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The first week of the preseason is in the books. All three of the Cleveland Browns’ divisional rivals came up victorious—as did the Browns themselves. But how are the Steelers, Bengals and Ravens handling the aftermath and their preparations for Week 2 of the preseason? Here’s the latest around the AFC North.
Pittsburgh Steelers: The good news for the Pittsburgh Steelers coming off of their 20-12 preseason defeat of the New York Giants is that the injury impact has been minor, in terms of quantity. Behind the Steel Curtain’s Jeff Hartman notes, however, that the lone injury—a concussion suffered by rookie receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster—could impact the rest of the Steelers’ summertime plans.
Also: Though things didn’t get worse in the Steelers’ injury-plagued secondary on Friday night, Pittsburgh still may need to add reinforcements for both the short- and long-term. One pricey option, apparently, is to trade for Los Angeles Rams cornerback Trumaine Brock, writes Hartman.
Cincinnati Bengals: The Cincinnati Bengals had a 23-12 win to open their preseason against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But there are still some kinks the team will need to work out. Not only did starting quarterback Andy Dalton throw an interception in the red zone, but the first-team defense needs some polishing, according to Cincy Jungle’s Rebecca Tobak.
Also: Jason Marcum picks his six winners and two losers from the Bengals’ side of the first preseason game, including a backup quarterback who used his playing time to shine.
Baltimore Ravens: Injuries continue to mount for the Balitmore Ravens, with two more players lost for the season. Baltimore Beatdown’s Kyle P. Barber takes a look at how the Ravens can navigate the loss of guard Alex Lewis, while Evan Mazza breaks down just what the loss of Tim White means for the Ravens’ receiver and return specialist situations.
Also: Perhaps one solution to Lewis’ season-ending shoulder injury involves player acquisition, particular the signing of free agent Jeremy Zuttah. Zuttah, released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers just months after the Ravens traded him there, could a savvy addition as long as the price is right, writes Barber.