AFC North Preview – Week 3

by Joe Kuzma (joe_kuzma) on September 22, 2017

SCU’s AFC North Preview is a quick overview of the Steelers division opponents and their upcoming games.

With the regular season well underway, things are shaping up in a rather unexpected way! The Baltimore Ravens are 2-0 and hold a tiebreaker first place spot in the AFC North over the Steelers by virtue of pummeling those two teams’ other division opponents, the Cleveland Browns, and Cincinnati Bengals.

The Bengals will travel to face the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, while the Browns play the Colts in Indy and the Ravens fly across the pond to play the Jaguars in London.

Here’s a full rundown of those games.

AFC North Standings

AFC North	W	L	Pct	PF	PA	Home	Away	Strk
Ravens	2	0	1	44	10	1-0-0	1-0-0	W2
Steelers	2	0	1	47	27	1-0-0	1-0-0	W2
Bengals	0	2	0	9	33	0-2-0	0-0-0	L2
Browns	0	2	0	28	45	0-1-0	0-1-0	L2

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Bengals Preview

	Bengals	Packers
Last Week	L 13-9 vs. Houston	L 34-23 at Atlanta
Coach vs. Opp.	Marvin Lewis: 3-0	Mike McCarthy: 0-2
PTS. For/Against	4.5/16.5	20.0/21.5
Offense	258	368.5
Passing	Andy Dalton: 36-66-394-0-4-47.2	Aaron Rodgers: 61-92-654 (2L)-3-2-88.8
Rushing	Giovani Bernard: 12-50-4.2-0	Ty Montgomery: 29-89-3.1-2
Receiving	A.J. Green: 10-141-14.1-0	Randall Cobb: 15-145-9.7-0
Defense	267	294.5
Sacks	Geno Atkins: 3 (T3L)	Many tied: 1.5
INTs	Nick Vigil: 1 (T3L)	–
Take/Give	-5 (1/6)	-2 (1/3)
Punting (Net)	Kevin Huber: 45.5 (42.3)	Justin Vogel (R): 42.3 (41.4)
Kicking	Randy Bullock: 9 (0/0 PAT; 3/3 FG)	Mason Crosby: 10 (4/4 PAT; 2/2 FG)

Game Notes

LEADER: Bengals lead all-time series, 7-5
LAST GAME: 9/22/13: Packers 30 at Bengals 34
STREAKS: Bengals have won past 3
LAST GAME AT SITE: 9/20/09: Bengals 31, Packers 24
QB ANDY DALTON passed for 2 TDs vs. 1 INT with 105.5 rating in last meeting. Has 13 TDs vs. 4 INTs in past 7 vs. NFC. Has 22,608 career pass yards & needs 87 yards to pass CARSON PALMER (22,694) for 3rd most in franchise history.
RB JEREMY HILL has 7 rush TDs in past 7 vs. NFC. Aims for 4th in row vs. NFC with rush TD. Is only player in NFL with 9+ rush TDs in each of past 3 seasons. RB GIOVANI BERNARD had 99 scrimmage yards (50 rush, 49 rec.) & rush TD in last meeting. Has 190 catches since 2013, 5th most among NFL RBs.
WR A.J. GREEN had rec. TD in last meeting. In 4 career games vs. NFC North, has 460 rec. yards (115 per game) & 6 TD catches. Since entering NFL in 2011, has 7,276 rec. yards, 4th most among active players. In 2 career meetings, WR BRANDON LA FELL has 3 TD catches. WR-KR ALEX ERICKSON leads NFL with 29.0 KR avg. TE TYLER EIFERT has 7 TD catches in past 6 vs. NFC. Has 18 TD catches since 2015, most among NFL TEs.
DT GENO ATKINS has 7.5 sacks in past 6. Aims for 7th in row with 0.5+ sack. Has 55 career sacks, most among active NFL DTs. DE CARLOS DUNLAP had 2 TFL & sack in last meeting. Dunlap (57 sacks) & Atkins (55) rank 1st & 2nd in team history in sacks. DE MICHAEL JOHNSON has 2.5 sacks, 2 FFs, PD & TFL in past 2 meetings. LB VINCENT REY has 22 tackles (11 per game) in past 2.
QB AARON RODGERS passed for 343 yards & 2 TDs last week. Reached 300 career TD passes in fewest att. (4,742) in NFL history & is 11th player with 300+ TD passes. Has 2,410 pass yards (301.3 per game), 23 TDs & 1 INT for 115.1 rating in past 8 at home vs. AFC. Aims for 12th in row at home vs. AFC with 90+ rating. Has 16 TDs vs. 2 INTs in past 6 at home.
RB TY MONTGOMERY had 110 scrimmage yards (75 rec., 35 rush) & 2 TDs (1 rush, 1 rec.) in Week 2, his 2nd career multi-TD game. Has 2 TDs in past 3 at home.
WR JORDY NELSON had 8 receptions for 93 yards in last meeting. Has 7 rec. TDs in past 5 at home. Aims for 5th in row vs. AFC with TD catch. WR RANDALL COBB has 9 rec. TDs in past 8 at home vs. AFC. WR DAVANTE ADAMS led team with 8 catches for 99 yards & had rec. TD last week. Has 5 TD catches in past 6 at home.
LB CLAY MATTHEWS had 1.5 sacks in Week 2. Has 2 sacks, 2 FFs & PD in 2 career meetings. Has 5 sacks in past 5 vs. AFC. Has 74 sacks since 2009, 2nd most among NFL LBs. DT MIKE DANIELS had sack in last meeting. Has 9 tackles, 2.5 sacks & FF in past 2 at home. LB BLAKE MARTINEZ had sack last week. Has 17 tackles in past 2 vs. AFC. LB NICK PERRY has 6.5 sacks in past 7. In past 4 vs. AFC, S HA HA CLINTON-DIX has 2 INTs, FF & 0.5 sack. Led team with 6 tackles in Week 2. S MORGAN BURNETT has 3 sacks in past 4 vs. AFC.

