Grading Each 2012 NFL Team: AFC North Edition

Since it's a little too early to look forward--and don't let all this combine and draft talk fool you--let's look back at how all 32 teams did in 2012.  These grades are quite obviously subjective, but I assessed a few things in my mind: 1) Did this team improve, maintain or decline in performance from previous years?; 2) Did this team maximize the talent level on its roster?; and 3) What does the quality of wins and losses say about these guys?

We now continue our series with the AFC North:

Cincinnati Bengals, 10 - 6

Overall Grade: B
There were big highs and lows in Cincinnati this season with a team that proved to be just as streaky as its mascot.  The Bengals have yet to secure that elusive playoff win in the Marvin Lewis era, but many talented pieces on both sides of the ball are starting to come together for a franchise looking to move up in the division.

High Points: The Bengals closed out the regular season on a high note, going 10 -6 with signature wins against the Giants at home and the Steelers at Heinz Field, which have been a big mental hurdle for Cincy for many years.  Further, the Bengals' wealth of pass rushers and success on the ground with Benjarvis Green-Ellis bodes well for years to come.

Low Points: The Bengals rebounded nicely from an 0 - 4 slide midway through the season, but the team couldn't have been pleased with losing to the Texans in the Wild Card for the second straight year in very disappointing fashion.  They were unable to convert a single third down on the day and had -17 passing yards until well into the second quarter... yet they lost by less than a TD.

Homework for 2013: Andy Dalton needs to work on his deep ball and get more comfortable using multiple receiving options. A.J. Green is a great security blanket, but too many defenses now know this.  OC Jay Gruden needs to honor what could become one of the better running attacks in the NFL next year in his play-calling

Cleveland Browns, 5 - 11

Overall Grade: C-
I'm going to be slightly forgiving of the Cleveland Browns because they really did as much as they probably could have with the talent level of this roster and played nearly every game close even though they came up short more often than not.  Too bad Jimmy Haslam doesn't see it that way.

High Points: Trent Richardson looks like he can deliver in upcoming years and had some notable runs this year.  And the Browns rose to the top of the bottom of the AFC barrel this year with hard fought wins against the Bengals, Steelers and Chargers.

Low Points: As good as pieces of the Browns roster have been this year (Richardson, Joe Haden, Josh Cribbs), this team was more than a draft/trade or two short of a winning record, and a dramatic overhaul is inevitable under new management.  Few losses were as heartbreaking as Cleveland's overtime sputter against Dallas after leading the Cowboys by 10 points in the fourth quarter.

Homework for 2013: Give Brandon Weeden all the practice reps he can handle ASAP.  The new management needs to know if QB shopping is a priority well before April rolls around under the direction of new Brownies Rod Chudzinski and Norv Turner.

Baltimore Ravens, 10 - 6

Overall Grade: A+
Sure this team had some real highs and lows in the regular season, as most champs seem to have done in recent years, but what else can you say about the team that shocked the world with [Flacco's] gun's a-blazin' in January to make one of the most memorable Super Bowl runs in NFL history?

High Points: Everything else pales in comparison to Baltimore's magical playoff sweep with the odds stacked against them.  The Ravens beat the two top offenses in the league to get to New Orleans and then had the explosive 49ers by the jugular until the Superdome went dark.  But it shouldn't be a surprise anymore that this team would keep its composure, make an epic goal line stand and take home one last Lombardi under Ray Lewis' tenure.  And how about that Joe Flacco going 11 TDs, no picks in the postseason?

Low Points: Whoever bet on Baltimore to go all the way in December must be living a life of luxury now, since the team looked ready to be put out of its misery ASAP in January.  The Ravens went an abysmal 1 - 4 to close out the season with bad losses to the RG3-less Redskins and Charlie Batch-filled Steelers.  Many fans were scratching their heads when John Harbaugh cut OC Cam Cameron late in the season and replaced him with previously 2 - 14 head coach Jim Caldwell, but the rest, as they say, is history.

Homework for 2013: As spectacular as this season was, the Ravens are in a tough spot to repeat in 2013.  Signing Joe Flacco for "Drew Brees money" is going to create some serious cap issues for this aging but highly-valued roster with several key free agents on the horizon.  Ozzie Newsome is one of the best GMs in the league, but he'll need to trust smartly in the scouting process this time to find the right replacements for what could be a very different roster by April.

Pittsburgh Steelers, 8 - 8

Overall Grade: C
This Steelers team gets a little bit of extra credit for the plague of injuries endured in all phases of the game this year, but don't say we didn't warn you about those risks before the season began.  Pittsburgh was baffling this year, winning against many of its tougher opponents (Giants, Bengals, Ravens) and losing to some of the league's bottom feeders (Browns, Titans, Radiers).

High Points: Two big wins that had me convinced the Steelers could limp into the playoffs despite the flesh wounds were with the Giants in the Meadowlands and with the Ravens in Baltimore when Pittsburgh was down to third-string Methuselah QB Charlie Batch.  The latter win was a big one for the fans hoping for extend those playoff hopes another week and watch their most hated rival collapse in embarrassing primetime fashion.

Low Points: As mentioned above, losses to some of the most profoundly struggling teams this year continually sunk Pittsburgh's morale, but the Steelers really weren't the same team anyway once Ben Roethlisberger went down with a serious rib injury.  Although Big Ben muscled his way off the bench, he never looked or threw quite the same way after that, and Pittsburgh closed out the season 2 - 5.

Homework for 2013: Make some hard roster decisions with iconic but aging and expensive veterans like Troy Polamalu and James Harrison to make way for the next Iron Curtain generation.  Cryogenically freeze all offensive linemen until September to avoid further injury.