The AFC North stayed exactly where it was after Week 9, with only one team coming away with a win and no movement in the standings.
Pittsburgh remains in front at 6-2 after its bye week, and the Steelers now turn their attention to a Week 10 matchup with the Bengals. Cincinnati matched that record by taking care of business in Madrid, while Cleveland slipped again and Baltimore’s losing streak kept growing.
Cincinnati’s 34-17 win over the Atlanta Falcons in Spain gave Joe Burrow another loud entry in the MVP conversation. He was sharp from the start, finishing 24 of 29 for 271 yards and three passing touchdowns, and he also added a score on the ground. That makes 18 total touchdowns for Burrow over his last four games.
Ja’Marr Chase was the main target in the passing game, hauling in 10 catches for 155 yards and a touchdown. Tee Higgins also found the end zone twice, finishing with five receptions for 32 yards.
The Bengals defense didn’t get to Michael Penix for a sack, but it did come up with the game’s only turnover when Barrett Carter intercepted him. Cincinnati now gets its shot at the division lead in Week 10.
Cleveland’s second straight loss came in painful fashion, a 23-22 overtime defeat to the New Orleans Saints. With Deshaun Watson sidelined by injury, Shedeur Sanders got the start and put together a busy afternoon: 19 completions on 31 attempts for 297 yards, two touchdowns, and 28 rushing yards on 10 carries.
Denzel Boston led the Browns’ receiving production with six catches for 98 yards, while KC Concepcion and Harold Fannin Jr. caught Sanders’ touchdown passes. Fannin’s was the highlight of the day, a 39-yard overtime score in which he broke multiple tackles on the way to the end zone. Cleveland then went for the win on a two-point try, but Sanders couldn’t connect with Boston.
The Browns did get plenty of disruption from their defense. Tyler Shough was sacked five times, with Carson Schwesinger and Myles Harden collecting two apiece. Schwesinger added 15 tackles and forced a fumble to go with his sack production.
Baltimore’s slide hit four games after a 33-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday Night Football. The Ravens were forced to start undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano at quarterback on a short week after Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley were injured in the previous game, and the results were rough. Fagnano completed 10 of 18 passes for 60 yards and threw two interceptions.
Justice Hill provided the one bright spot on the ground, leading Baltimore with nine carries for 85 yards and a touchdown. Most of that damage came on a 65-yard score in the fourth quarter. The Ravens have since traded for veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett from the Arizona Cardinals, hoping he can help keep the season afloat until Jackson might return.
Baltimore’s defense was left in a bad spot by the offense’s struggles, but that unit was supposed to be one of the team’s strengths entering the year. Instead, the Ravens have now given up more than 30 points in three straight games.
In Other News...
Ravens Were Quietly Pulled Into A Trade Deadline Running Back Story
The Giants spent part of the trade deadline window kicking around the running back market, and Baltimore got pulled into the conversation through Justice Hill, whose name surfaced among the backs New York reportedly explored. It was part of a broader search that also included Bijan Robinson, Tony Pollard and Jonathan Taylor, a sign the Giants were at least looking hard at ways to stabilize their backfield rather than simply riding out the stretch.
In the end, no deal got done, and the bigger immediate storyline in New York remains Cam Skattebos expected return to his role as the primary back after a hamstring injury. For the Ravens, Hills inclusion is more of a footnote than a looming development, but it does serve as a reminder that even after the deadline passes, teams are still sorting through what might have been and what they still need to make work internally. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Add Needed Line Depth But Cam Jurgens Pressure Hasn't Changed
The Ravens made a modest but practical move to shore up the offensive line, landing Ryan Neuzil from the Falcons in exchange for Andrew Vorhees and a conditional 2028 sixth-round pick. It is the kind of trade that does not change the top of the depth chart, but it does give Baltimore another experienced body in a room where versatility matters and injuries can quickly force a team to shuffle pieces around.
Even with Neuzil in the building, coach Jesse Minter said Cam Jurgens remains the starting center and is viewed as the future of the Ravens' offensive line. So the acquisition reads less like a challenge to Jurgens than a safeguard behind him, with Neuzil expected to step in as a backup who can help wherever needed. The bigger question now is how Baltimore sorts out the rest of its line depth after moving Vorhees, and how quickly the new addition settles into the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Face Real Monday Night Pressure With Their Season Suddenly Unsteady
With Lamar Jackson sidelined, the Ravens head into Monday night in a far different spot than they expected when the schedule was released. Baltimore has had to scramble around injuries, and the move to newly acquired quarterback Jacoby Brissett gives the matchup a different feel as the team tries to steady itself against a Chargers group still searching for its first win.
Brissetts start puts the spotlight on how much the Ravens can lean on a reshuffled offense and whether they can keep their season from drifting further off course. The game still offers Baltimore a chance to settle things down and avoid letting a winnable matchup turn into another source of pressure, even if the bigger questions around the quarterback situation are not going away anytime soon. [Read more 🡒]