AFC North Roundup: Big-time matchup with the Ravens looms for Steelers in Week 9

With Week 8 of the NFL schedule officially in the books, at least for the AFC North, it’s time to take a look back at those teams who call the AFC North home to see how they fared and what the standings look like after this week’s action.

The first goal for each team in the NFL is to win its division. Doing so guarantees both a playoff spot and a home playoff game, so even these early-season games are important when it comes to divisional rankings.

Let’s take a spin around the AFC North to check on the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Week 8 Results

Carolina Panthers - 36
Baltimore Ravens - 21

Don’t let the score fool you. This game wasn’t that close. Joe Flacco left a lot to be desired, and Lamar Jackson actually threw a touchdown pass. The Steelers come to M&T Bank Stadium Sunday, and if Pittsburgh walks out of Baltimore with a win, and Flacco is less than impressive, you can expect the cries for Jackson to start getting louder.

Cincinnati Bengals - 37
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 34 OT

It looked like the Bengals were going to run away with this game, but Ryan Fitzpatrick took over for the benched Jameis Winston, and Fitzmagic almost struck again. Sending the game into overtime, Randy Bullock nailed a 44-yard field goal to give the Bengals the win. The Bengals win keeps them right in the thick of things after dropping back-to-back games.

Pittsburgh Steelers - 33
Cleveland Browns - 18

The Steelers let the Browns hang around longer than they probably should have, but it was good to see them pull away in the second half. Just think...if not for the free kick gaffe, and the garbage time touchdown, the defense very well could have held the Browns to 6 points. I know, it is the Browns, but still impressive.

Week 9 Schedule

Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens — 1 p.m. ET kickoff
Kansas City Chiefs at Cleveland Browns — 1 p.m. ET kickoff
Cincinnati Bengals — BYE WEEK

AFC North Standings

Pittsburgh Steelers - 4-2-1
Cincinnati Bengals - 5-3
Baltimore Ravens - 4-4
Cleveland Browns - 2-5-1

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Let us know what you think about the division after Week 8 in the comment section below. Do you see this being a powerhouse division? Which teams are contenders and which ones are nothing more than pretenders?