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Browns Preview

	Browns	Colts
Last Week	L 24-10 at Baltimore	L 16-13 (OT) vs. Arizona
Coach vs. Opp.	Hue Jackson: 0-0	Chuck Pagano: 2-0
PTS. For/Against	14.0/22.5	11.0/31.0
Offense	311.5	245.5
Passing	DeShone Kizer (R): 35-61-404-1-4-55.6	Jacoby Brissett: 22-40-267-0-1-65.3
Rushing	Isaiah Crowell: 27-70-2.6-0	Frank Gore: 24-88-3.7-1
Receiving	Rashard Higgins: 7-95-13.6-0	Jack Doyle (TE): 10-120-12.0-0
Defense	313.5	381
Sacks	Many tied: 1	Many tied: 1
INTs	Derrick Kindred, Jason McCourty: 1 (T3L)	Malik Hooker (R): 1 (T3L)
Take/Give	-3 (3/6)	-2 (2/4)
Punting (Net)	Britton Colquitt: 50.1 (3L) (40.0)	Rigoberto Sanchez (R): 46.5 (44.9)
Kicking	Zane Gonzalez (R): 8 (2/2 PAT; 2/2 FG)	Adam Vinatieri: 10 (1/2 PAT; 3/4 FG)

Game Notes

LEADER: Series tied, 14-14
LAST GAME: 12/7/14: Colts 25 at Browns 24
STREAKS: Colts have won past 2
LAST GAME AT SITE: 10/21/12: Colts 17, Browns 13
QB DE SHONE KIZER (rookie) has 404 pass yards, 3rd most by Browns rookie QB in 1st 2 career games. Is 1 of 5 QBs with rush TD.
RB ISAIAH CROWELL had rush TD in last meeting. Has 566 scrimmage yards (80.8 per game) with 2 rush TDs in past 7. RB DUKE JOHNSON, JR. had 80 scrimmage yards (21 rush, 59 rec.) last week. Is 1 of 2 NFL RBs (DAVID JOHNSON) with 100+ catches (119) & 1,100 rec. yards (1,127) since 2015.
WR RASHARD HIGGINS had team-high 7 catches for 95 yards in Week 2. WR KENNY BRITT had 8 catches for 143 yards in 12/9/12 meeting with Ten. Rookie TE DAVID NJOKU had 1st career TD catch last week. TE SETH DE VALVE has 17.2 yards per catch avg., 4th highest among NFL TEs.
T JOE THOMAS has played 10,062 consecutive offensive snaps & has started 162 games in row, 4th longest active streak in NFL.
LB CHRISTIAN KIRKSEY had sack last week. Since entering league in 2014, is 1 of 6 in NFL with 275+ tackles (285) & 9+ sacks (9). CB JASON MC COURTY had INT & FF in Week 2. LB JAMIE COLLINS, SR. has 13 tackles, 2 TFL, FF & PD in past 2 meetings. LB JAMES BURGESS, JR. had 1st career sack last week. CB JAMAR TAYLOR tied career-high with 9 tackles in Week 2. S DERRICK KINDRED has 3 TFL, tied for lead among NFL safeties.
QB JACOBY BRISSETT passed for 216 yards last week. Has 200+ pass yards in 2 of 3 career starts.
RB FRANK GORE had rush TD last week. Is 6th player in NFL history with 75+ rush TDs (75) & 15+ rec. TDs (16). Has 228 rush yards (114 per game) & rush TD in 2 career meetings. Ranks 9th in NFL history with 16,590 scrimmage yards (13,153 rush, 3,437 rec.).
WR T.Y. HILTON had 10 catches for 150 yards & 2 TDs in last meeting. Is 1 of 4 in NFL with 325+ receptions (331), 5,000+ rec. yards (5,106) & 20+ TD catches (23) since 2013. TE JACK DOYLE led team with 8 catches & 79 yards last week. Since 2016, ranks 4th among AFC TEs with 69 catches & 704 rec. yards. WR KAMAR AIKEN has 2 TD catches in 5 career meetings. WR DONTE MONCRIEF has TD catch in 4 of past 6 at home. Is 1 of 4 AFC WRs with 6+ TD catches in each of past 2 seasons.
LB JABAAL SHEARD was 2nd round selection by Cle. in 2011 NFL Draft. Had 190 tackles, 23 sacks & 7 FFs in 4 seasons with Cle. (2011-14). DT JOHNATHAN HANKINS had sack & FF in only career meeting (11/27/16 with NYG). DT AL WOODS had sack last week. Has 4 TFL & 2 sacks in past 4 meetings. LB JOHN SIMON had sack in Week 2. Rookie S MALIK HOOKER made 1st career start & had 1st career INT last week. Rookie LB NATE HAIRSTON had 1st career sack in Week 2. LB MATTHIAS FARLEY leads team with 17 tackles.

