It hasn't been pretty, but the Baltimore Ravens are off to a 2-1 start to Jesse Minter's first season at the helm. Their thrilling win over the Dallas Cowboys in Brazil was a crucial step toward winning what has become a tightly-contested AFC North.
The Cincinnati Bengals, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and even the Cleveland Browns each look like true threats so far. If the Ravens are going to return to the playoffs atop the division, they'll be working with very little margin for error.
Through three weeks of regular-season action, here is how the AFC North shakes out in our latest power rankings.
Baltimore Ravens top AFC North power rankings entering Week 4
Week 3 results:
- Browns beat Panthers 21-18
- Steelers beat Bengals 30-27
- Ravens beat Cowboys 34-31
1. Baltimore Ravens
If Tyler Loop doesn't hit a 56-yard field goal to win the game against the Cowboys, the Ravens might be at the bottom of this list. That's how close the race for the division title currently is.
Baltimore's offense has been as good as any in the league so far, ranking within the league's top five in EPA per play, success rate, and points per game. If the Jesse Minter defense can hit its stride later in the season, the Ravens will be legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
Next game: Sunday, Oct. 4th vs. Titans
2. Cincinnati Bengals
Based on the first two weeks of play, it was hard to imagine the Bengals falling to the Steelers in Week 3. But with a vintage Aaron Rodgers performance and a couple of late-game mistakes, they did just that.
Cincinnati's offense still hasn't been as explosive as it can be, and the defense is only functional when Dexter Lawrence II is on the field. The Bengals are clearly flawed, but they're a force to be reckoned with in the division.
Next game: Sunday, Oct. 4th vs. Jaguars
3. Cleveland Browns
Are the Browns a serious football team? It's certainly starting to look like it, as they took the Carolina Panthers down for their second consecutive upset win. They're playing an ugly brand of football under Todd Monken, but it's producing results.
In reality, the Browns likely won't be much more than a fiesty team that makes its opponents fight for their wins. Monken has done an admirable job so far, but the Ravens shouldn't have to worry about Cleveland challenging for a division title.
Next game: Thursday, Oct. 1st vs. Steelers
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
The second, third, and fourth spots on this list are interchangeable. Aaron Rodgers reminded the rest of the league who he is in the Steelers' dramatic win over the Bengals, even if his first two weeks were some of the worst in his career. If anything, Pittsburgh's win proved that no win will come easily in this division.
The Steelers will get another chance to take down an AFC North foe in Week 4 when they travel to Cleveland. That game will be a telling test of how the division truly stacks up.
Next game: Thursday, Oct. 1st @ Browns
Add us as a preferred source on Google