AFC North Recap: A perfect week for the division sets up a big Week 14

The thirteenth week 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 the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns all did in the week that was.

Cleveland Browns - 27
Houston Texans - 14

Deshaun Watson’s return to Houston was, well, interesting. Watson showed every bit of rust one would expect from a quarterback who hasn’t played in a couple years. The Browns won the game, but the majority of the scoring came via the defense. Nonetheless, you aren’t going to complain about these wins, not when you shipped first round picks to the Texans for the likes of Watson. The Browns are winning games, and staying relevant in the process. Now it’s time to find out if Watson is going to be able to pick up where he left off.

Baltimore Ravens - 10
Denver Broncos - 9

The Baltimore Ravens’ offense has been putrid since their Week 10 bye. In the games since, the offense has scored 13, 27, and 10 points. While some might point to Lamar Jackson injuring his knee during the game vs. Denver, they weren’t lighting up the scoreboard before that game. It is projected Jackson could miss some time, and this could be a huge hit to an already struggling offense. Tyler Huntley is a capable backup, but is far from the same caliber of player Jackson has become since winning the NFL MVP. The injury bug continues to run through the Ravens roster, and the latest player hit was quite possibly their most important.

Pittsburgh Steelers - 19
Atlanta Falcons - 16

The Steelers found a way to win, and that is the best way to describe the game in Atlanta on Sunday. In fact, the game in Week 13 eerily mirrored the game in Week 12. The Steelers offense came out hot, moved the ball in time-consuming drives only to be held to field goals. The only difference in the two outings is the offense was able to punch the ball into the end-zone twice vs. the Colts, and only once vs. the Falcons. The Steelers are improving in a lot of ways, and they, like the Browns, remain relevant in the process.

Cincinnati Bengals - 27
Kansas City Chiefs - 24

I’ve truly enjoyed watching Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs lose football games, even though it doesn’t happen often. What is crazy is how the Bengals have become the Chiefs’ kryptonite. This was a tremendous football game, and one I thought the Bengals would win, mainly because it was played in Ohio. The Bengals match up well with the Chiefs, and have an offense which can go toe-to-toe with teams like the Chiefs and Bills. A great win for the Bengals, as they look to have turned the corner from their slow start to the season.

AFC North Standings

Baltimore Ravens - 8-4
Cincinnati Bengals - 8-4
Cleveland Browns - 5-7
Pittsburgh Steelers - 5-7

Week 14 AFC North Schedule:

Baltimore Raven at Pittsburgh Steelers — 1 p.m. ET, Sunday
Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals — 1 p.m. ET, Sunday

A look ahead...

The final opponents for all AFC North teams:

Baltimore Ravens: at Steelers, at Browns, vs. Falcons, at Steelers, at Bengals
Cleveland Browns: at Bengals, vs. Ravens, vs. Saints, at Washington, at Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers: vs. Ravens, at Panthers, vs. Raiders, at Ravens, vs. Browns
Cincinnati Bengals: vs. Browns, at Buccaneers, at Patriots, vs. Bills, vs. Ravens