AFC North teams approach critical weeks for the division

[Arkansas Bengal]

AFC North teams approach critical weeks for the division

Lorenzo Reyes, USA TODAY 7:03 p.m. EDT October 22, 2014

(Photo: Al Behrman, AP)

 

The AFC North is the only division in the NFL with three teams carrying a winning percentage into Week 8. Two months ago, few would have expected things to shake out this way.

Each team in the AFC North — the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns — has a .500 record or better, the only division that can claim that honor.

The congestion sets up what should be a tight race in the final week of the season, when the Browns face the Ravens in Baltimore, and the Bengals square off against the Steelers in Pittsburgh.

 

Until then, here's a breakdown of what lies ahead for each team in the AFC North:

Baltimore Ravens (5-2)

The Ravens have established themselves as one of the top teams in the AFC behind the NFL's top scoring defense (14.9 points per game) and the resurgence of quarterback Joe Flacco, who has thrown for 1,854 yards, 14 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

Baltimore is in first place in the AFC North, and they arrived here with some new faces.

"They rebuilt their football team in two years," NFL on CBS lead analyst Phil Simms told USA TODAY Sports. "They won a Super Bowl in 2012. They basically dismantled their team. And now here we go again."

Wide receiver Steve Smith, whom Baltimore added as a free agent this offseason, supplies a physical, competitive edge the team lacked after the departure of Anquan Boldin following the 2012 season. On defense, rookie linebacker C.J. Mosley has developed into a tackling machine.

The next two weeks, however, will play a part in determining if the Ravens stay the leaders in the division. Baltimore faces the Bengals and the Steelers in back-to-back road games.

If the Ravens can persevere through this stretch, they will continue to be the team everyone else is chasing in the division.

Cincinnati Bengals (3-2-1)

Cincinnati looked like it had blossomed into one of the league's most complete teams after the first three weeks of the season.

That quickly changed. In the last three games, the team has tied once and lost twice.

For the Bengals to climb back into first place, they'll need star receiver A.J. Green to fully recover from an injury to his right big toe that has sidelined him the team's last two games.

POWER RANKINGS: See where AFC North teams rank

Cincinnati's defense — which had been considered a strength entering the season — has underwhelmed and ranks 31st in total defense (416.7 yards per game).

"I think it is a good wake up call for everyone on this team that we have expected to be in every game, we have expected to play a lot better and we did not do that," Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton said after a shutout loss Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.

Considered the early favorite in the division after a hot start, Cincinnati now needs to re-seize control.

That won't be so easy. Cincinnati has two remaining games against the Browns, two against the Steelers and one against the Denver Broncos.

But Sunday provides the biggest opportunity for the Bengals to make their statement when they host the Ravens.

Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3)

If the pattern through the first seven weeks of the season holds true, the Steelers will lose Sunday. They have alternated between wins and losses in each week this season.

Inconsistency plagues the Steelers, and if they don't start stringing victories together, Pittsburgh will fall behind in the division.

Even Pittsburgh's most recent game – a 30-23 Monday night victory against the Houston Texans — embodied the erratic play that has come to characterize the team. The Steelers fell to an early 13-0 deficit before charging back with 24 unanswered points.

But all is not lost for the Steelers in the AFC North. With the trio of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, running back Le'Veon Bell and receiver Antonio Brown, the Steelers offense has the necessary pieces to charge up the division. It's Pittsburgh's 16th-ranked scoring defense (23.1 points per game) that has to improve.

The Steelers confront a stiff challenge Sunday against the Colts, and then host the Ravens in Week 9 on Sunday night. The most pivotal stretch of the season, though, will be two games against the Bengals in Weeks 14 and 17.

Cleveland Browns (3-3)

For just one week, the Browns were on top of the NFL.

The team had defeated its long-time rival Steelers, 31-10, and improved to 3-2. Optimism soared in Cleveland. The next three opponents had a combined record of 1-16 and many already started talking about Cleveland as if it were a 6-2 team.

Then it came crashing down.

The Browns lost to the previously winless Jacksonville Jaguars, 24-6, in a listless performance that resurrected questions about the quarterback debate between starter Brian Hoyer and rookie Johnny Manziel.

"We're not going to hit the panic button after one loss," Browns coach Mike Pettine said. "We know that while the quarterback position needed to be more productive, it was more symptomatic of the entire offense. Brian is still firmly our starter. Like I said, each week we make the decision on if we want to include Johnny in the plan."

Making matters worse, the Browns may have the toughest remaining schedule in the division with two games left against the Bengals, one against the Colts, one against the Carolina Panthers and one against the Ravens.

Coupled with some holes still on the roster, the Browns may be the unfortunate victims of a tight division.

 

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