AFC North Recap: The AFC North sends three teams to the playoffs in 2020

The 2020 regular season of NFL football is behind us, and it was quite the week in the AFC North division. With that said, it is time to see how things wrapped up for the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns in the week that was.

Time to take a look...

Cleveland Browns - 24
Pittsburgh Steelers - 22

Not many expected the Steelers to win in Cleveland. Not with the Browns playing for their postseason lives, and the Steelers resting Ben Roethlisberger, T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward and Maurkice Pouncey. In fact, many didn’t even think the Steelers would keep the game close. However, Mason Rudolph and company came into FirstEnergy Stadium and turned some heads.

The Steelers were a two-point conversion away from tying the game in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter, but it only sets up another huge game next week for all the bragging rights, and the chance to send the opponent home for the offseason. The last time these two teams met up in the playoffs was the last time the Browns made the playoffs, in 2002. Ask Kelly Holcomb how that played out...

Baltimore Ravens - 38
Cincinnati Bengals - 3

The Baltimore Ravens are red-hot right now, but before anyone else jumps on the “Ravens are the best team in the AFC” bandwagon, it should be worth noting who they’ve played down the stretch.

The Ravens beat the Browns on Monday Night Football in a shoot out in Week 14, blew the doors off the tanking Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15, ran away with the win over the Giants in Week 16 and never even gave the Bengals a glimmer of hope in the regular season finale.

You shouldn’t hear Steelers fans making the argument of a soft schedule, because they defended their favorite team till the end of the world when they started 11-0. You play the schedule you are given, and the Ravens have beaten everyone who has stepped in front of them since that weird Wednesday afternoon game at Heinz Field. The way the playoffs are shaping up, the Steelers won’t be seeing the Ravens anytime soon, and for many black and gold fans, that is a good thing.

Final 2020 AFC North Rankings

Pittsburgh Steelers - 12-4
Baltimore Ravens - 11-5
Cleveland Browns - 11-5
Cincinnati Bengals - 4-11-1

AFC Wild Card Playoff Schedule

Baltimore Ravens at Tennessee Titans — Sunday, 1:05 p.m. ET
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns — Sunday, 8:15 p.m. ET