Surprise, surprise. Another year and another tight race in the AFC North. The division has almost always been tight, at least to some extent. For most of the 2000’s and 2010’s, it was typically a three horse race, with one team, usually the Browns, a further behind. Then, towards the end of the 2010’s, the Bengals were at the bottom for a few years. However, over the past few years, all four teams have been keeping it pretty tight. The Browns have picked things up, starting with the Baker Mayfield era. Though he is no longer on the team, they have still been able to find some success. The Steelers and Ravens have almost always been competitive, and this year, nothing has changed. And for the Bengals, you have to go back to the 80’s to find a time where they have had as much success as they have seen over the last few years. The AFC North has always been labeled as a tough, hard-nosed division that is difficult to win, and that hasn’t changed this year. Coming out of the bye, the Bengals are right in the thick of it, but the margin for error is small, given how tight the race is.
Standings:
Baltimore Ravens:
We start off with the Ravens, who currently sit atop the AFC North at 5-2. The Ravens have largely been successful this year, playing well especially on the defensive side of the ball. Their offence has also looked potent at times. Lamar Jackson has had some high peaks, at his best, posing a threat as a runner, while also making impressive off script plays as a passer. They won convincingly against Houston to open the year, and got a big divisional win over the Bengals in week 2. In week 4, they got another, crushing the Browns 28-3. However, inconsistencies on offence has led to a couple losses that they would like to have back. The first was in week 3, losing in OT to the Colts, in a game where they looked like the better team for most of it. Then, in week 5, they lost 17-10 to the Steelers, again having trouble on offence. Baltimore heads into week 8 leading the division, but they will need to find more consistency on offence, or things could soon change.
Pittsburgh Steelers:
The Steelers currently sit 2nd in the AFC North with a 4-2 record. They share that record with Cleveland, but their 2-0 record in the division gives them an edge right now. For the Steelers, they are right in the thick of things, as usual. However, there is a legit question as to whether this success is sustainable. No question about it, Pittsburgh has one of the top defences in the game. This is why they have the record that they do. However, their offence, led by Kenny Pickett at QB, has struggled to find consistency. Second year WR George Pickens has been electric, but Pickett’s inconsistent play, a lack of a run game, and poor play calling/scheming has put a cap on their achievements thus far. They suffered blowout losses to the 49ers and Texans this year. And even in their wins, the defence’s ability to create turnovers and get off the field is largely responsible. This has led to a couple of big divisional wins against the Browns and Ravens, respectively. We have seen the Steelers tread near .500 with QB’s like Mason Rudolph and Duck Hodges in the past, so by no means am I counting them out. However, you have to wonder how sustainable this success will be if they can’t find more consistency on offence.
Cleveland Browns:
Cleveland, like Pittsburgh, sits at 4-2. They are currently in 3rd, however, as their worse record in divisional games puts them behind the Steelers. For the Browns, it has been an interesting tale of ups and downs. They started off with a convincing win over the Bengals in a rainy week 1 matchup. They also beat the Titans convincingly a couple of weeks later, allowing a combined 6 points between those two games. Their defence has been outstanding all season, led by Myles Garrett and the pass rush. The offence has lived and died by the run game, which has been a bit more inconsistent since Nick Chubb’s season ending injury against Pittsburgh. Still, when they have had success, it has largely been through the run game, with QB Desahun Watson missing time with a mysterious shoulder injury, and showing some inconsistencies even when on the field. Up until this past week, their wins and losses have alternated. They first lost a close one to the Steelers in week 2, before being blown out in week 4 by the Ravens. Since, they have won two straight games, but you could certainly question how deserved they were. In both, poor late-game flags ended up having an enormous impact on the game. Without them, they each could have been losses. Cleveland’s defence should continue to have their opponents concerned, but their inconsistencies on offence will make winning hard to sustain without improvements.
Cincinnati Bengals:
Finally, we have the Bengals, sitting at 3-3 and last in the division, but very much in the thick of it. It is familiar territory in a sense, as they were also .500 last year at this time. However, the way in which they lost some of these games has been concerning. The offence, outside of week 6, has failed to generate much confidence. Joe Burrow’s calf injury that he picked up during training camp, and then re-aggravated in week 2, is the biggest culprit. For the first month of the season, Burrow could not move in the pocket whatsoever. This left him as a sitting duck, and opposing defences have taken advantage. The stormy conditions in week 1 further impacted the passing attack in their loss against the Browns, and some defensive inconsistencies, especially against the Titans, have also contributed to their losses. Cincinnati was able to squeak out a tough win against the Rams in week 3, and the version of the defence we saw in this game is the one that we have come to expect. This is also the defence that has thankfully been more prevalent in each of the last two games. Though last in the division, Burrow’s improved health has helped the Bengals win 2 straight games, and the offence especially woke up in their week 5 win over the Cardinals. In those two games, the defence has also begun to hit their stride, providing some optimism for the second half of the year. Play calling has been an underlying issue on offence, the big plays on defence can still be limited further. Things are not perfect at the moment, and improvements need to be made, but if the Bengals can keep the upward trend going, their chances in the AFC North are good, especially with the other three teams having several issues of their own, despite the winning records.
Modified Featured Image Via: All-Pro Reels (CC)