Playing in one of the toughest divisions in football is a blessing and a curse. Just ask the Baltimore Ravens who play in the AFC North.
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The Ravens have six games every season that are absolute fights until the end. They have to deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals twice a season. Both teams are often playoff caliber teams. The Browns may stink but they always give the Ravens their best shot.
The Ravens have made the playoffs in six of the past eight seasons despite playing in such a brutal division. This year was awful but the Ravens don’t expect to be down long. Team brass surely understands what kind of team they need to have to survive the tough division.
The bad thing about the tough division is that it makes the playoff push very difficult. The Ravens don’t get the nearly automatic division title that the New England Patriots have enjoyed for over a decade in the AFC East. When the Ravens get a trip to the playoffs, it is really earned.
The Ravens have won the AFC North in 2003, 2006, 2011 and 2012. The Steelers have won the division six times since the 2002 realignment. The Bengals have won four division championships in that time, yet have been win-less in the playoffs. There have been at least two playoff teams from the AFC North in 9 of 14 seasons. In 2011 and 2014 there were three teams from the AFC North in the division, meaning that half of the AFC playoff teams were in the Ravens’ division.
The benefit of the tough division is that it makes the Ravens quite battle tested. This may be why the team has fared so well on the road during the postseason. In fact Joe Flacco has won more playoff games on the road than any other quarterback in NFL history.
For all the bragging of Steelers fans, the Ravens are arguably the most successful team in the division. Since the Ravens came into the league, the Steelers have the same amount of Super Bowl victories. Yet the Ravens have one more playoff win. Since 2000 the Steelers are 14-7 in the playoffs. The Ravens are 15-8. They may have six championships overall but the Ravens have at least equaled their success in their 20 years of existence.
The Ravens have built their rosters through the years to beat their division rivals. They know that if they can make it out of the AFC North they can beat anyone in the playoffs.
The AFC North is known for its hotly contested battles. A game in this division is about as close as you get to a blood bath in football. The nation was shocked by the brutality in which the Bengals and Steelers battled in the first round of this year’s NFL Playoffs. That is rather par for the course in a meaningful AFC North battle.
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Life in the AFC North is tough. It is ruled by teams with franchise quarterbacks, a strong running game and a physical defense. The division’s champion may change from season to season but the formula stays the same. The toughest team wins in the AFC North and the true division crown goes to the last remaining team in the playoffs.