It’s been that kind of AFC North season: everybody keeps taking turns beating somebody else in the division, and the race still feels like a grinder more than a sprint.
Through seven weeks, the pattern has been hard to miss. The only AFC North loss each week has come against another divisional opponent, and the North is one of just two divisions - along with the NFC North - where every team still has a winning record. That backdrop makes every result feel like it matters twice as much.
- Ravens hit the wall in the second half
Baltimore looked like it was headed for a comfortable win over Cincinnati, then the game flipped hard.
Tyler Huntley turned in a career-best performance, going 23 of 34 for 298 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He found plenty of success with Zay Flowers, who finished with 137 receiving yards and a touchdown.
But the Ravens couldn’t get much going on the ground. Derrick Henry carried 17 times for 45 yards, and Baltimore as a team managed just 83 rushing yards on 27 attempts.
The defense gave Baltimore what looked like a strong foundation early, shutting out the Bengals in the first half. Then the second half happened, and Cincinnati exploded for 35 points.
That left the Ravens with their second straight loss, the longest active skid in the AFC North. Both defeats have come against the two Ohio teams in the division.
Baltimore now heads to Buffalo to face the Bills on Sunday, with a chance that Lamar Jackson could return.
- Bengals punch back and climb
Cincinnati spent some time in the basement of the division, but that’s starting to change after a statement comeback in Baltimore.
The Bengals were down 13-0 at halftime, and the possession battle told part of the story: the Ravens held the ball for 22:20 before the break, while Cincinnati had it for just 7:40. But the second half belonged entirely to the Bengals.
They outscored Baltimore 35-0 after halftime, and Joe Burrow was excellent. He completed 22 of 30 passes for 292 yards and four touchdowns.
Tee Higgins was just as sharp, catching six passes for 148 yards and a score.
Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey got his wish of not having to cover Ja'Marr Chase every snap. That didn’t exactly make life easier, because Higgins still made Baltimore pay.
Cincinnati’s defense also delivered after the break, blanking the Ravens following a first half that featured several long third-down conversions and strong play from Snoop Huntley.
The Bengals are now 1-1 in the division, while Baltimore sits at 0-2. Cincinnati’s +41 point differential is still the best in the AFC North and ranks fifth in the NFL, but a head-to-head loss to Pittsburgh keeps the Bengals behind the Steelers for now.
Before getting another crack at Pittsburgh in three weeks, Cincinnati will play the Tennessee Titans and another game in between.
- Steelers take care of business in Paris
Pittsburgh made the trip to the City of Lights and came home with a win in the first regular-season NFL game played in France.
The Steelers beat the New Orleans Saints 16-10, and the game didn’t exactly feature a flood of offense. Still, Pittsburgh did enough to stay level with Cleveland before the afternoon slate of games even began.
Jaylen Warren led the way on the ground with 101 yards on 18 carries.
Aaron Rodgers also did his job efficiently, completing 19 of 30 passes for 212 yards and one touchdown. Most of those completions - six of them - went to Rico Dowdle.
The victory gave Pittsburgh its third straight win, the longest streak in the division, and improved the Steelers to 5-2. They now get a massive chance to seize control of the AFC North with games against the Browns next and the Bengals a week later.
- Browns keep winning the hard way
Cleveland remains at the top of these rankings because it keeps winning the same way, even when the script changes a little.
The Browns and Tennessee Titans were tied at 24 with 58 seconds left. Cleveland started from its own 31 and needed just three plays to move 50 yards and set up Andre Szmyt for the game-winning field goal. He drilled it.
That’s become familiar territory for Szmyt. He has now hit game-winning kicks in back-to-back weeks, and this was his third walk-off field goal of the season.
The Browns usually lean on their defense, but their offense had one of its better showings against Tennessee.
Rookie receiver KC Conepcion led the way with eight catches for 129 yards. Harold Fannin Jr. added six receptions for 81 yards. Deshaun Watson completed 26 of 36 passes for 308 yards and also ran for a touchdown.
Cleveland’s minus-13 point differential is the worst in the division, but the Browns are 2-0 in AFC North play, with wins over both Pittsburgh and Baltimore. That matters more than the number next to the point differential.
Now comes the big one: Browns vs. Steelers, with sole possession of first place on the line.
If these teams follow their usual script, expect a tight, low-scoring game for most of the afternoon, a Steelers push late, and Cleveland trying to settle it with another last-second field goal. That’s been the formula so far.
And for Bengals and Ravens fans, this one should absolutely be on the second screen.
In Other News...
Joe Burrow And Bengals Weapons Flipped Everything In Baltimore
For a half at M&T Bank Stadium, it looked like Cincinnati was in danger of wasting a golden chance against a Baltimore team missing Lamar Jackson. The Bengals were blanked before halftime, but Joe Burrow and the offense came out transformed after the break, turning a flat first half into a lopsided 35-13 win that pushed Cincinnati to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the AFC North.
The second-half surge was driven by Burrow and the group around him, with the passing game suddenly finding the rhythm it lacked early. Baltimore got a huge performance from Tyler Huntley, who set a career high with 298 passing yards, but the Ravens could not keep pace once Cincinnati started landing big plays and flipping the games momentum. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals May Have A Mike Gesicki Problem After Ravens Shootout
Mike Gesickis day in Cincinnatis wild comeback against Baltimore looked productive on the scoreboard, but the fuller picture was a little more complicated. The Bengals were forced into a shootout and leaned on several different targets as they battled back, with Gesicki showing up in the end zone in a game that featured plenty of offensive fireworks across the league at tight end.
The concern for Cincinnati is that the box score may flatter the usage more than the role itself. Gesickis impact came without a steady stream of catches, which leaves the Bengals with a familiar question about how much of his value is tied to timely finishes rather than a consistently involved passing game. In a week when several tight ends around the NFL either popped for big production or faded quiet, Cincinnati may have uncovered something useful and still not fully solved it. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Sent A Loud Message In Baltimore After Halftime Frustration
The Bengals walked into Baltimore with plenty to prove after a first half that left them scoreless, but the trip turned quickly once Zac Taylors halftime adjustments took hold. Cincinnati looked nothing like the team that had been stifled early, coming out with a sharper pace and a more decisive attack against a Ravens group that had controlled the opening 30 minutes.
Joe Burrow was central to the turnaround, with Tee Higgins and JaMarr Chase helping the passing game find its rhythm in a 35-13 win. The second-half surge served as a loud reminder of how dangerous this offense can be when it settles in, and it left Baltimore with plenty to sort through after Cincinnati flipped the script in emphatic fashion. [Read more 🡒]