The AFC North has spent the first five weeks doing what it does best: making things messy. One week after the Pittsburgh Steelers fell to the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football in Week 4, the two teams flipped the script in Week 5. Pittsburgh put together its third straight solid offensive showing, while Cleveland stumbled through a 17-12 loss to the New York Jets that felt like a hard reset.
That swing matters because the division is tight, and the gap between second and fourth is anything but settled. Baltimore and Cincinnati both kept pace with Week 5 wins, but the biggest change in this week’s pecking order came from the Steelers climbing while the Browns slid back into a spot that probably feels all too familiar.
- Cleveland Browns (3-2)
A 3-2 record is still a 3-2 record, and that’s not nothing. For a franchise that spent years getting written off, the Browns have at least given themselves a real start to the season. But Week 5 was a reminder that the good vibes can evaporate fast.
Their loss to the Jets was ugly on the offensive side, with Deshaun Watson and the unit turning in their worst performance of the year. The Browns never got into a rhythm, and the result took the shine off a 3-1 start that had started to build momentum. It was the kind of game that makes you pause before buying into the progress.
- Cincinnati Bengals (3-2)
The Bengals are a difficult team to sort through right now. Their defense has improved, but the offense hasn’t quite reached the level many expected coming into the year.
By the numbers cited, Zac Taylor’s team sits 10th in offense EPA per play and 12th in defense EPA per play, which points to a club that is solid without being overwhelming. The problem is the quality of the wins.
Cincinnati’s three victories have come against the Dolphins, Buccaneers, and Texans, and those teams are a combined 2-13. Against the better opponents on the schedule, the Bengals have come up short, losing to the Steelers and the Jaguars.
Until they show more against stronger competition, it’s hard to push them any higher.
- Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2)
The Steelers handled the Colts in Week 5 by 12 points, and that result fit the setup. Indianapolis was coming off a London game in Week 4, while Pittsburgh had 10 days to get ready for a home matchup.
Still, this wasn’t just a scheduled edge. The offense has started to show real signs of life, and Jaylen Warren was a big part of that.
Pittsburgh’s line is beginning to create actual running lanes, and the ground game looked more dynamic. On the other side of the ball, the Steelers’ run defense kept Jonathan Taylor to 45 yards on 15 carries.
They’re not being treated like a true AFC heavyweight yet, and that label still feels premature. But the direction is better, and the flashes are getting harder to ignore.
- Baltimore Ravens (4-1)
Baltimore needed overtime to get past the Falcons and move to 4-1, but the win still says plenty about where this team stands. Lamar Jackson did not play, yet the Ravens still put up 30 points on the road with a backup quarterback under center.
That alone is a serious statement. Declan Doyle, the Ravens’ 30-year-old first-time offensive coordinator, guided the offense through it, and the result backed up what the record already shows.
The roster still has holes, and the defense is only average, but Baltimore’s numbers are strong across the board. The Ravens are sixth in both offensive EPA and team DVOA, and they’re third in offensive DVOA.
For now, they look like the class of the division.
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Now the attention shifts to Tampa Bay, where the Steelers are favored heading into a game that already comes with some quarterback uncertainty on the other side. Pittsburgh does not need much encouragement to understand what is at stake in a week like this, especially with the division race so compressed and every result carrying extra weight, but the betting market may not stay put for long once the Buccaneers starting picture becomes clearer. [Read more 🡒]
Patrick Graham Just Gave Steelers Fans A Different Look At Game Day
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Graham also made it clear he is not anywhere near the end of the line yet, with retirement still a few years off. For him, the anticipation of game day remains the draw, and even the routine of watching college football as part of his prep can sharpen that excitement in ways Steelers fans can appreciate. [Read more 🡒]