Long and Suite Preview: The AFC North

The Ravens and Steelers get more headlines, but Andy Dalton's Bengals just might be the AFC North's best team.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin) and Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

The AFC North has won three of the last eight Super Bowls, more than any division in football, but the two franchises that have headlined the division over the last decade are in transition.

Defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore is in the process of handing the reigns completely over to quarterback Joe Flacco. After one of the greatest playoff performances in recent memory, Flacco was rewarded with the (then) richest contract in NFL history. Now, it will be on Flacco to carry the Ravens into a new era, with longtime leader and future Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis retired, and safety Ed Reed playing in Houston.

Super Bowl XLVII: Well, It Was Interesting

Jacoby Jones' 108-yard kickoff return will likely go down as one of the most memorable plays in Super Bowl history.

By Joe Parello

Super Bowl XLVII, with it's many intriguing story lines, interesting special teams plays, exciting finish and soon-to-be infamous power outage delay, is sure to be one the most memorable Super Bowls in history.

But, football fans should also be sure to remember that both teams did their very best to lose this game, as key players made massive mistakes at critical junctures, and both coaching staffs neutered their best offensive weapons when the game was there for the taking.

In short, both teams played scared.

Important Lessons from this Super Bowl Week

Stop asking me about my murder trial and PEDs, I never asked for this kind of attention. Now, everybody gather round and watch me do this elaborate dance routine for the cameras.

By Joe Parello

The media storm heading into any Super Bowl is always enjoyable, but this year we've learned some particularly relevant tidbits about participants in the big game. Here are just a few of them.

Ray Lewis never tested positive for a substance the league doesn't test for.

And damn it, if you disagree, you are just a pawn of the Devil! Seriously, he said the allegations that he used Deer Antler Spray (ew) to recover from his torn triceps earlier this year is a "trick of the devil."

The Ravens, for their part, released this statement.

"Ray has been randomly tested for banned substances and has never failed a test. We have never been notified of a failed test. He has never been notified of a failed test," Kevin Byrne, vice president of communications for the Ravens, told ESPN.

Uh, of course he hasn't tested positive for this, THE LEAGUE DOESN'T TEST FOR IT. I cannot emphasize that point enough, it's like they think we aren't going to notice that MINOR detail.