As SB Nation's Danny Kelly wrote in describing the AFC North, "holy crap this is going to get interesting."
In his most recent Power Rankings, released Tuesday, the Ravens, despite being technically in third place in the division, are sitting at No. 9, with the Steelers at 11 (up a spot from last week) and the Bengals at No. 12. All three teams won last week and all three moved up one spot in the rankings.
Pittsburgh has two home games remaining, which neither Cincinnati nor Baltimore can boast. The Ravens may have the inside track, getting possibly the fourth starting quarterback of the year for the Houston Texans leading them in Baltimore's lone, remaining road game. After that, they get the Johnny Manziel-led Browns into Baltimore.
The Bengals have easily the toughest road, hosting Denver in Week 16 and traveling to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers just a few weeks after Pittsburgh put a 42-21 hurting on them.
It will be a battle through Week 17 and, if the Steelers defeat Kansas City on Sunday, odds are excellent the Bengals- at-Steelers game will be flexed to Sunday Night Football, as it'll be for the divisional championship. The question is which team will be the winner based on which result that week?
Not to get too far ahead of the action, the Steelers must defeat the Chiefs for that scenario to unfold. With an especially soft schedule facing the Ravens, two wins for them and one loss for both the Steelers and Bengals would give them the division championship a year after missing the playoffs. If either the Steelers or Bengals win their remaining two games, they will be division champions.