Ravens' Week 11 win puts them in perfect position to seize control of the AFC North

After starting the season with an abysmal 1-5 record, the Baltimore Ravens have turned things around and are now on a five-game win streak. Sunday's 23-16 win over the Cleveland Browns was far from pretty, but a win is a win. More importantly, the Ravens are just one game back from the Pittsburgh Steelers in the race for the AFC North.

While the Steelers won against the Cincinnati Bengals, Aaron Rodgers suffered a wrist injury, which jeopardizes his status for next week. The red-hot Ravens are set to take on the New York Jets next Sunday. Conversely, the Steelers, possibly without Rodgers, will play the Chicago Bears, who are on a three-game win streak.

By this time next week, there's a strong chance the Ravens will be tied with Pittsburgh for the division. With six games to go after that, the two Ravens-Steelers games could decide the season. Undoubtedly, the Ravens are in a prime position to steal the division.

The Ravens are getting hot at the right time

Outside of the electric game-winning touchdown on a direct snap to Mark Andrews and a 59-yard run by Derrick Henry, the offense largely looked flat. Lamar Jackson completed 56 percent of his passes and threw two picks. Regardless, he's a two-time MVP and will almost certainly bounce back, and the offensive line did him no favors. The Ravens still have one of the most high-powered offenses and will soon get back on track.

Despite this somewhat lackluster offensive showing on Sunday, the Ravens' defense looked fantastic. Yes, this was against two rookie quarterbacks (one starting for the first time in the second half) and a now 2-8 Browns team. However, this was an amazing showing for a defense that has been trending up over the past five games.

The Ravens recorded a season-high three sacks. Additionally, this marked the fifth straight game the Ravens have held the opponent to under 20 points and forced a turnover (shoutout to Nate Wiggins for his third interception of the year). Notably, they allowed 20 points in four of their first five games and only forced a turnover in one of them.

Eric DeCosta trading for Alhoi Gilman has proved to be an exceptional move, as this has allowed Kyle Hamilton to line up closer to the line of scrimmage. Hamilton led the way with six tackles, and the pass rush generated plenty of pressure. Defensive coordinator Zach Orr deserves some credit for figuring out his schemes as well.

While the Ravens are surging, the Steelers are floundering, posting a 2-3 record in the past five weeks. With Rodgers possibly sidelined, things could get worse. Of course, the Ravens will have to take care of business over the next seven weeks, including two games against the Steelers. However, there's no denying that Baltimore is well-positioned to win the AFC for the third straight year.