The AFC North tightened up again in Week 6, and the team sitting on top is not the one most people would have expected a few weeks ago. After knocking off the Baltimore Ravens, the Cleveland Browns have taken over first place in the division a third of the way through the season.
It was another gritty win for Cleveland, one that fit the way this team has been operating. The Browns aren’t piling up style points, but they keep finding answers, and that has been enough to put them in front as the race gets deeper.
Week 6 only added to the jumble. Cleveland beat Baltimore 13-10, while Pittsburgh outlasted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26-19 in overtime. With those results in hand, here’s where the division stands heading into Week 7.
- Cleveland Browns
Cleveland’s record may say one thing, but the numbers behind it tell a different story. The Browns own the worst point differential in the AFC North by 25 points, and that margin is even uglier when stacked against several 2-4 teams outside the division, including the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams, New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons.
And yet, the Browns keep winning anyway. A rugged defense and an offense that has been more efficient than expected have turned them into a functional NFL team.
For a fan base that likely would have signed up for competence coming into the season, that alone has changed the tone. Whether this turns into a playoff trip or not, Cleveland has already made this a success.
Next game: Sunday, Oct. 25 at Titans
- Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens have taken a hit, but there’s no reason to sound the alarm just yet. Even after a pair of games without Lamar Jackson, Baltimore remains in position to chase a playoff spot.
Still, the margin for error is shrinking. The Ravens expected to have one major challenger in this division race, but now they have three teams in the mix. If they want to keep home-field advantage in play, they can’t afford many more stumbles.
Next game: Sunday, Oct. 25 vs. Bengals
- Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh got the win, but it didn’t exactly leave a lasting impression. Beating a Buccaneers team starting an undrafted rookie quarterback in overtime gets the same result in the standings, but it didn’t make the Steelers look especially sharp.
Even so, there are reasons to keep an eye on this group. Aaron Rodgers has stayed efficient, and Germie Bernard’s rise gives the offense another name worth tracking. The bigger surprise may be that the Steelers still look like a team headed toward a finish near .500 after all the changes they made this offseason.
Next game: Sunday, Oct. 25 vs. Saints
- Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati didn’t take the field in Week 6, and the bye week didn’t help their standing. The Bengals now sit a half-game behind the rest of the division, which puts a little more pressure on them as they try to close the gap.
They’re still close enough to the Browns to keep the race alive, but there’s concern in Cincinnati after the first third of the season. The offense’s attempt to lean more heavily on under-center looks hasn’t worked, and the unit has been stuck in a slower gear than it needs to be for a real playoff push.
In Other News...
Browns Suddenly Have Two Young Players Forcing A Tough Rotation Call
With the Browns sitting at 4-2 and alone atop the AFC North after six weeks, the attention in Cleveland has started to shift from the standings to how the rotation holds up as the season wears on. One of the more interesting questions inside the building now centers on how much more work running back J. K. McLaughlin might earn after making the most of limited carries, especially with head coach Todd Monken weighing the eventual return of Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson.
The same kind of squeeze could be coming in the secondary, where McNeil-Warren has also played his way into the conversation for a larger role. Injuries have opened the door for both players, and their recent performances have made it harder to simply hand those snaps back once the roster gets healthier. Monken has said he is hopeful Judkins and Sampson will return, but Cleveland now has a pair of young players making a strong case that the answer to the rotation question is not as simple as it looked a week ago. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Face One Test That Could Decide Their Playoff Push
At 4-2 and sitting atop the AFC North, Cleveland has put itself in a far better position than many expected, with wins over both the Steelers and Ravens giving the Browns an early edge in the division race. The schedule ahead looks manageable on paper, with most of the remaining opponents carrying losing records, which only sharpens the sense that this is a team with a real chance to stay in the playoff hunt deep into the season.
Still, the path is far from simple for a club that has historically had trouble finishing off divisional sweeps and turning hot starts into postseason security. The Browns only have a couple of games left against teams that present a more obvious challenge in the Giants and Raiders, and if they want to convert this strong opening into a berth, handling the games they are expected to win may end up mattering just as much as the head-to-head battles that have already gone their way. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Deadline Debate Just Got Real For A First Place Team
With the Browns sitting in a far better spot than most teams this time of year, the trade deadline has started to feel less like a luxury and more like a real roster-building moment for Andrew Berry. Cleveland has enough strength to stay picky, but there are still clear places where a modest addition could help, especially if the front office wants to turn a good roster into a more complete one before Nov. 10.
That is where the conversation gets interesting, because the names being floated are not the kind that would force Cleveland into a splashy move. James Conner, Adam Trautman, Kenyon Green, Tony Pollard and Melvin Ingram all fit the idea of low-cost help, the sort of swing a contender can make without burning through future flexibility. The Browns also have draft assets to work with, which gives Berry options, but the challenge is knowing how much to push now and how much to save for later. [Read more 🡒]