Cincinnati's shot in the AFC North

Could a team with consecutive losses to Miami and Cleveland be considered a favorite in a division with Baltimore and Pittsburgh? I wouldn't go that far yet with the Cincinnati Bengals, but there's no question that key injuries all over the Ravens' and Steelers' lineups make those two at least look vulnerable.

Is the door open? Yes, but the question is how open. Injuries, after all, are nothing new, and every team suffers its share, but that has changed little in the AFC North. Pittsburgh or Baltimore has won or shared the division title in nine of the past 10 years. In looking at the Bengals, I see a team that can't hope for help from the traditional powers in their division, because they need to pay more attention to their own shortcomings.

Where can they make their move? I see three tactical changes that can be made:

1. Stop billing hours to the Law Firm

To read more from Mel Kiper on if the Cincinnati Bengals can win the AFC North, you must be an ESPN Insider.

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Mel Kiper Jr.

Football analyst

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• ESPN NFL Draft analyst since 1984
• Contributes to SportsCenter and ESPN Radio
• Writes weekly for ESPN Insider