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NFL Week 4: AFC North Preview

The Ravens and Steelers battled it out on Thursday night. The other AFC North teams play on Sunday.

Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

The undefeated Cincinnati Bengals lead the AFC North going into Week 4 with the Steelers in second at 2-2. The Ravens won their first game of the season at the expense of the Black & Gold, and the Browns also have one victory so far this season.

Kansas City Chiefs vs Cincinnati Bengals

The Kansas City Chiefs at 1-2 are at the bottom of the AFC West along with the Chargers. After winning the first game of the season to the Texans, the Chiefs fell to the Broncos at home in a hearbreaking loss and then to the Packers on the road.

The Bengals are undefeated, having beaten the Raiders on the road, the Chargers at home, and the Ravens in Baltimore. The rest of the AFC North would be relieved to see the Bengals lose their match up against the Chiefs and fall to 3-1.

Bengals Receiver A.J. Green is having a monster season with 335 yards and 3 on 18 receptions, an impressive average of 18.6 yards per reception. Marvin Jones and Tyler Eifert are other frequent targets of Dalton, who is having an impressive season thus far with 866 passing yards for 8 touchdowns. The Bengals run game is also strong: Giovani Bernard has 235 yards on the season while Jeremy Hill has 123 with 2 touchdowns.

Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith threw a touchdown to a wide receiver for the first time since 2013 in last week's match up against the Packers. That could give him the confidence to target Jeremy Maclin more frequently, instead of relying solely on his backs and tight ends. The Chiefs have a decent run game with Jamaal Charles, when he isn't fumbling. Charles has four touchdowns and has been averaging 4.8 yards per carry.

Cincinnati is favored to win the game over Kansas City.

Cleveland Browns vs. San Diego Chargers

Both the Chargers and the Browns are at 1-2 and towards the bottom of their divisions. On paper, the San Diego Chargers are a much better team on paper with Philip Rivers totaling 890 yards and five touchdowns. On the ground, the Chargers have Melvin Gordon and Danny Woodhead, with Keenan Allen his main target through the air. Three of San Diego's offensive line starters are out for Sunday, which could limit the team's offensive productivity.

The Cleveland Browns are still struggling at quarterback, but should have WR Dwayne Bowe and DB Justin Gilbert back on the field. On the other hand, CB Joe Haden could be slowed down by the bruised ribs that have been nagging him for the last week.

Not surprisingly, the Chargers are heavily favored in Sunday's game.