The race for the AFC North got a little closer this past Sunday, with all but one team losing.
Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3)
Instead of capitalizing on a weak division and furthering their lead, the Pittsburgh Steelers have now dropped
two consecutive games. On Sunday, they blew a 16-7 halftime lead in a 35-25 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers faced his longtime team for the first time since leaving Green Bay in 2023, but it was his replacement that stole the spotlight. Packers quarterback Jordan Love completed 29 of 37 passes for 360 yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions. Rodgers had a solid performance as well, completing 24 of 36 passes for 219 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions, but it was not enough to overcome the offensive onslaught of the Packers. Tight end Tucker Kraft was a particular nuisance for Pittsburgh’s struggling defense, racking up 143 yards and two touchdowns on seven catches.
Second-year wide receiver Roman Wilson led the Steelers with 74 receiving yards and a touchdown on four catches, while running back Jaylen Warren led the way on the ground with 62 rushing yards on 13 carries. DK Metcalf, who caught five passes for 55 yards and a touchdown, let his frustrations boil over in a costly move during the game; the star receiver seemingly poked Packers linebacker Quay Walker in the eye, resulting in a 15-yard penalty for Pittsburgh on third down.
To make matters worse for an already reeling defense, the Steelers are feared to have lost safety DeShon Elliott for the season with a knee injury suffered during the game.
Cincinnati Bengals (3-5)
A week after an explosive upset over Pittsburgh in primetime, the Cincinnati Bengals came back to Earth with a 39-38 loss, giving the New York Jets their first win of the season.
Veteran quarterback Joe Flacco continued his solid play for his new team this week by completing 21 of 34 passes for 223 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. The 40-year-old signal caller also added a one-yard rushing touchdown, as well as converting a third down with a 13-yard scramble. Ja’Marr Chase has to be happy with Flacco’s arrival, as the superstar wideout was targeted 19 times, coming down with 12 for 91 yards. Fellow star receiver Tee Higgins had just one catch on two targets, but it went for a 44-yard touchdown. Bengals running back Chase Brown had another strong outing, carrying the ball 12 times for 73 yards and a score, but it was veteran running back Samaje Perine who led Cincinnati with 94 yards on the ground to go with a touchdown on nine carries.
The Bengals led by 15 entering the fourth quarter, but three consecutive scoring drives by the Jets saw Cincinnati trailing by one with just under two minutes remaining. The Bengals then turned the ball over on downs, resulting in their fifth loss of the season, with only one win coming since Week 2. New York running back Breece Hall had his way with the Bengals defense to the tune of 133 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. Hall also threw a touchdown on a trick play. The defense was unable to sack quarterback Justin Fields once during the game. No. 17 overall pick Shemar Stewart has yet to notch a sack this season.
Baltimore Ravens (2-5)
The Baltimore Ravens returned from their bye week with renewed vigor to finally win their second game of the season, 30-16 over the Chicago Bears.
The Ravens found themselves under heavy scrutiny over the weekend before the game after quarterback Lamar Jackson had his Friday practice retroactively changed to limited and was ruled out on Saturday after initially being listed as a full participant with a questionable designation. Baltimore is now being investigated for their handling of the situation and could potentially face punishment from the league. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh insisted that it was an honest mistake during his postgame press conference.
Baltimore had hoped to have the two-time MVP back at quarterback after the bye week, but Jackson was unable to go once again due to a hamstring injury. Instead of backup quarterback Cooper Rush getting the start again, it was Tyler Huntley who led the charge for the Ravens offense. Huntley was efficient through the air, completing 17 of 22 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions while also adding 53 yards with his legs. Leading the ground attack was running back Derrick Henry with 71 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries. Third-year running back Keaton Mitchell received some much-anticipated playing time as well, racking up 43 yards on 4 carries, displaying his signature speed on a 25-yard run. Huntley and wide receiver Zay Flowers showed a strong connection through the air, as the wide receiver caught seven passes for 63 yards, though it was tight end Charlie Kolar who caught Huntley’s lone passing touchdown.
Baltimore’s defense continued the upward trend started against the Los Angeles Rams before the bye, as Zach Orr’s unit stifled Ben Johnson’s offense for much of the day, allowing just one touchdown. All-Pro inside linebacker Roquan Smith made his presence felt in his first game back from a hamstring injury, racking up 12 total tackles while flying around the field against his former team. It was second-year cornerback Nate Wiggins who delivered the play of the day, though, as he intercepted quarterback Caleb Williams by undercutting a pass intended for wide receiver Rome Odunze while the Ravens led by three in the fourth quarter.
Cleveland Browns (2-6)
After blowing out the Miami Dolphins 31-6 a week ago, the Cleveland Browns found themselves on the opposite end of a 32-13 routing by the New England Patriots on Sunday.
You would think that an incredible five-sack performance from defensive end Myles Garrett would be a bigger story, but unfortunately for the generational defender, the Browns offense continues to drag the team down with rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel at the helm. Gabriel threw for 156 yards and two touchdowns while completing 21 of 35 passes against the Patriots. He also threw the first and second interceptions of his career after avoiding doing so in his first three starts. The cries for fellow rookie fifth-rounder Shedeur Shanders to take over are only growing louder, but it appears that head coach Kevin Stefanski is going to stick with Gabriel under center once the team returns from their Week 9 bye.
Standout rookie running back Quinshon Judkins left Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury and is now considered “day to day” with a chance to return as soon as Week 10 after the bye. After a three-touchdown performance a week ago, the second-round back out of Ohio State was held in check for just 19 rushing yards on nine carries by New England before exiting in the third quarter. Rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. led the team with 62 receiving yards and a touchdown on six catches. On defense, rookie linebacker Carson Schwesinger continued his strong rookie season with an interception of Maye. It’s clear that Cleveland has an excellent rookie class to build from, but without a competent quarterback, it’s hard to see it mattering too much this year.
