The AFC North has spent the first quarter of the 2026 season looking nothing like the old script. Baltimore still sits on top, Cleveland is suddenly acting like a real problem, and Pittsburgh - the reigning division champ - is staring at an uncomfortable drop in the pecking order.
That’s where the Steelers land after Week 4: last in the division at 2-2. It’s a jarring spot for Mike McCarthy’s group, but the results keep pushing them there.
Pittsburgh’s Week 3 win over the Cincinnati Bengals came with plenty of help, including a Bengals muffed punt and a roughing-the-kicker call that eventually swung the game the Steelers’ way. A win counts, sure, but it didn’t exactly scream dominance.
Then came Thursday night, and the Browns looked better than Pittsburgh in just about every way. That’s the kind of loss that changes the conversation fast.
It also raises the ugly question hanging over the Steelers right now: is Aaron Rodgers the worst quarterback in this division? At the moment, it’s tough to argue he isn’t.
Cincinnati sits just ahead of Pittsburgh at No. 3, even though the Bengals are also 2-2. Their early season has been uneven, with back-to-back AFC losses after opening 2-0, including one against the Steelers.
Still, they deserve some credit for hanging around in Week 4 against the Jacksonville Jaguars after losing Ja’Marr Chase early in the game. The numbers also give Cincinnati a cleaner case than Pittsburgh right now.
The Bengals are ahead of the Steelers in offense EPA per play, defense EPA per play, quarterback EPA per play, and in success rate on both sides of the ball, per RBSDM stats.
The real surprise sits at No. 2: Cleveland.
At 3-1, the Browns are no longer a punchline this month. They’ve stacked wins over Tampa Bay, the Panthers, and Pittsburgh, and that Thursday night victory over the Steelers only sharpened the point.
New head coach Todd Monken has them playing with purpose, and young players like wide receivers Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion are making a real impact. This is a Browns team that looks organized, productive, and - against expectations - legitimately solid at the quarter mark.
Baltimore remains the team to beat in the AFC North, even after the latest ankle injury to two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson. The Ravens did take a 24-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 2, but they’ve also blown out the Colts on the road and handled the Cowboys and Titans in consecutive weeks.
They’ve got a top-five EPA offense and the No. 2 EPA quarterback in the NFL, per SumerSports.
Baltimore also overpaid in the trade for center Cam Jurgens, but that move should still help the offense. If Jackson misses time, the Ravens could slip in these rankings.
For now, though, they’re still the class of the division.
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Reports around the game painted the picture of a player battling a rough illness rather than a football setback, which only added context to a week that had started with the promise of a bigger role. With Porter unavailable, the Cowboys were left to lean more heavily on other corners such as Cobie Durant and Ameer Speed, a reminder that even a recent acquisition can quickly change the feel of a defensive rotation. [Read more 🡒]
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Aaron Rodgers Just Spotlighted A Rising Steelers Weapon
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Rodgers pointed to Washingtons size and physical tools as part of what makes him such a difficult piece to deal with, but he was just as struck by the way the young tight end has handled his rising status. After Washingtons recent extension, the expectation might have been for a player to relax a bit, yet his continued approach has only reinforced why the Steelers seem increasingly comfortable leaning on him in key spots. [Read more 🡒]