Ravens beating Bengals means Steelers must beat Browns on MNF

It’s AFC North rivalry week, as all four teams have divisional tests this weekend.

On Monday Night Football, the Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1) host the Cleveland Browns (1-0), while the Baltimore Ravens (2-0) took care of business on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals (0-2) in a 27-24 win.

All divisional games are important, but the results of Sunday’s contest between the Ravens and Bengals only further establishes the idea that the Steelers need to win against the Browns.

While the first two weeks obviously don’t represent the entire season, it’s important to start out of the gates strong. Going back to 1990, only 11.5 percent of teams that started 0-2 made the postseason. If the Steelers fall to the Browns on MNF, they will be 0-2 and two games behind Cleveland and Baltimore in the AFC North standings.

The Browns and the Steelers kick off tonight at 8:15 p.m. ET. The game can be watched on ABC and ESPN+.