The State of the AFC North
By Zachary Smith
After Week 14, a race for the division title that once looked sealed now sees the door wide open for the Browns to potentially steal the title.
Pittsburhg Steelers
The Steelers are currently in 1st place with a 11-2 record. (Adrian Kraus/AP)
After winning their first 11 games of the season, the Steelers have suddenly lost their last 2 games. In their 26-15 loss at the hands of the Buffalo Bills, the Steelers have now dropped to second in the AFC behind the Kansas City Chiefs. Ben Roethlisberger went 21/37 for 187 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw two interceptions. The Steelers could not get anything going on the ground whatsoever, as they rushed for a total of 47 yards.
With the loss, the Steelers have dropped to 11-2 on the season and to the AFC’s second seed. The loss has also let Cleveland back into the race for the division title. A win in any of their final 3 games clinches the division for the Steelers since they have the better division record and a win over the Browns already. They’ll need to win out in order to catch Kansas City as the Chiefs don’t look like they’re slowing down. With people questioning the toughness of the Steelers despite their undefeated season, things are not looking good now that they are on a losing streak. Injuries to the defense are going to be huge going forward. In order to regain momentum going into the playoffs, the Steelers’ offense will need to play much better.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns are currently in 2nd place with an 9-4 record. (Ron Schwane/AP)
Coming off a 47-42 division loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the Browns have set themselves up for no margin of error down the stretch if they want to win the division. Baker Mayfield went 28/47 for 343 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Nick Chubb led the Browns on the ground with 17 carries for 82 yards and two touchdowns. Kareem Hunt and Mayfield each added a touchdown on the ground as well. Despite the loss, it was a great showing for the Browns offense and the team as a whole as they proved that they can hang in any game.
The Browns have to be perfect down the stretch in order to have a chance at winning the division over the Steelers. Fortunately, they have 2 games against the New York Jets and the New York Giants before the season finale against the Steelers which could potentially be for the division title. They have to win both games, and the Steelers will have to lose their next 2 for the division to be on the line in Week 17. Even if they don’t win the division, barring an epic collapse, the Browns will be making their first playoff appearance since 2002.
Blatimore Ravens
The Ravens are currently in 3rd place with a 8-5 record. (Ron Schwane/AP)
The Ravens have set themselves up in a nice position to make the postseason for the third straight year. They won a shootout 47-42 due to Lamar Jackson’s heroics in the fourth quarter. He went 11/17 for 163 yards and a touchdown while he also rushed the ball 9 times for 124 yards and two more touchdowns. After being out of the game due to cramps for most of the fourth quarter, he threw a 44-yard touchdown to Marquise Brown and set up Justin Tucker for the game-winning field goal.
With the win, the Ravens have a great shot at making the playoffs. They have the easiest closing schedule of the AFC teams still fighting for the playoffs. Going forward they play the Jaguars, Giants and Bengals. If they win out, they’ll be in a good position with tiebreakers over the Colts and the Browns. The Week 17 game between the Steelers and Browns will be very important for the Ravens because if the Steelers win, it could put the Browns behind Baltimore in the standings.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals are currently in 4th place with a 2-10-1 record. (Aaron Doster)
The Bengals abysmal season continued in Week 14 as they lost their fifth straight game. They got blown out 30-7 by the Dallas Cowboys in Andy Dalton’s return to Cincinnati. With Joe Burrow out for the season, the Bengals must look towards next year and hope for a good draft pick in the 2021 draft to give Burrow some help. Backup Brandon Allen went 27/36 for 217 yards and a touchdown in an admirable effort.
The Bengals, despite their poor season, can actually affect the playoff standings if they manage to get a win against either the Steelers or Ravens down the stretch. However, it might be in the best interest of the team’s future if they lose out for the rest of the season.
Zachary is a sports writer for La Tonique.
