one of the brightest minds in the game. He should do well, mixing Dillon with a potentially explosive group of wide receivers. If only the quarterbacks can find a way to put it together. Kitna has been consistently inconsistent in his six-year career, but he threw for 411 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-23 overtime victory against the Steelers last year. Bengals head coach Dick LeBeau knows defense, and he finally has some tools in Cincinnati that can implement his plans. Linebackers Takeo Spikes and Brian Simmons and defensive end Justin Smith are the cornerstones. Simmons recently signed a contract that will pay him about $4.5 million per season, and Smith had 8 1/2 sacks in his rookie season in 2001, despite missing all of training camp in a contract dispute. Spikes also is working on a new deal, after announcing that the Bengals are a team on the riseand he wants to be a part of it.

Don't laugh at the Bengals. They may be one of the sorriest franchises in the recent history of the league, but they are a respectable 4-4 against the Steelers since 1998. The first meeting between the two former AFC Central rivals is Oct. 13 in Cincinnati.

BALTIMORE RAVENS

Ravens coach Brian Billick spotted USA Today pro football writer Jarrett Bell at training camp recently, and was struck by the fact that the national press corps had arrived to check out his little team.

"What are you doing here?" Billick asked Bell. "We're supposed to suck."

Indeed, the Ravens could be one of the worst teams in the NFL this season after gutting much of their roster to remain under the salary cap. Gone are defensive linemen Sam Adams, Tony Siragusa, Rob Burnett, Larry Webster and Lional Dalton, quarterback Elvis Grbac, wide receivers Qadry Ismail, Patrick Johnson and Jermaine Lewis, fullback Sam Gash, tight end Shannon Sharpe, linebacker Jamie Sharper and defensive backs Corey Harris, Duane Starks and Rod Woodson. In all, there are only 16 players left from the team that won the Super Bowl only two seasons ago.

To compensate, the Ravens brought in 46 rookies, an incredible number that is more than half of the entire training-camp roster.

Billick is counting on running back Jamal Lewis, who had a sensational rookie season on the way to the Super Bowl, to return to form after a major knee injury ended his second season in August of last year.

Lewis, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee 13 months ago, has looked good in training camp, but the first season back from a knee injury is often the most difficult.

Still, Lewis is hopeful. "I'm ready, man. I think I've got my groove back, and I'm ready to roll,'' he said.

It may be difficult for Lewis, the fifth overall choice in the 2000 draft, to match his rookie numbers. He rushed for 1,364 yards, with 27 receptions for 296 yards. He also gained 102, with a touchdown, in the Super Bowl victory against the New York Giants.

The Ravens need Lewis, because the retirement of Grbac leaves the quarterback position in the hands of untested Chris Redman, with veteran Jeff Blake waiting for Redman to falter. Look for tight end Todd Heap, a No. 1 pick in 2001, to become one of Redman's favorite targets. The receivers are promising, but unspectacular: Travis Taylor and Brandon Stokley caught just 42 and 24 passes, respectively, last season.

On defense, the Ravens hope that middle linebacker Ray Lewis performs even remotely close to the value of his new contract that includes a $19 million signing bonus. The rest of the defense is full of holes, with Lewis, linebacker Peter Boulware and cornerback Chris McAlister trying to hold together a rag-tag outfit that once was the proudest defense in football. McAlister is the best of what looks like a weak secondary, but his lapses in concentration work against his superior athletic ability.

No wonder Marvin Lewis, the respected defensive coordinator, bolted town as soon as Washington Redskins started waving some money at him.

CLEVELAND BROWNS

Quarterback Tim Couch, finally, is working in an offensive system that minimizes risk and maximizes production. Former Browns coach Chris Palmer wanted Couch to throw the low-percentage, deep balls; present coach Butch Davis came in last year and authorized offensive coordinator Bruce Arians to institute a shorter passing game that played more to Couch's strength—His incredible mid-range accuracy.

It worked, because Couch threw for 3,040 yards and 17 touchdowns and completed 59.9 percent of his throws. The interception total was a problem (21), but the Browns worked in the draft to improve the wide receiver corps.

Couch's favorite target could soon become rookie No. 2 pick Andre Davis, who the Steelers briefly considered for their No. 1 draft choice. The Browns appeared to get good value in Davis as the 47th overall choice.

Couch could have a running game to lean on, too, if No. 1 pick William Green is as good as advertised. He has to be better than the leading rusher from a year ago, James Jackson, who averaged 2.8 yards per carry and totaled only 554 yards.

The Browns have four outstanding defensive linemen setting up roadblocks for the AFC North's top running backs, Jerome Bettis and Dillon. Kenard Lang and Courtney Brown line up at end with Gerard Warren and Orpheus Roye at tackle. Only Roye, who was ripped from the Steelers in free agency, was not a No. 1 pick.

The loss of Pro Bowl linebacker Jamir Miller to a season-ending Achilles injury will hurt, and it remains to be seen how much Earl Holmes will help in the middle. Steelers coaches believe Holmes did not play as well in 2001 as he did earlier in his career, and the team's front office did not go out of its way to re-sign him.

The Browns signed Holmes, who is entering his seventh year, to provide leadership and toughness. He should do that, and he certainly is better than former Browns middle linebacker Wali Rainer.

Three of the four starting defensive backs—cornerback Corey Fuller and safeties Devin Bush and Robert Griffith—have been in the league at least eight seasons. That could be good, but more likely it's bad.

Jerry DiPaola covers the Steelers for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.