5 reasons Browns fans should be excited for the 2018 season

1. Waning AFC North division

The AFC North could finally be ripe for the taking.

Not long ago, that division was among the most competitive in the NFL. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens were perennial Super Bowl contenders, and the Cincinnati Bengals interjected every so often with a few good seasons as well.

Hope for playoff contention was basically a pipe dream for a moribund Browns team that couldn’t win its way out of a paper bag.

But things don’t look as bleak anymore.

The Bengals continue to toil in mediocrity and disappointment, and no change seems imminent with Marvin Lewis back as the head coach. It’s like Groundhog Day in Cincinnati, where the Bengals are coming off back-to-back losing seasons.

Meanwhile, the Ravens are still stuck with Joe Flacco as the starting quarterback and no elite defense to mask the deficiencies on the offensive side of the ball.

The glory days of Ray Lewis and Ed Reed are long gone for a Ravens team still heavily dependent on a 35-year-old Terrell Suggs to lead the defense. It has been four years since they even competed in a playoff game.

Next: Best NFL player from each state

As for the Steelers, they can only go as far as Ben Roethlisberger is capable of taking them, which won’t be too much further if he continues to absorb unnecessary punishment in the pocket.

The Steelers might be the class of the AFC, along with the New England Patriots, but that will no longer be the case if they lose their 36-year-old quarterback.

Last year, the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers showed how quickly perception of a team can change in one season. The right pieces can make a world of difference, even for a winless team like the Browns.