The AFC North looked headed for a complete logjam late Sunday night, with Baltimore staring at a one-game collapse and the rest of the division ready to pile in. Instead, Tyler Huntley flipped the script. The Ravens’ backup quarterback put together two nearly flawless drives in the fourth quarter and overtime, and Baltimore walked out with a 30-23 win over the Falcons that left it alone atop the division.
That result reshaped the Week 5 picture in a hurry. After five games, the Ravens sit first, the Steelers are chasing, the Browns are stuck after a rough outing, and the Bengals are still trying to make a win feel more convincing than it was.
Here’s how the division stacks up after a wild Week 5.
- Baltimore Ravens
Even without Lamar Jackson, Baltimore’s offense was sharp enough on Sunday to post the best success rate in the league at 54.9%. That kind of output from a team playing with a backup quarterback says plenty about where this group is right now.
Declan Doyle has been calling plays for only five games, but he already looks like one of the league’s biggest offensive multipliers. The Ravens are getting cleaner execution and a more dangerous rhythm, and that’s before Jackson is even back in the mix.
On the other side, Jesse Minter’s defense keeps getting better. Put those pieces together, and Baltimore suddenly looks like a team that’s only going to get harder to deal with. The lead in the AFC North is just one game, but the gap between the Ravens and everyone else feels much larger.
Next game: Sunday, Oct. 18th @ Browns
- Pittsburgh Steelers
Aaron Rodgers has found something close to his old MVP level again after a few seasons that were far less convincing. Since Week 3, Pittsburgh’s offense has been top five in the NFL in EPA per play, according to SumerSports.
Rodgers is attacking downfield more often, and the connection with his receivers seems to be growing by the week. The Steelers still don’t have much in the way of explosive firepower, but the offense is functional enough now to keep them in the conversation for a wild card spot, maybe even more if this keeps up.
Next game: Sunday, Oct. 18th @ Buccaneers
- Cleveland Browns
Cleveland’s Week 5 loss to the Jets was a blunt reminder of what this team looks like when things go sideways. Deshaun Watson was under heat all game, finished with fewer than half his passes completed, and the Browns were held to just 12 points.
The Browns may be better than people expected coming into the year, but this wasn’t the performance of a team ready to chase down Baltimore at the top of the AFC North.
Next game: Sunday, Oct. 18th vs. Ravens
- Cincinnati Bengals
A win is a win, but beating the 2026 Miami Dolphins doesn’t exactly move the needle. The Bengals’ seven-point victory felt more like a warning sign than a statement, even if the game wasn’t nearly as close as the final score says.
Cincinnati is better defensively than it was a year ago, and that matters. But the defense may not be good enough to cover for an offense that has sputtered at times this season.
In Other News...
Derrick Henry Had A Message After Ravens Silenced The Doubters
The Ravens walked out of Atlanta with a 30-23 overtime win on Sunday Night Football, and Derrick Henry made sure the postgame tone matched the result. Baltimore had been sized up as an underdog in the lead-up, and Henry leaned into the noise after the game, pointing back to the pregame chatter that had favored the Falcons and making clear he had taken notice.
The comeback had an extra layer of difficulty because Tyler Huntley had to guide the offense after Lamar Jackson was ruled out with an injury, and Baltimore still found a way to rally late. Henry powered in for 102 rushing yards and helped force overtime with the two-point conversion, giving the Ravens a win that said plenty about the groups resilience even before the next question about the quarterback room comes into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Mark Andrews Faces An Ugly New Accusation After Costly Ravens Mistakes
Mark Andrews was at the center of an ugly afternoon in Baltimores overtime win over Atlanta, one in which the Ravens tight end struggled to cleanly handle the ball and spent the postgame conversation answering for mistakes rather than celebrating the finish. Andrews acknowledged the errors and took responsibility, even as Baltimore still escaped with a victory that pushed the team to 4-1.
The noise around the performance did not stop there. One of the more notorious voices in the sport went public with a demand that the league look into Andrews, adding a speculative layer to a game that already had plenty of frustration attached to it for Ravens fans. For Baltimore, the bigger issue remains the same as it was on the field: Andrews miscues were costly, but the team found a way to survive them. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Win Over Baltimore Looks Different After New Ravens Development
The Ravens overtime win over Atlanta already came with one layer of uncertainty because Tyler Huntley had to start in place of Lamar Jackson, who was dealing with an ankle injury. Baltimore still found a way to leave with a 30-23 victory, but the quarterback situation made the whole afternoon feel like a game the team had to survive more than one it could fully control.
Now the picture around Jackson looks a little different. ESPNs Adam Schefter reported that Jackson was closer to playing against the Falcons than many expected, and Baltimore is suddenly looking at a much better chance of having its starter back for the Browns matchup. The roster may also get another boost up front with center Cam Jurgens, acquired from the Eagles, in line to make his team debut in Cleveland, adding another wrinkle to how the Ravens line up for a game that now carries a very different feel. [Read more 🡒]