The AFC North still hasn’t given anyone much breathing room, but Week 5 did enough to shake up the pecking order. Cleveland’s early-season glow dimmed under heavy pressure from the New York Jets, Pittsburgh kept building real offensive momentum, and Baltimore stayed right at the front of the pack without Lamar Jackson. Cincinnati, meanwhile, keeps hanging around despite a defense that showed some vulnerable spots.
At the top, the Ravens continue to look like the class of the division when they’re healthy. Tyler Huntley stepped in and delivered a dramatic overtime win over an Atlanta Falcons team that had been gaining traction in recent weeks.
That result kept Baltimore in first place, and the margin in this race still feels slim. The rest of the division is keeping pace for now, but the Ravens have the kind of talent on both sides of the ball that could let them separate quickly if things break their way.
The Steelers are making their push at the right time. What started as a sluggish offensive opening has turned into something much more encouraging over the last few weeks.
Since Week 3, Pittsburgh’s offense ranks fourth in the NFL in EPA per play. If that trend holds, the Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy reunion is suddenly much more than a novelty - it’s becoming a legitimate problem for the rest of the AFC North.
Cleveland slides to third after a rough afternoon against the Jets, and the story was mostly about the pass rush. Per PFF, Deshaun Watson was pressured 22 times on Sunday.
On those plays, he completed four passes for 62 yards. That kind of disruption made it nearly impossible for the Browns to build rhythm on offense.
The loss doesn’t wipe away what Cleveland has done through five weeks, but it does make clear that the Browns aren’t ready to claim the division lead yet. Still, there’s reason for optimism in Cleveland based on the first five games.
Cincinnati sits fourth, but the Bengals remain very much alive in the race. Their defense allowed the Miami Dolphins to score more than 13 points, making them the only team this season to do so.
The 31-24 final score didn’t fully reflect the flow of that game, but it did put a spotlight on a Bengals defense that can be attacked. In a division where every team looks competent at minimum, that kind of weakness could matter later.
The Bengals still have a path to the title, but they’ll need to tighten things up to stay in the hunt.
In Other News...
Browns Run Game Trouble Forced A New Backfield Move
The Browns backfield has been in flux, and the latest move shows how quickly depth can become a priority when injuries start stacking up. Cleveland signed running back Audric Estime from the Vikings practice squad to its 53-man roster after Quinshon Judkins was injured, adding another option to a room that has needed reinforcements as the team tries to steady its ground game.
Estime brings prior NFL experience with the Broncos and Saints, which gives Cleveland a veteran presence at a position group that has been asked to absorb a lot lately. For the Browns, the signing is less about splash and more about keeping the rotation functional while they look for cleaner answers in the running game. [Read more 🡒]
Jared Verse Is Creating An Early Browns Trade Debate
The Browns entered this season knowing the Myles Garrett trade would be judged through whatever came back in return, and Jared Verse has been the center of that evaluation from the start. A two-time Pro Bowler and former NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, Verse has been on the field for every game so far, giving Cleveland the kind of every-down edge presence it wanted to plug into a defense built around disruption.
So far, though, the numbers have left room for debate. Verse has 13 tackles and has held up with moderate run-defense grades, but the sack column is still empty, and that has opened the door for questions about his pass-rushing impact. Behind him, Sam Williams has played fewer snaps yet produced more sacks and tackles, which is exactly the kind of early comparison that can turn a trade return into a talking point the Browns cannot avoid. [Read more 🡒]
Deshaun Watson Suddenly Has Real Pressure On His Browns Job
The Browns loss to the Jets did more than knock Cleveland to 3-2, it turned up the heat on a quarterback situation that had already been under scrutiny. Deshaun Watson spent the afternoon dealing with pressure, poor protection and shaky decision-making, and the result was an eight-sack outing that left the offense sputtering when it needed to steady itself.
Now the schedule only sharpens the conversation, with the Ravens and Titans next on the docket and little margin for more uneven play. Around the roster, the alternatives are already part of the discussion, whether that means leaning on backup Shedeur Sanders or eventually activating Dillon Gabriel if the Browns decide the current setup is no longer sustainable. [Read more 🡒]