No division in this ranking took a bigger hit because of one player than this one. If Cleveland was without quarterback Deshaun Watson for the six-game suspension issued by disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson for violating the league’s personal-conduct policy, then I’d rank the AFC North as the league’s second-best division this year. That won’t be the case now that Watson is suspended 11 games this season per the terms of a settlement announced Thursday between the NFL and the NFL Players Association. That means Watson would first be eligible to play in Week 13 against the Houston Texans. The Browns have a great roster. But they aren’t surpassing the other teams in this division with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback for nearly two-thirds of the regular season. The Bengals, for one, are the defending AFC champions. They have a legitimate chance to be the best offense in football, especially now that quarterback Joe Burrow has an improved offensive line protecting him. The Ravens will be better, as well. Injuries decimated their playoff hopes last year, but there are plenty of familiar faces back on the field, with some of the most important being running back JK Dobbins and cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey. Even the Steelers are likely to cause some problems despite having their share of uncertainty at quarterback. Like Belichick, Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin knows how to maximize whatever he’s working with in any given year. Tomlin won’t have a playoff team but he’ll have the Steelers ready to play every week.