Week 8 had major ramifications for the AFC North after Lamar Jackson suffered a potentially season-ending injury.
Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)
The Pittsburgh Steelers sit atop the division now at 6-2 after a 27-6 win over the Cleveland Browns.
Pittsburgh dominated Cleveland on both sides of the ball on Sunday. The offense rushed for 200 yards and three touchdowns while the defense sacked Deshaun Watson eight times and recovered two fumbles. Aaron Rodgers finished the game 13 of 25 for 172 yards and an interception. Jaylen Warren’s
big season continued with 143 rushing yards on 17 carries while Darnell Washington led all pass catchers with 94 yards on three catches.
Patrick Queen led the defense with 12 total tackles while also racking up 1.5 sacks and a pass defense. Keeanu Benton and Daylen Everette both recovered fumbles.
Cincinnati Bengals (5-2)
The Cincinnati Bengals outlasted the Tennessee Titans in a 43-36 shootout to improve to 5-2.
Joe Burrow’s three interceptions on the day were offset by his five touchdown passes. He finished the game 38 of 48 for 462 yards. Tee Higgins was once again Burrow’s top target, catching 10 passes for 155 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Ja’Marr Chase had a monster day as well, with 141 yards and a touchdown on 11 catches. Chase Brown led the rushing attack with 55 yards on 12 carries while also losing a fumble.
The Bengals allowed Cam Ward to throw for 304 yards and two touchdowns while also giving up 158 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Dexter Lawrence and Boye Mafe each had a sack on Ward, while Lawrence and Josh Newton both recovered fumbles.
Cleveland Browns (5-3)
The Browns ceded the division lead with a 27-6 loss to the Steelers.
Deshaun Watson was placed in the concussion protocol on Tuesday following a game in which he was sacked eight times. Watson finished the game on Sunday with 27 completions on 39 attempts for 324 yards. The ground game was a non-factor for Cleveland as the offense racked up just 34 rushing yards on 15 carries. Harold Fannin Jr.’s 154 receiving yards on 10 catches led the team. Both Watson and Fannin lost fumbles.
Jared Verse has yet to record a sack since joining the Browns as part of the Myles Garrett trade. Verse’s lack of impact was especially notable on Sunday after he spent the week trash-talking Pittsburgh. Adin Huntingon recorded Cleveland’s lone sack while Carson Schwesinger led the defense with 10 total tackles.
Baltimore Ravens (4-4)
The Baltimore Ravens dropped their third game in a row with a 36-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
The biggest loss of the day for the Ravens, however, was undoubtedly at quarterback, as Lamar Jackson lasted just one play in his return from an ankle injury. On the play, Jackson suffered a thumb injury that could potentially end his season. Tyler Huntley then suffered a season-ending toe injury in replacement for Jackson, leading to undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano finishing the game under center. The three quarterbacks combined for less than 100 passing yards, an interception, and two lost fumbles. A trade for veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett has since been announced and is expected to be finalized after Baltimore’s Thursday night game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Zay Flowers was completely blanked, catching zero of his five targets. Rashod Bateman’s 22 receiving yards led the team, while Derrick Henry totaled 53 rushing yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.
The Ravens’ defense held on for as long as they could reasonably be expected to, with little help from their offense. Roquan Smith had one of the best games of his season with 11 total tackles to go with two pass deflections and a forced fumble. Nnamdi Madubuike and Mike Green split the defense’s only sack on Josh Allen.
