This just so happens to be the number of Super Bowls the Steelers have won. Neat.

PFT continued the release of its preseason power rankings of NFL teams over the weekend.  The rankings have been rather unsurprising for the most part – with a few head scratchers being the Eagles at #8, Lions at #13 (they should be better), and the Cowboys at #14 (they should be worse).  Two AFC North teams were announced this weekend.  The Steelers came in at #6 and the Ravens came in at #5.

I like to pride myself as an anti-homer, and I’d be a total hypocrite if I said that the Ravens didn’t deserve to jump ahead of the Black & Gold before the season started.  Even though the Ravens have lost Suggs for a large chunk of the season and some other key players, they were able to sign Ray Rice to a long term contract – hold out crisis avoided.  They lost some other key players on their roster, but their two victories over the Steelers in the regular season and their deep playoff run put them over the top.  For now.

It still burns my rear when I see the breakdown of what is considered ‘strengths’ and weaknesses’ for the team.  Calling rookie offensive linemen liabilities since they haven’t started a game, yet not looking at who was there in the first place before them is a huge underestimation.  Thinking that the loss of Aaron Smith and having to use tested backups like Ziggy Hood is enough to make you bite your nails over is a lack of understanding of how this defense prides itself on ‘starters in waiting.’  To assume that Max Starks will more than likely win out the job at left tackle and then to think that somehow Mike Adams and Marcus Gilbert will duke it out for the spot at right tackle shows a bit of the cray cray that a rookie who barely ever played the right side would be competing for the job against the second year man who played very well as a rookie himself.

Rankings like this are all pretty subjective with only a few concrete pieces of evidence that truly defines a particular line up of team.  So, even though I believe that PFT go the Steelers right at #6 and the Ravens right at #5 – the reasoning behind such is suspect.

That leaves the Giants, Packers, 49′ers, and Patriots as the top 4 ranked teams going into camp.  No surprises there considering three out of those four were in the conference championship games.  Of course, preseason rankings are just that – preseason rankings.  The performance on the field always dictates who the winners and losers are.  I guess it’s nice to feel that even with all the changes taking place over this offseason the Steelers are still one of the elite teams in the league.  After all, they still have one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL, one of the elite defenders, and a core of great coaching.

Rice will be ready for camp now that he has a new deal with the Ravens. Credit: Greg M. Cooper-US PRESSWIRE

The questions surrounding Ray Rice’s future with the Ravens can be put to rest, and the Steelers can look forward to facing off against the pesky former Rutgers running back in 2012.  Prior to today’s franchise tag deadline, the Baltimore Ravens signed Ray Rice to a 5-year deal totaling $40 million dollars should he hit all his incentives.

Rice would have cost the Ravens over $7 million against the cap were he to retain the franchise tag without signing a new deal before the end of today.  By signing Rice now, the Ravens will save $2.7 million in cap room.  Should Rice become injured between now and March, and Rice is guaranteed another $7 million.  The deal is set up so that it can be restructured to help the team again in 2013 should they run into more cap issues – kudos to the agent and Ravens for constructing a pretty solid and incentive filled deal.

With Rice taken care of, the Ravens can now turn their attention to Joe Flacco, who is in the final year of his rookie contract.  Were the two sides continue to be at odds at the start of the off season in 2013, then the Ravens can slap him with a franchise tag to delay him walking away.  But, just as what happened with Rice, the team will need to reach a deal with him or else get hit with a pretty hefty cap hit for the franchise tag.

It might be a welcome sight for Big Ben if he saw Ray Lewis on the same sidelines as him. Credit: Jason Bridge-US PRESSWIRE

If any of you follow the sporting world in general, you probably heard that long time Phoenix Sun guard Steve Nash was dealt to the LA Lakers.  Nash is like my Hines Ward – a man of consistency throughout his career and class act who becomes a household name for that franchise.  You never really ever expect them to be with another team.  But then the unthinkable happens.  Following Nash’s deal to the Lakers, NFL.com had a little fun by asking fans to pick an NFL legend and pick a ‘now way’ team for them to join.

One of those combos selected was Ray Lewis to the Steelers.  Now before you completely scoff at that notion, remember that this was a trade of Nash to the Lakers.  I highly doubt Lewis would volunteer via free agency and suit up for the Steelers.  Even though there is a mutual respect for the two rivaled franchises, it would be a big swallow of pride for Lewis to freely sign with the Steelers.  But, a trade – now that’s a different story.

Though it would be an inter divisional trade, would the Ravens be up for trading their long time LB for some picks? Or how about an up and coming receiver like Emmanuel Sanders?  If the Steelers were desperate for defense and the Ravens desperate for offense, would it really be that insane to consider?  I don’t think the Steelers or Ravens are above making a trade that would benefit each other.  But would it be a legacy player like Lewis?

I leave the debating up to you.

Even I don't know how good I'm going to be, Pouncey! Credit: Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE

I would have to say that the AFC North had one of the more interesting drafts of all the divisions in the NFL.  Each team made key (or head scratching) moves directly involving offense.  Each team is primed to have either a great offense or one that quickly swirls down the toilet bowl.  Each quarterback also has a chance to have the season of a lifetime.  For us to jump down this rabbit hole, we’re going to have to make a few assumptions.

