The AFC North still looks crowded at the top, but after five weeks the Ravens have taken back the No. 1 spot in the division’s power rankings. Baltimore kept rolling without Lamar Jackson, while the Bengals, Steelers and Browns all added another twist to a race where little separates the four teams beyond the standings and the head-to-head results.
For Cincinnati, the Week 5 win over the Miami Dolphins was enough to keep the season moving in the right direction, even if it did not clean up every issue. The Bengals beat Miami 31-24 in 114-degree heat on their sideline, and Joe Burrow made the most of the conditions by throwing for 190 yards and four touchdowns, with three coming in the first half. Ja’Marr Chase also delivered one of his usual special moments with an incredible touchdown grab.
That said, Cincinnati still has the scar from its loss to the Steelers hanging around. The Bengals were far more functional on the ground than they had been against Jacksonville, when they finished with just 23 rushing yards on 15 carries.
Against Miami, they ran for 117 yards on 31 attempts, with Samaje Perine pacing the group with 68 yards on 14 carries. Even with the improved balance and a +19 point differential, Cincinnati’s 0-1 divisional record - plus the head-to-head loss to Pittsburgh - keeps the Bengals fourth in this week’s rankings.
The good news for Cincinnati is the bye week is here, and the schedule quickly turns into something bigger. The Bengals come out of the break against the Ravens in two weeks, a game that could become decisive if they stumble to 0-2 inside the division.
Pittsburgh, meanwhile, answered its own loss with a 34-22 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, though it did not climb in the rankings. Aaron Rodgers was sharp again, finishing 22 of 31 for 235 yards and three touchdowns. A huge chunk of that production came on one play, when Jaylen Warren turned a catch into an 80-yard touchdown.
Warren was everywhere for the Steelers. He rushed 15 times for 101 yards and a touchdown, averaged 6.7 yards per carry, and finished with two scores and 188 all-purpose yards.
Pittsburgh’s defense did enough too, holding Indianapolis to 22 points, forcing field goals at key moments and collecting 11 passes defended. The Steelers are tied with Cincinnati for the fewest points allowed in the AFC North, and now they head to Tampa Bay to face the 1-4 Buccaneers on Sunday.
Cleveland’s trip to rainy New Jersey ended far less cleanly. The Browns lost a grinder to the Jets, and special teams helped hand the game away late. Cleveland missed an extra point in the fourth quarter and then had a punt snap sail over the punter’s head with four minutes left, setting up a go-ahead Jets touchdown.
Deshaun Watson was nowhere near as efficient as he had been over the previous two games, completing 15 of 33 passes for 155 yards and one touchdown. He averaged just 4.7 yards per attempt while taking a beating from a Jets front that finished with eight sacks and 13 additional quarterback hits. Rookie David Bailey was responsible for three of those sacks, including one on a play where Cleveland simply did not block him.
The ball security issues piled up too. Watson fumbled three times and lost one, while the Browns coughed it up five times as a team and lost two.
The Jets also fumbled four times and lost two, and the mess was shaped by both the weather and the physical play. Even so, Cleveland’s division win over Pittsburgh last week keeps it above the Steelers in these rankings, despite the 3-2 record overall.
That leaves Baltimore back on top. With Snoop Huntley guiding the Ravens to a 30-23 overtime win over the Falcons, the division’s longest winning streak now belongs to the Ravens at three games. Baltimore also leads the North in point differential at +27 and with 146 points scored.
The Falcons had a rough ending after a strange block attempt involving edge rusher Tavius Robinson and tight end Kyle Pitts, and Michael Penix was injured on what could have been a game-winning drive. He returned for one snap before overtime, but couldn’t finish the game. In overtime, Tua Tagovailoa’s first possession ended the only way it could for Baltimore: with a game-sealing interception by Kyle Hamilton.
The Ravens have not yet played a divisional game, but that changes Sunday when they visit Cleveland. And as Week 6 approaches, only three AFC North teams will be in action next weekend, with the Bengals on bye and watching the rest of the race play out.
In Other News...
Joe Burrow Made Clear Why This Bengals Win Still Feels Off
Joe Burrow didnt let the Bengals 31-24 win over the Dolphins pass as anything close to a finished product. Even with the result in hand, he framed it as a game that left too much on the table, with Cincinnati aware that a victory can still come with plenty of correction baked in. The timing matters, too, with the bye week offering a brief pause before the AFC North grind tightens up again.
Burrow also highlighted what Cincinnati got from its playmakers, especially JaMarr Chase, who kept pushing through injuries and still came up with a long touchdown grab. Still, the bigger picture around the Bengals is less about one encouraging afternoon than about how cleanly they can play once the next stretch starts, with Baltimore waiting after the break and very little margin for the kind of mistakes that lingered here. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Get Their Reset But One Problem Still Looms Before Baltimore
Cincinnati heads into its bye week with a 3-2 record after hanging on for a 31-24 win over Miami in conditions that tested just about everything a team can bring to South Florida. Joe Burrow delivered four touchdown passes and the offense found enough rhythm to outlast the Dolphins, even if Zac Taylor had plenty to point to afterward as areas that still need cleaning up before the second half of the season really takes shape.
The trip came with the kind of grind that can linger well beyond one Sunday, and Taylor made clear the Bengals felt it after the game. Penalties and other mistakes still popped up in a win that otherwise gave Cincinnati a much-needed reset, but the larger concern now is how refreshed and sharp they can look coming out of the break with Baltimore waiting next on the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Standouts In Win Could Complicate Their Lineup Decisions
Pro Football Focus latest grades from Cincinnatis 31-24 win over the Dolphins offered a reminder that the box score can only tell part of the story. Even in a victory, the Bengals came away with one of their lower team marks of the season, but there were still plenty of bright spots tucked inside the grading sheet, including strong showings from players who made the most of limited opportunities.
Tanner Hudson stood out on the offensive side, while the defense was paced by a top effort from Boye Mafe. The bigger takeaway for the Bengals may be what those performances mean when the staff starts sorting through snap counts and roles, especially with Chase Brown and Samaje Perine working so closely side by side. When multiple reserves and rotational pieces grade well in the same game, the next lineup call gets a little harder. [Read more 🡒]