Three weeks into the season, the AFC North has landed in the kind of logjam that keeps every fan base looking sideways at the standings.
Baltimore helped create it Sunday by edging Dallas, 34-31, and getting back to 2-1. But the Ravens are not alone up there.
Pittsburgh is 2-1 after knocking off previously unbeaten Cincinnati, 30-27. Cleveland is also 2-1 after beating Carolina, 21-18, with old friend Todd Monken in the mix.
Four teams, one record, no separation.
That’s the cleanest way to describe the division right now: all square.
For Baltimore, the win column looks good. The performances have been a different story.
The Ravens have not exactly been sharp over the last two weeks, and Week 3 again showed some of the same issues that have followed them around. They’re above .500, but they have not looked like a team that’s pulling away from anybody.
Pittsburgh, meanwhile, made its strongest statement of the season against Cincinnati. The Steelers looked electric in that game, but it was also the first time all year they really earned that label.
Their opener was a narrow one against a Cooper Rush-led Atlanta Falcons team, and last week they were poor against a New England Patriots team that’s on the struggle bus. That’s why they’re hard to pin down.
You can see the ceiling, then the floor shows up right behind it.
Cincinnati may be the team that looks the most complete so far. The offense is doing what Cincinnati offenses do, moving the ball at will, and the defense has at least shown some signs of a turnaround. The Bengals couldn’t stop the Aaron Rodgers and Jaylen Warren train on Sunday, but they’re still dialing up pressure.
Cleveland, for its part, has no one convinced. The Browns are 2-1, and that has to be acknowledged, but they’re still widely viewed as the division’s bottom-feeder.
Their two wins have come against NFC South teams, which is the worst division in football, and those victories have been ugly. Todd Monken could have them headed in a different direction, but the talent level still isn’t there to suggest they’re ready to contend.
That’s what makes this early dead heat interesting. It may not mean much in September, but the back half of the schedule is loaded with divisional swings.
Pittsburgh gets two AFC North games in the final four weeks. Cincinnati gets two in the final two.
Cleveland gets two in the final three. Baltimore gets the toughest closing stretch of all, with four divisional games in its last four.
So while nobody is crowning anybody in September, these wins already matter. The teams in this race are going to want every bit of cushion they can get before the calendar turns and the AFC North starts sorting itself out.
In Other News...
Lamar Jackson Capitalized On A Cowboys Mistake Ravens Fans Wont Forget
The Ravens had already seen enough to know how thin the margin was in their Brazil matchup with the Cowboys, and the final kickoff decision only sharpened that lesson. Dallas chose to take the touchback instead of squibbing it away, leaving Baltimore with the full clock and a chance to make the most of one last possession.
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens did exactly that, turning the extra time into a quick scoring drive that sealed a win Baltimore fans are unlikely to forget. The call fell on a Cowboys staff led by Brian Schottenheimer and special teams coordinator Nick Sorensen, and the criticism has followed them ever since because one cautious choice ended up giving Jackson the opening he needed. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Just Got The Response They Needed From Declan Doyle
After the Ravens took a Week 2 loss, offensive coordinator Declan Doyle was an easy target for the usual second-guessing that follows a disappointing result. His first year as a play-caller had already put him under a brighter spotlight than most, and the question hanging over him was whether he could answer it with the kind of sequencing and confidence Baltimore expects when the game tightens.
Against the Cowboys, Doyle delivered the response the Ravens needed. He put together a late drive that leaned into aggression and creativity, and it finished with Tyler Loop drilling a 56-yard field goal to seal a 34-31 win. For a coach still settling into the job, it was the kind of high-pressure series that can change the conversation quickly, even if the larger test of his play-calling is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Survived Absolute Chaos And Still Closed It Out
The Ravens trip to Rio de Janeiro was already going to stand out as a one-of-a-kind NFL event, and it turned into a finish worthy of the setting. Baltimore outlasted the Cowboys 34-31 in the leagues first game in Rio, with Lamar Jackson helping steer the late drive and Tyler Loop drilling a 56-yard field goal as time expired to end it.
Jacksons 27-yard strike to Zay Flowers late in the fourth quarter put the Ravens in position for the winning try, capping a night that also featured strong showings from Derrick Henry and Dak Prescott. It was the kind of chaotic, high-pressure opener that could have swung either way, and Baltimore left Brazil with a win it had to fight all the way to the final kick to secure. [Read more 🡒]