The Baltimore Ravens got back to their winning ways, defeating the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3, 34-31. It wasn’t pretty, but a win is a win. They’re sitting in a decent spot at 2-1 now.
The rest of the division? Also 2-1. The Pittsburgh Steelers took down the undefeated Cincinnati Bengals, 30-27, leaving both teams with the same record. Also sitting at 2-1 are the Cleveland Browns and old friend Todd Monken, who somehow outlasted the Carolina Panthers, 21-18.
Of course, it’s early, and no one’s truly paying much attention to division races. Still, with how things could unfold late in the year with these schedules, every game counts in the early stages of 2026.
Three weeks into the year, things are all square.
Baltimore Ravens are knotted in a four-way tie at the top of the AFC North
Is the AFC North back? Or is it just going to be another competitive snooze fest?
This division was widely praised as the best in the NFL for years. Last season? That was severely disappointing. The Steelers somehow snuck into the playoffs, and if we’re being real, no one deserved that playoff spot.
This year, it’s starting in a dead heat. Unfortunately, it’s not exactly a pretty one.
If you’re a Baltimore fan, you know how bad this team has looked over the past two weeks. Well, bad might be an overstatement, but they haven’t been good. While they’re over .500, they looked like the same ol’ Baltimore team in Week 2, and Week 3 showed signs of collapse again.
The Steelers looked electric against the Bengals this past Sunday. However, it was really the first time all season you can say that. They squeaked out a win over a Cooper Rush-led Atlanta Falcons team in the season opener, and were awful against a New England Patriots team that’s on the struggle bus last week.
Like always with them, it’s one of those situations when you don’t know whether to take them seriously.
As for the Bengals, they may be looking the best of the bunch. It’s your typical Cincinnati offense moving the ball at will, and somehow their defense is showing signs of a turnaround. They couldn’t stop the Aaron Rodgers and Jaylen Warren train on Sunday, but they’re still dialing up pressure.
And for the Browns? Let’s be honest, no one is taking them seriously. 2-1 or not, they’re expected to be the bottom-feeder of the division. Credit where credit is due, though: they’ve had a winning start.
Nonetheless, it remains true that they should be the least of Baltimore’s worries. Their two wins have been two ugly wins against NFC South teams—that’s the worst division in football. Todd Monken could certainly have the group moving differently, but they don’t have the talent to compete yet.
These early records could truly matter at the end of the season. The Steelers draw two AFC North matchups in the final four weeks, the Bengals draw two in the final two, the Browns draw two in the final three, and the Ravens get the worst of it with four divisional battles in the final four games.
Each of these squads will look to build up every win possible so it won’t feel like they’re biting the bullet if they drop one of those last games to the 2026 campaign.
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