The Super Bowl champions should be favourites for a divisional success the following season, but many are picking the Bengals to upset the Ravens after such upheaval in Baltimore.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS (8-8)
Ins: LB Jarvis Jones, RB Le'Veon Bell, TE Matt Spaeth, RB Felix Jones, RB/KR LaRod Stephens-Howling, CB William Gay, WR Markus Wheaton, S Shamarko Thomas
Outs: LB James Harrison, WR Mike Wallace, NT Casey Hampton, T Max Starks, CB Keenan Lewis, G Willie Colon.
Star Man: Ben Roethlisberger - With such issues in defence and with his own offence, Big Ben will need to come up with some of his trademark magical plays just to keep the Steelers in the argument this season.
Outlook: Never write off the Steelers is what we've come to live by over the years, but it's hard to see them doing better than the Bengals and Ravens after losing the likes of James Harrison, who moved to divisional rivals Cincinnati, along with Casey Hampton and star receiver Mike Wallace.
Rookies Jarvis Jones and Markus Wheaton were drafted to fill the huge holes left by Harrison and Wallace, and although they may do in time it's a big ask first season up. With new running back Le'Veon Bell out injured and Troy Polamalu now 32, Mike Tomlin has more questions than answers - Pittsburgh will be competitive, they always are, but it's hard to see them emerging from his division.
CLEVELAND BROWNS (5-11)
Ins: OLB Paul Kruger, DE Desmond Bryant, WR Davone Bess, OLB Barkevious Mingo, TE Gary Barnidge, WR David Nelson, CB Leon McFadden, coach Rob Chudzinski, offensive coordinator Norv Turner.
Outs: K Phil Dawson, WR/KR Josh Cribbs, TE Benjamin Watson, CB Sheldon Brown, S Usama Young, DT Frostee Rucker, LB Scott Fujita.
Star Man: Trent Richardson - The stocky rookie out of Alabama was just 50 yards shy of 1,000 last season and will need to stay healthy and improve his yards-per-carry to keep the Browns competitive.
Outlook: Every couple of years we say new coach, same old problems for the Browns - there are some bright spots of course, Trent Richardson for one and an improving defence, so new coach Rob Chudzinski has more to build on than most of his predecessors so the future certainly looks a bit brighter.
Bringing Norv Turner in as offensive coordinator might coax some better play out of QB Brandon Weedon so they should improve on their 25th-ranked offence from last year, but with five consecutive years of 11 defeats or more, just being in or around a level .500 record would be a big step forward.
Verdict
It's so difficult to judge how the Ravens will get on with such a change of personnel in Baltimore, but John Harbaugh will have them competitive and Joe Flacco and Ray Rice should do enough to get them into the play-offs.
Preference is for the Bengals though, who may not have proved it in the big games but have the talent, a growing experience and a team togetherness to take that final big step and take the divisional title and win a play-off game.
Never count out the Steelers, but it's impossible to see how they have improved from last year and the Browns' most lofty ambitions must be to finish 8-8.
