The way things can change quickly in the NFL is often wild. The Cleveland Browns had the barbarians at the gates calling for the heads of almost everyone from the head coach and GM to the veteran quarterback
(that they were mostly thrilled to see return in free agency) and who became this week’s AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.
Then they beat the team most had as the best in the NFL heading into Week 3
.The Cincinnati Bengals were playing well, then QB Joe Burrow got hurt for a long chunk of the 2025 NFL season. The Pittsburgh Steelers looked old on defense and like they were three seasons too late getting QB Aaron Rodgers, until Week 3’s win renewed hope. The Baltimore Ravens gave away a game in Week 1, destroyed the Browns in Week 2 and then got beaten by a quality opponent that controlled both lines of scrimmage.
Will the real AFC North please stand up?
Week 4 could see a whole lot more crowded and cloudy division.
- The Bengals lead the division but looked like a JV team last week and have a good Denver Broncos team this week
- The Steelers have to fly to Ireland to face a Minnesota Vikings team that just stomped Cincinnati. As the older team, by far, Pittsburgh has its luck cut out for them. (As a mid-40s guy here, I am currently in Ireland and the flight over and time change did a number on me for the first couple of days here)
- The Ravens face a desperate Kansas City Chiefs on the road with the Chiefs coming off their first victory of the season and having a 24-hour rest advantage. Detroit was very physical with Baltimore in Week 3 which, along with the rest factor, could play a big role.
- The Browns have a short trip to Michigan to play the Lions, with Cleveland also having a rest advantage, but even more than Kansas City’s. A potential letdown game for the Lions coming out of starting the season with two divisional games, then a big-time Monday Night Football matchup against the Ravens.
By the time Week 4 finishes up, we could see three or four teams tied at the top of the AFC North, including the Browns, with just two victories. With (almost) a quarter of the season in the books at that point, the division would really be up for grabs (besides the Bengals who would shock everyone if they remained competitive) heading into the second quarter of the season.
As we saw last week, even the second quarter isn’t enough to know for sure the outcome but it could lead to some pretty interesting storylines around the AFC North.
Given the four games the division has this week, what do you think the standings will look like after Week 3? Which team are you confident in winning this week? Losing?
Share your thoughts below in the comment section
