NFL Midseason Report Card: AFC North

With the first half of the NFL season over, here is a look at how each AFC North team performed, with respect to preseason expectations:

Cincinnati Bengals (6-2): A

Sitting atop the AFC North, the Bengals have been the surprise team of the 2009 so far. Despite the gut-wrenching fluky loss to the Broncos in week one, the Bengals reeled off wins in six of their next seven games, including victories over the Steelers, Packers, and Ravens. Perhaps even more so than the Bengals stout defense, has been the reemergence of one-time running back bust Cedric Benson. Benson rushed the ball for 837 yards in the first half of the season, averaging 4.2 yards per carry and reaching the end zone six times. The Bengals have a key Week 10 matchup against the Steelers, but then have an otherwise very weak second-half schedule. If Benson can continue to run like he did in the first half, the Bengals have a real shot at making the playoffs and possibly a division title.

Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2): A-

Expectations are always high for the Steelers, but anytime a team starts the season as defending Super Bowl Champions, they get even higher. Perhaps most surprising about the Steelers success this season has been their effectiveness in the passing game. Traditionally a run first team, the Steelers have posted the fifth-best passing offense in the NFL, thanks in large to receivers Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, and rookie Mike Wallace. Second year running back Rashard Mendenhall has also been a surprise this season, and the Steelers will need him to continue his strong play as cold weather hits Pittsburgh. Look for the Steelers to move more toward their traditional running game plan as the season progresses.

Baltimore Ravens (4-4): C

After starting the season an impressive 3-0, the Ravens have nosedived recently, losing four of their last five games. What is surprising is that the team is losing despite putting up solid offensive numbers this season. The Ravens rank ninth in the NFL in points scored and 10th in overall offense. While their defense isn't the stalwart that it has been in recent years, it has still be solid albeit it vulnerable to the passing game. The Ravens suffered three close losses against the Patriots, Bengals, and Vikings. All three games the Ravens could have won, meaning they could be 7-1. This is a much better football team than their 4-4 record indicates, but in order for them to turns things around, they need to start closing out football games.

Cleveland Browns (1-7): F

At this point, the Cleveland Browns are the laughing stock of the AFC. The circus really began two years ago when first round draft pick Brady Quinn was benched because of a contract holdout. Derek Anderson filled in his place and nearly led the Browns to the playoffs, but in doing so, probably set back the Browns a number of years. Quinn is the franchise quarterback in Cleveland, but his franchise hasn't given him the chance to play. By failing to name a quarterback throughout the entire preseason, Eric Mangini restricted his team from building an offensive chemistry. Then, just ten quarters into the season, the Browns benched Quinn in favor of Derek Anderson. Some suggest that Quinn was benched to prevent him from earning a performance bonus of roughly $11 million. Now that the Derek Anderson experiment has officially failed, for the second time, the Browns seem intent on starting Quinn for the rest of 2009. Yet, even Tom Brady would have a hard time leading this Browns team to victories. Poorly constructed in all facets of the game, the Browns are in rebuilding mode with no offense or defense. Sadly, the Browns best scoring chances this season have been on special teams, where sensational returner, Josh Cribbs has returned both a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown. Cribbs' two touchdowns are two more than Browns running backs have this season, thanks to a porous offensive line.