Three weeks into the 2026 season, the AFC North has turned into a logjam, and the latest pecking order reflects just how little separation there is right now. All four teams sit at 2-1, but the Baltimore Ravens still hold the top spot, while the Pittsburgh Steelers jump ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals after their divisional win in Week 3.
The Steelers’ rise comes after a 30-point outburst against Cincinnati, a game that doubled as their first 30-point performance in 10 games dating back to last year. Pittsburgh also piled up 411 yards of total offense, a number it had only reached alongside 30 points four times since Ben Roethlisberger was the quarterback, going all the way back to 2018. Aaron Rodgers turned in one of his best games in a Steelers uniform, Jaylen Warren was excellent, and the offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage in both phases.
There were also a couple of moments that tilted the result in Pittsburgh’s favor, including the Bengals roughing the punter and the muffed punt return late. Even with those breaks in the background, the bigger takeaway is that the Steelers’ offense finally looked like it was starting to click. Their numbers are still uneven - 29th in offensive EPA per play and 11th on defense - but the investments up front are beginning to show.
Cincinnati slides to third in these Week 4 rankings, though that’s more about what happened Sunday than any long-term verdict. The offense remains elite, but the defense took a beating in Pittsburgh and now has some proving to do. The Steelers’ 30-point night came at the expense of a unit that many expected to be a strength.
At the bottom of the division, the Browns have already outpaced expectations with back-to-back wins over NFC South teams, Tampa Bay and Carolina. Still, Cleveland remains fourth in the division because the underlying issues are hard to ignore. The passing game has been inefficient, the Browns are minus-17 in point differential, and RBSDM Stats has them 21st in offensive EPA per play and 15th on defense.
Baltimore stays at No. 1 for now, and the case is straightforward. The Ravens opened with a 41-point blowout of the Colts, dropped a close one to the Saints in Week 2, and then escaped Rio de Janeiro with a last-second field goal to beat the Cowboys in Week 3. They’re plus-14 in point differential, rank fourth in offensive EPA per play and 20th on defense, and still look like the most dangerous team in the AFC North thanks to Lamar Jackson and an aggressive coaching staff.
In Other News...
Steelers Defense Just Took A Brutal Hit Against The Browns
A Thursday night collision with the Browns brought an early injury scare for Pittsburgh, as defensive tackle Derrick Harmon was carted off with a foot injury and quickly listed as questionable. The timing could not have been worse for a defense already trying to slow Clevelands momentum, with the Browns taking a 21-10 lead into halftime.
Harmons exit leaves the Steelers with a bigger problem than just one missing body in the middle. His presence matters in both the run game and the pass rush, and Pittsburgh now has to adjust on the fly while trying to keep Cleveland from controlling the line of scrimmage. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Rodgers Just Complicated One Steelers Blame Game
Aaron Rodgers added a layer to the Steelers postgame frustration after the late possession in the loss to Cleveland, pushing back on the idea that the play was simply about Jaylen Warren being the intended answer on second down. Rodgers said five players were running routes on the snap, a reminder that what looks obvious from the outside can be a lot messier once protection, timing and route distribution come into play.
For a Pittsburgh offense still trying to sort through what went wrong in a tight, late-game sequence, that matters. The ball ending up with Warren does not automatically tell the full story of the design, and Rodgers explanation points to the kind of breakdown that can involve more than one player and more than one decision. In a game that already invited blame, the more interesting question may be how much of that play was about execution, and how much was about the pressure closing in around it. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Fans Already Have A Rodgers-McCarthy Sideline Problem
The Steelers got a little reminder in Week 4 that bringing familiar faces together does not always mean smooth sailing. During Thursday nights game against the Browns, Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy were caught in a heated sideline exchange after Rodgers grew frustrated over a delayed play call, and McCarthy fired back with a profane retort.
For Pittsburgh, it was the kind of moment that can linger because of how much history is wrapped into it. Rodgers and McCarthy won a Super Bowl together in Green Bay before reuniting in Pittsburgh, so the chemistry was never going to be a mystery, but neither was the possibility of old competitive habits resurfacing when the pressure ratchets up. Fans who were hoping for a clean reunion got a glimpse of something a lot messier, and it will be worth watching how that dynamic plays out moving forward. [Read more 🡒]