clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

The AFC North feels wide open ahead of Week 2 MNF

The AFC North remains competitive!

Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals walks off the field after a loss to the Baltimore Ravens at Paycor Stadium on September 17, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images

The Pittsburgh Steelers may have gotten off to their worst possible start in Week 1, but luckily for them, the rest of the AFC North isn’t looking in tip-top shape either.

That’s been especially true for the Cincinnati Bengals, who have officially fallen to 0-2 to start the 2023 NFL season. Though they entered the season as odds favorites to win the division, but now have lost two of their first games to start the season — both against AFC North teams. They’ve been outscored 51-27 in those meetings, first against the Browns in Week 1, and then by the Ravens in Week 2. QB Joe Burrow has had his own struggles, being one of just six NFL quarterbacks with a completion rate below 60% heading into Sunday Night Football.

That means the Ravens are currently in the lead with a 2-0 start, though their first win of the year came outside of the division against the Houston Texans. This makes Monday night’s Steelers-Browns showdown to close out Week 2 all the more important in terms of the division standings.

With a win, the Browns would take the lead of the division with a 2-0 record in the AFC North. If the Steelers were to win, the AFC North would have plenty of room for a shakeup, especially considering the Ravens have been dealing with significant injuries, including a season-ending ruptured Achilles for RB J.K. Dobbins, as well as a pec injury to S Marcus Williams, as well as injuries to OL Tyler Linderbaum and Ronnie Staley, and CB Marlon Humphrey.

AFC North standings ahead of Week 2 MNF

Ravens 2-0
Browns 1-0
Steelers 0-1
Bengals 0-2

Which team in the AFC North is the biggest threat to the Steelers right now? Join our Behind The Steel Curtain community and let us know in the comments!