There is perhaps no division in the NFL more up in the air right now than the AFC North. All four clubs have a winning record and, by extension, every team has a chance of taking the division title.
Back in the August, the Ravens were favored to win the division with +115 odds with the Browns (+140) in a close second. Since then, injuries have leveled the playing field. Now, the recently resurgent Steelers (+400) and the surprising Bengals (+2000) find themselves right in the thick of the race.
The preseason favorite Ravens were bit by the injury bug early and often, losing their three top returning running backs – J.K. Dobbins (ACL), Gus Edwards (ACL), and Justice Hill (Achilles) – before playing a single regular season game. They also lost their team leader in interceptions and starting cornerback, Marcus Peters (ACL), in the preseason and star offensive tackle, Ronnie Stanley (ankle), after only one game. The Ravens quickly adopted a next-man-up philosophy where possible and turned to the free agent market for some veterans to fill out their depleted running back room, settling on eight-year journeyman Latavius Murray and former Falcons star Devonta Freeman to tote the rock. The Ravens rattled off five straight wins after a season opening loss, but have struggled with consistent success over the last few weeks with troubling performances in losses to the Bengals and Dolphins and close three-point wins against the Vikings and Bears. Despite the up-and-down play, the Ravens occupy first place in the AFC North with a 7-3 record.
The Bengals are making a bid to be the latest team in the NFL to go from worst in the division one year to first in the division the very next year. A healthy Joe Burrow, with some NFL experience now under his belt, has benefitted greatly from the team’s first round pick out of LSU, wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Chase has teamed up with wide receivers Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins to create quite the three-headed monster. Boyd received important experience as a number one target in 2019 in the absence of A.J. Green and Higgins had an impressive rookie year in 2020 after coming one pick shy of the first round. They’ve also been assisted greatly by a defense that ranks eighth in the league, according to Pro Football Focus. The Bengals have shown a bit of a Jekyll-and-Hyde persona with dominant wins over the Steelers, Ravens, and Raiders (all +.500) and puzzling losses to struggling franchises in the Bears and Jets. They currently sit in 2nd in the AFC North with a 6-4 record.
The Steelers have run hot and cold, opening the year with a shocking road win over the Bills before losing three straight. They rebounded with four straight wins before tying the winless Lions and losing to the Chargers in which they trailed 27-10 late in the 3rd quarter. The story of the Steelers’ season has been one of a 39 year-old Ben Roethlisberger trying to find success with trio of young WRs – Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, and JuJu Smith-Schuster – and a rookie running back, Najee Harris. Johnson and Claypool have taken the reins as Roethlisberger’s top targets, while Smith-Schuster struggled to find footing in 2021 before landing on IR. Harris, has taken over as the Steelers’ bell-cow, taking 188 of the team’s 244 total carries. While Harris ranks top ten in rushing yards, the defense has struggled without stars Minkah Fitzpatrick and T.J. Watt in the lineup. The Steelers currently sit at 5-4-1, good for third in the AFC North.
Even though Nick Chubb has the third-most rushing yards in the NFL, the Browns have lacked much of their expected offensive firepower. Jarvis Landry has missed 4 games while his would-be partner, Odell Beckham Jr., is out of the picture. Kareem Hunt‘s calf injury hasn’t helped either, but the Browns have still managed to stay afloat at 6-5.
There’s lots of time left in the 18-week schedule for this order to change, especially since the Browns get to face the Ravens twice inside of the next three weeks. Meanwhile, every AFC North team has a stacked dance card — all of their remaining opponents are over the .500 mark. If you enjoy entertainment and chaos, this is the divisional race for you.
So how do you see the division shaping up? Vote in our latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.
Being from Pittsburgh, I would love to say the Steelers. Truth is, this is a team with a great many problems and the toughest remaining schedule in the league. To me, the Ravens are the most logical to take the division
The Ravens just have SO MANY injuries. I can’t believe they’ve played as well as they have thus far. Bengals are by far and away the healthiest so that gives them the edge but they’ve had a few brain cramps.
Lamar Jackson has carried Baltimore and the qb situation for all other teams hasn’t been great which makes me think Baltimore will take 1st
bengals are also too inconsistent. baltimore is inconsistent to say the least, but i feel like the bengals have a legit curse on them that’ll stop em from taking the top seed
Sorry, old dude, but their schedule isn’t all that tough. 2 games vs the Ravens; the Vikings & Browns are mediocre; & the Titans aren’t near as good w/o Henry. Stop whining.
To be fair..during today’s game, even the commentators said the steelers have to toughest remaining schedule..never thought I would EVER defend a Pittsburgh fan, but you seem a bit salty..he pointed out that his team has a lot of problems, and they do have a tough schedule..
definitely not as tough if they were all healthy teams, but still fairly hard. 3 divisional matches, covering the duo of theilen and jefferson, not to mention cook, that could be hard as well. only easy win i’d say is against the titans
coming from baltimore, thanks for the vote of confidence. i’m with u on that
I just pulled up all of their schedules, and the easiest game I found between the 4 teams is the bengals play the 49ers/Broncos which isn’t even that easy. Steelers still have chiefs/Titans/Vikings, ravens have rams/packers, browns have raiders/packers, bengals have chiefs. Rest of the game are division. Either way, I think 3 teams for sure make the playoffs.
which is crazy. i’m 14 and i don’t think i’ve ever seen 3 teams from one division make the playoffs. all my life it’s been bengals and browns competing for last in the division, and steelers and ravens going head to head for first. and now we’re all good teams. good to see
With the league’s toughest schedule the Steelers shouldn’t even be in the running but once again Mike Tomlin is proving his worth to the organization. I just never understood why so many fans in Pittsburgh hate on this guy.
tomlin is the best coach coaching rn. by far. even as a baltimore fan i admit that
If baker starts playing the way he had a couple years ago and Cleveland’s D starts showing up, I’m hard pressed to see a run gamble-less Baltimore and injury plagued Pittsburg doing it. Cincinnati is a year or two away but definitely coming.
Honestly, the Ravens have simply lucked out of so many games that I wouldn’t bet against them at all. The division overall seems pretty even, between injuries and dysfunction, but with most things even I’ll give luck the edge.
In all seriousness, though, there are two things that help a team in a tight division: experience and coaching. There are two very experienced coaches in that division who are still winning coaches, and both are Super Bowl champs at that. Tomlin has less to work with than Harbaugh does this year though, despite the Ravens’ own injury troubles. Any team could do it, but I trust the Ravens the most this year, given their lucky escapes in a few games and Harbaugh’s hold on the team. Cleveland is most disappointing to me. Cincinnati looks much better from a roster perspective, but I’m not sold on Taylor as a coach. Roethlisberger is doing so much more for Pittsburgh than people realize, but as long as that line is bad, no QB is going to have success-let alone a recently injured 39 year old who is throwing too many times a game.
Well said
Based on what we’ve already done to the Ravens..and just did to the Steelers today..again..I’m only being slightly biased when I say Cincy is gonna take it..
dude it’s a divisional game. literally anything can happen. if u do that against two good non divisional teams, i agree every day of the week. but it’s divisional. it’s entirely possible that we could both blow cincy out next game. “on any given day, anybody can beat anybody” especially if it’s divisional