First we’ll have to assume that nothing will happen to Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger or Bengals QB Andy Dalton.  Ben appears to be flying the straight and narrow these days, and Andy Dalton has about an exciting life as a three-toed sloth – no chances for any events that will steer them away from the football field.  We must also assume that Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens will tidy up the contract dispute currently on the table.  Flacco wants the big money and the Ravens are biting… yet.  Joe doesn’t appear that he’ll be a hold out as he attended the OTA’s and mini camps.  Now there’s about 10 (maybe he has 9?) Joe Flacco fans out there who will argue that there’s no way he’ll hold out.  And perhaps that’s true – he has the lack of spine to show up in camp.  But I’m not convinced that Uni won’t try and pull a power play right before camp – after all, he is ‘the best’ right?  But for now, we’ll assume that he’ll be taking the snaps.  Our last assumption is the hardest one to make, but we’ll have to go on blind faith in order for this poll to work.  We’re going to have to assume that Brandon Weeden will be the starter for the Cleveland Browns.  Although it may seem easy to think that Weeden will be the starter, Colt McCoy and Seneca Wallace are the other men competing for that job.  And while it may also be easy to write off McCoy, cause boy the analysts sure did on draft night, he will still have some fight in him.  The Browns will be going for broke as they always do since they have no fighting chance of taking the division.  If they feel Weeden is the guy to inject some type of pulse into that offense, then he’ll be the one to start.  Ok, I’m game.  Weeden it is.

The Steelers added a ton of weapons to the offense, and that includes the offensive line as being a weapon.  With the addition of great run blockers like David DeCastro and Mike Adams, the tallest TE in the business Leonard Pope, and new offensive coordinator Todd Haley, the Steelers have the potential of blowing up the scoreboard.  Can’t forget to mention NFL record setting receiver Antonio Brown and the other pass catchers, Heath Miller, and Isaac Redman primed to carry this team to the playoffs.  Big Ben has the potential of the best season of his career.  But will it be the best among the AFC North?

Is he wearing his helmet? Oh wait that's just his.... never mind. Credit: Frank Victores-US PRESSWIRE

Andy Dalton proved that ginger can be cool.  He had a great rookie season, and connected with star receiver A.J. Green.  Were he to have one good game against the Steelers last season, the Bengals could have had the Steelers on the outside looking in come playoff time.  But with any rookie season came highs and lows.  Now it’s time for Dalton to settle in with his offense once again (that surprisingly ranked 20th in the passing game) and make another push for the playoffs.

Joe Flacco and the rest of the Ravens have quite a bit to deal with going into camp.  Holdouts, injuries, etc.  All distractions, and all things that can affect the overall chemistry of the team.  Ray Rice, should he continue his hold out, could throughly screw this team by taking any semblance of a running game.  No running game means more responsibility and pressure on Joe Flacco.  And well, sometimes that just doesn’t work out to well for our friend Bert.  He does have plenty of weapons still at his disposal – none more electric than Torrey Smith.  Smith proved numerous times, including several against Pittsburgh, that he has amazing speed.  Should he improve his ability to catch the football, Flacco could have TD after TD bomb.

Do I have to talk about the Browns offense?  Wait.  Is there even a Browns offense?  Well, if there is, then Weeden has his work cut out for him.  He’ll have to …. ummm….. weed out (sorry just couldn’t help myself) the bad from the good in the huddle and hope for the best.  Who know, this kid and the rest of the dogs could surprise us come mid season – although the Homers will tell you the Browns are playoff bound and rulers of the North!

So – who’s it going to be?  Big Ben, Andy Dalton, Joe Flacco or Brandon Weeden?  They all have the potential (except maybe Weeden) to have a great statistical season.  But who will come out on top as the best?

'Red Zone' will need to step up this season. Can he produce with a new OC and a young offensive line? Credit: David Richard-US PRESSWIRE

ESPN’s Ravens reporter AFC North reporter, Hensley, posted today about the Steelers and Ravens having ‘matchup-busters’ at the wide receiver postion.  Mike Wallace (should he sign his tender) and Antonio Brown represent the Steelers.  Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith represent the Ravens.  Hensley points out that the AFC North is usually a run first kind of division.  Truth.  Which got me thinking – who is going to run the ball the most, and who will run most effectively between these two?

The Steelers are looking to ‘find their way’ again through new OC Todd Haley.  No one really quite knows how this change will work out.  We know that Haley wants to run the ball more than Arians did in past seasons.  But, with Mendenhall still recovering from his knee injury, Redman unproven (yet I think he’s the real deal), and a young offensive line that is practically changing from diapers to pull ups this season, there is much uncertainty about the Steelers running game.

What will Rice's status be by Week 1 with his holdout? Credit: David Butler II-US PRESSWIRE

The Ravens and their running game are also under scrutiny for 2012.  Ray Rice is holding out for a big contract and is sitting out OTAs as he waits.  Averaging well over 1,000 for the last three season and a beast against his divisional foes throughout the North, Rice feels he is worth more than the $7.7 million he got last year.  The Ravens also lost OG Ben Grubbs to the Saints during free agency this spring.  Grubbs was the cornerstone to the Ravens running game and will be missed.  They tried to bolster their offensive line by drafting OT Kelechi Osemele and OG Gino Gradkowski.  Will they be able to help whomever carries the rock come the start of the 2012 season?

So my question to you readers is two fold. 1) Who will run the ball more in 2012? and 2) Who will run the ball more effectively (not necessarily more yards)?