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Ravens Preview

	Ravens	Jaguars
Last Week	W 24-10 vs. Cleveland	L 37-16 vs. Tennessee
Coach vs. Opp.	John Harbaugh: 3-2	Doug Marrone: 1-0
PTS. For/Against	22.0/5.0 (2L)	22.5/22
Offense	302.5	295
Passing	Joe Flacco: 34-51-338-3-2-88.5	Blake Bortles: 31-55-348-2-2-72.4
Rushing	Javorius Allen: 35-137-3.9-0	Leonard Fournette (R): 40-140-3.5-2
Receiving	Benjamin Watson (TE): 8-91-11.4-0	Allen Hurns: 9-124-13.8-1
Defense	303.5	296.5
Sacks	Terrell Suggs: 3 (T3L)	Calais Campbell: 4 (T1L)
INTs	Brandon Carr, Ladarius Webb: 2 (T1L)	Tashaun Gipson, Telvin Smith: 1 (T3L)
Take/Give	+7 (10/3)	+2 (5/3)
Punting (Net)	Sam Koch: 44.1 (41.0)	Brad Nortman: 48.1 (37.4)
Kicking	Justin Tucker: 14 (5/5 PAT; 3/4 FG)	Jason Myers: 15 (3/4 PAT; 4/5 FG)

Game Notes

LEADER: Jaguars lead all-time series, 11-9
LAST GAME: 9/25/16: Ravens 19 at Jaguars 17
STREAKS: Ravens have won 2 of past 3
LAST GAME AT SITE: First meeting in London
RAVENS play 1st international game in team history. Are 1st team since 1982 with 4+ INTs & 3+ sacks in each of 1st 2 games of a season. Lead NFL with 10 takeaways, 5 more than next team.
QB JOE FLACCO passed for 2 TDs vs. 1 INT with 97.3 rating last week. Has 12 pass TDs vs. 7 INTs in past 7. Is franchise leader in comp. (2,949), pass yards (32,977) & TD passes (185).
RB JAVORIUS ALLEN had 101 scrimmage yards (66 rush, 35 rec.) & TD catch last week. Has 4 career games with 100+ scrimmage yards. RB TERRANCE WEST aims for 3rd in row with rush TD.
WR JEREMY MACLIN has TD catch in each of past 2. In past 3 meetings, has 180 rec. yards with 3 TDs. Since entering league in 2009, has 6 seasons with 50+ catches & 750+ rec. yards, tied for 3rd most among active players. TE BENJAMIN WATSON led team with 8 catches & 91 rec. yards last week. Had TD catch in last game at Wembley Stadium (10/25/09 with NE).
LB C.J. MOSLEY had INT in last meeting. Since entering league in 2014, has 7 INTs, tied for most among NFL LBs. LB TERRELL SUGGS leads team with 3 sacks & 2 FFs. S ERIC WEDDLE had INT last week. Has 24 career INTs, 4th most among active safeties. Rookie LB TYUS BOWSER had 1st career sack & INT in Week 2. CB BRANDON CARR aims for 3rd in row with INT. Has 6 PD, most in NFL.
JAGUARS play in London for 5th consecutive season & aim for 3rd win in row at Wembley Stadium. Lead NFL with 11 sacks.
QB BLAKE BORTLES aims for 3rd meeting in row with 2+ TD passes. Has 8,681 pass yards since 2015, 3rd most in AFC. In past 3 in London, has 679 pass yards with 4 TDs.