Entering the preseason, the conventional wisdom was that the Cleveland Browns would be the class of the AFC North, with both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens close behind. While that pecking order looked to be debatable, what wasn’t was the assumption that the Cincinnati Bengals would finish dead last.
Week 1 of any NFL season breeds a ton of overreaction and overhype. In the North, the hype is in full-blown overdrive as more than a few have jumped off the Browns bandwagon. It’s a “prisoner of the moment” reaction as one week doesn’t necessarily indicate what will ultimately transpire over the next 15 games.