Playing QB Baker Mayfield has paid off twice for teams in the AFC North, with the Cleveland Browns taking the victory in Week 2 as their former quarterback threw an interception and overthrew a number of receivers throughout the game. The Cincinnati Bengals knocked off Mayfield in Week 1, forcing four turnovers, including three fumbles from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback.
Cleveland has a lot to build on going into Week 3, despite being a home underdog, but the official AFC playoff standings
have the Browns at the bottom of the AFC North due to tiebreakers. That doesn’t mean the division looks good overall.
Bengals winning despite…
… an offense that just can’t get on track in general. Mayfield handed Cincinnati the game in Week 1, and the Bengals offense continued to struggle, outside of a few chunk plays, in Week 2:
Given their starts to the season, beating the Houston Texans and Bucs back-to-back is not as impressive as it might have seemed before the season started.
The Bengals sit at the top of the division, led by their defense. Who would have thought that would happen? Can it sustain? Will the offense come together?
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been horrible on offense
Another team carried by their defense and a weak schedule, the Steelers saw QB Aaron Rodgers throw his coaches under the bus in Week 2. That might be a record, even for Rodgers. The Mike McCarthy-led Pittsburgh offense is just horrendous:
That tweet is notable because the only reason the Steelers have a victory is that they played the somehow worse Atlanta Falcons (in a close game, mind you) in Week 1.
Who are the Baltimore Ravens?
In Week 1, the Ravens controlled the Indianapolis Colts on the road, a team that gave the Kansas City Chiefs a tough game on Monday Night Football, only to lose to the New Orleans Saints at home. A review of the game doesn’t show a huge flaw, big picture, but just not enough explosive plays on offense with WR Zay Flowers out of the contest.
RB Derrick Henry had just 68 yards on 16 carries (a fine 4.3 average), while QB Lamar Jackson completed just 21 of 31 for 235 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Jackson only ran for 34 yards on just four carries in Week 2.
The Saints won the contest despite barely being able to run the ball, with QB Tyler Shough carrying the load as a passer, completing 27 of 34 passes for 252 yards and one touchdown. Shough also ran for a score.
The Bengals are undefeated, but no one is crowning them as a great team at this point. The Steelers look putrid on offense and could fall apart quickly with an aging roster. The Ravens lost their main explosive player to an injury, and WR Jakobi Lane as well.
Maybe the Browns really do have a shot in the AFC North after all.
What are your thoughts about the AFC North through Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season?
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