AFC North Report: Steelers back in it as Ravens fall to Browns
Steel City Underground’s AFC North Report wraps up the result of each game played by rivals in the division and how the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, and Cleveland Browns fared against their opponents each week during the NFL regular season. This week we’ll additionally look at the Pittsburgh Steelers as they stand in the division during Week 4’s interdivisional play heated up.
Division shakeup after Browns, Steelers grab wins
On Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens were supposed to be nearly unstoppable when they faced a Cleveland Browns team that was getting ribbed for all the off-season and preseason hype and failing to produce at the level expected. The 0-3 Pittsburgh Steelers were not necessarily big favorites to upset the Cincinnati Bengals who were also 0-3 entering their Monday night game. What happened was that two teams won games that shook up the divisional standings – and it’s likely not the last time the AFC North sees a change in its standings this year.
Just like that, the #Steelers are one game back in the AFC North, with the #Ravens coming in next. How do they keep things going the right direction? “Not look at our standings.” More from Cam Heyward in our @nflnetwork postgame interview: pic.twitter.com/10Uxgbz4Dp
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 1, 2019
Ravens, Browns wasn’t pretty but reset No. 1 spot
Both the Ravens and Browns entered Week 4 having come off of a loss the week before. The contest between the two division rivals was billed as a slugfest, but a majority of analysts felt that Baltimore had the edge with Lamar Jackson running the Ravens offense over a struggling Baker Mayfield as the Browns’ signal-caller. That the two teams are mirror images of themselves, in more ways than just the move in 1999 at the hands of Art Modell, made Sunday’s game an intriguing one to watch to see who would step out of the shadows and take the first division win of this season.
The two teams were gridlocked for most of the first half of the game. Defense vs Defense. As the game marched on, however, the two offenses started clicking. After a third-quarter scrum, echoes of frustration being played by gladiators in the heat of battle, it was Cleveland who pulled away and did so in wild fashion.
Final: 40-25.
In the hunt versus the bottom of the barrel
Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals are in trouble. Why? They’ve been exposed in a fatal manner. Without an offensive line that can keep opposing defenses out of their faces, out of their backfield, and off of their quarterback, the Bengals are looking at a frustratingly difficult season as they fall to 0-4.
The Steelers were able to sack Dalton a season-high eight times on Monday night. That included a strip-sack that was recovered for Pittsburgh. How long can Zac Taylor keep his starting quarterback healthy; it becomes a serious pending question.
Pittsburgh won with ingenuity on offense, a little shake-and-bake from their young playmakers – including Mason Rudolph. They also grabbed the win by the throat by playing demanding, up-tempo defense that, for once this season, wasn’t on the field so long that they were gassed by the third quarter.
Final: 27-3
Reassessing the AFC North
| TEAM | W | L | PF | PA | HOME | AWAY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browns | 2 | 2 | 89 | 91 | 0-2 | 2-0 |
| Ravens | 2 | 2 | 135 | 100 | 1-1 | 1-1 |
| Steelers | 1 | 3 | 76 | 88 | 1-1 | 0-2 |
| Bengals | 0 | 4 | 57 | 110 | 0-1 | 0-2 |
With a 2-2 record, Cleveland exits Week 4 with the top spot in the division. They face the San Francisco 49ers in Week 5 (that same ‘Niners team that beat Pittsburgh, 24-20, and Cincinnati, 41-17). They may own a tie-breaker with their divisional win over Baltimore, but how long will they hold onto the top spot? Meanwhile, the Ravens will face the Steelers in Week 5. Yes, Pittsburgh is a 1-3 team, but they lost to the Seattle Seahawks by two points and the 49ers by four. The Ravens won’t just lay down and let the Steelers take the second spot from them, so expect a real battle. Again, it will be a game between a young quarterback in Rudolph and Jackson. As for Cincinnati, they will host an Arizona Cardinals team that is experiencing growing pains of its own. The Bengals still look to be without A.J. Green in that contest, and with their porous offensive line… well, we don’t need to go there, again.
