The AFC North spent Week 6 looking like a division that refuses to sit still. Cleveland grabbed the top spot, Pittsburgh survived a wild road swing in Tampa Bay, Baltimore slipped off its perch, and Cincinnati watched all of it unfold on the bye. With Week 7 up next, the order at the top feels just as unsettled as it has all season.
- Bengals lose ground while they were off
Cincinnati didn’t play in Week 6, but the Bengals still came out of the weekend with more pressure on their shoulders. Their in-state rival from Cleveland seized control of the division, and the AFC North picture looks a lot different than it did when the Bengals last took the field.
Even before the latest results, Sunday’s game against Baltimore had the feel of a must-win. After Week 6, that idea sounds even more true. The Bengals cannot afford to drop to 0-2 in division play or slide to 3-3 overall while the rest of the AFC North keeps stacking wins.
The bye gave Cincinnati time for some self-scouting, and they’ll need that off-week work to show up quickly. Next up is a showdown with the Ravens, and the Bengals have a chance to pick up their first division win while staying within range of the teams ahead of them.
- Ravens take a hit after losing to Cleveland
Baltimore had just beaten the Atlanta Falcons without Lamar Jackson and entered Week 6 hoping to keep rolling with Tyler “Snoop” Huntley under center. A win over Cleveland would have pushed the Ravens into a stronger position in the division.
Instead, they ran into the Browns and came out on the wrong end of a key AFC North game. The loss dropped Baltimore to 0-1 in the division and 2-1 in the conference, leaving them behind Cleveland and Pittsburgh on the relevant tie-breakers.
There is still a reason for optimism. The Ravens’ +24 point differential is the best in the division, and that kind of margin usually gives a team some room to breathe.
They’ll need to make that count quickly, though, because Sunday’s matchup with Cincinnati now carries real weight. Baltimore is hoping to get Lamar Jackson back, and that would be a welcome development in what has turned into a must-win spot.
- Steelers escape Tampa Bay with a comeback
Pittsburgh’s Week 6 result came with plenty of drama. The Steelers went into Tampa Bay and pulled out a 26-19 overtime win in a game that must have sounded far more like Pittsburgh than Florida by the end.
The Steelers were down 13-3 at halftime and still trailing 16-3 in the fourth quarter. They forced overtime after trading field goals in the final two minutes, then finished the job once the extra period arrived.
Jalen Ramsey was everywhere for Pittsburgh. He finished with 10 tackles, four tackles for loss, and two sacks, including the game-ending takedown of Jalon Daniels in overtime.
Aaron Rodgers also delivered another solid outing, throwing for 253 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. DK Metcalf was his favorite target, catching 11 passes for 93 yards.
Next week, the Steelers head to Paris to face the New Orleans Saints in the first regular-season game in the City of Lights. The weather is already part of the conversation, with a 90% chance of rain on Sunday at the Stade de France.
- Browns grab first place with a late kick
Cleveland’s win over Baltimore was the cleanest statement anyone made in the division this week, even if the game itself was anything but clean offensively. The Ravens led 10-3 entering the fourth quarter, but the Browns came back to tie it, then got the ball back inside the final two minutes.
That set up Andre Szmyt, who drilled the game-winning field goal and sent Cleveland into first place in both the division and these rankings. It also gave the Browns a place they haven’t occupied this late in the season since after Week 6 in 2014, as the broadcast pointed out.
Cleveland is 2-0 in the division and holds a major tiebreaker edge over the rest of the AFC North. At 4-2 overall, the Browns are also sitting on top of the table despite a -16 point differential. That makes them one of two division leaders in the NFL with a negative point differential, alongside the Giants.
The Browns’ point differential may not look the part, but the standings do. And with the Tennessee Titans coming up in Week 7, Cleveland has another favorable setup. The Titans own the fourth-worst point differential in the NFL at -45, and this matchup pits two of the league’s least productive scoring attacks against each other.
In Other News...
Bengals Suddenly Have A Huge AFC North Chance In Baltimore
A tight Browns win over Baltimore in Week 6 has suddenly made the AFC North look a lot more open, and that matters plenty in Cincinnati. With Cleveland and Baltimore now sitting with two losses apiece, the division has tightened up just as the Bengals come out of their bye week and turn their attention to the Ravens. For a team trying to climb back into the mix, the timing could hardly be better.
Baltimore has still looked dangerous at times, but the cracks are hard to ignore, especially along an offensive line that has been under pressure. Cincinnati now gets a front-row seat to the race when it faces the Ravens next, and a win there would do more than just help in the standings. It would give the Bengals a real chance to reshape the division picture before the season moves deeper into the fall. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Face A Secondary Decision Fans Will Be Watching Closely
With the Bengals dealing with injuries at cornerback, any hint of help for the secondary is going to draw attention, and Riq Woolen is the latest name to surface in that conversation. The Philadelphia cornerback has been mentioned in trade discussions, and while nothing suggests the Eagles are actively pushing him out, his profile makes him easy to imagine as a fit for a defense that could use more depth and stability on the back end.
Woolen would bring plenty of appeal if Cincinnati decided to explore the market further. He is a 27-year-old Pro Bowl corner with the size and physical tools teams covet, but there are practical questions around whether the Bengals could make a move work and whether Philadelphia would be willing to part with him at all. For now, it is the kind of secondary storyline that can linger around a team until the injury situation forces a real decision. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Bye Week Debate Starts With Who Has Carried This Offense
Through five weeks, the Bengals have found enough offense to sit 10th in the league in points per game, even with a ground attack that has struggled to get much traction at 3.6 yards per carry. The real engine has been the passing game, with Joe Burrow setting the tone and getting help from Tee Higgins, Ja'Marr Chase and tight end Mike Gesicki as Cincinnati has leaned on the aerial attack to stay productive.
The bye week now turns into a bigger conversation about who has actually carried this offense and why the pass protection has held up well enough for Burrow to keep operating at a high level. Amarius Mims has been a quiet part of that stability, drawing attention for his work on the edge and giving the Bengals one more sign that, even when the run game stalls, the infrastructure around Burrow has been strong enough to keep the offense moving. [Read more 🡒]