Week 2 of the regular season saw movement across the AFC North standings. The Bengals were the only team to win for a second straight, giving them early sole possession atop the division. The Ravens and Steelers each fell to 1-1, while the Browns’ victory on Sunday brought to them to .500.
Let’s preview how Week 3 is stacking up for every team in the AFC North.
Updated Standings:
- Cincinnati Bengals 2-0
- Baltimore Ravens 1-1
- Pittsburgh Steelers 1-1
- Cleveland Browns 1-1
Cleveland Browns
Matchup: vs. Carolina Panthers, 1:00pm EST
The Browns earned a surprising upset victory in Tampa Bay last week, defeating
the Buccaneers 23-19. After a long weather delay in the fourth quarter, Cleveland’s defense closed out the game with a two-minute stand in the end zone. Deshaun Watson had his best performance in recent memory and retained his grasp on the starting quarterback job heading into Week 3, where the Browns will host the Panthers in their home opener.
Carolina has been an offensive revelation to begin the season, scoring 71 points through two games. They’re 1-1 after a 31-point beatdown on the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2. The Browns’ defense had a much better showing against the Buccaneers than they did versus the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1, but the Panthers will present a challenge. Bryce Young is red-hot at quarterback having thrown six touchdowns and over 600 passing yards with just one interception thus far. How the Browns’ cornerbacks fare against wide receivers Jalen Coker and Tetairoa McMillan will be a big factor. Coker is questionable to play with an ankle injury, which would be a big hit to the Panthers’ offense if he can’t suit up.
On the other side of the ball, Watson will look to build off a successful outing against a vulnerable Panthers’ defense. While Carolina allowed only three points last week, they were steamrolled in the season opener for 59 points against the Chicago Bears. The Browns have still yet to establish an effective run game with Quinshon Judkins through two weeks, which should be a priority in this matchup. Rookie wide receiver Denzel Boston will look to continue making big plays through the air. He has seven catches for 154 yards and two touchdowns.
Cincinnati Bengals
Matchup: @ Pittsburgh Steelers, 1:00pm EST
The Bengals are off to a successful 2-0 start after a 14-point victory over the Houston Texans last week, where their defense showed continued encouraging signs. While the Bengals didn’t force any turnovers, they allowed just six points while racking up four sacks, seven quarterback hits and eight pass breakups. Newcomers Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen were disruptive on the defensive line and helped shut down the Texans’ running game. On the flip side, the Bengals were outgained by over 100 total yards, gained only 12 first downs and averaged 4.5 yards per play.
Against the Steelers this Sunday, the Bengals will look to find more offensive rhythm and consistency. Pittsburgh’s defense is always dangerous of making game-changing plays, especially in an unpredictable division matchup setting. Look for the Bengals to try to establish the run still with Chase Brown and utilize a quick-passing strategy to neutralize the Steelers’ pass rush. Brown has received 36 carries through two weeks but averaged only 3.8 yards per carry.
This profiles as a favorable contest for the Bengals’ defense once again. Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers’ offense have struggled through two games. Cincinnati’s pass rush could wreak havoc against a largely immobile quarterback. The Steelers may be due to connect on some big plays and find more success running the ball, though, so the Bengals will still need to be on their A game.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Matchup: vs. Cincinnati Bengals, 1:00pm EST
The aforementioned Steelers will host the Bengals for their second home game of the season. The Steelers were defeated soundly by the New England Patriots last week, 20-3, which dropped them to 1-1. Pittsburgh’s offensive struggles continued as they converted 16 first downs, were unsuccessful on 83% of third down tries and gained 235 yards of total offense. Pass protection (four sacks, seven quarterback hits) and running the ball were issues, as was a lack of explosive plays through the air. No pass-catcher had more than 35 yards for the Steelers.
Against the Bengals, the Steelers will need do a better job of giving Rodgers protection under center. The Bengals have displayed a disruptive pass rush through two games and will challenge the Steelers’ offensive line. They also badly need to find more effectiveness in the run game. They may be without the services of Rico Dowdle in this game as he deals with a toe injury, meaning Jaylen Warren will get a large workload. Wide receiver D.K. Metcalf is in dire need of a breakthrough performance after a rough start to the season (eight catches for 67 yards on 19 targets).
Defensively, the Steelers will have their work cut out for them against a talented Bengals’ offense. Their biggest advantage lies up front, where they should be able to create some pressure on Joe Burrow. Pittsburgh’s defense has held up well through two games but the Bengals will present the most talent they’ve faced thus far. In order for them to score enough points to win, they may need a couple of key takeaways and possible a defensive touchdown, like they got in Week 1.
Baltimore Ravens
Matchup: @ Dallas Cowboys, 4:25pm EST (Brazil)
The Ravens are set to do battle against the Cowboys this week in a much-anticipated international matchup in Brazil. After a disappointing upset loss in Week 2, the Ravens will be looking to quickly turn the page. The Ravens suffered another blown lead at home to the New Orleans Saints and were outscored 15-0 in the fourth quarter, leading to a seven-point defeat. While they are technically the road team in this game, it’s essentially a neutral site — one where field playing conditions have been a topic of concern in recent days.
Dallas will present a tough task for the Ravens’ defense. They are loaded with playmakers highlighted by one of the league’s top wide receiver duos in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. How well Nate Wiggins, Marlon Humphrey and company fare in these matchups with the Cowboys’ wideouts will be a huge factor in this game. The Ravens struggled with missed tackles last week and could not get off the field on third down enough. They will need to tighten up these areas against a high-powered Cowboys offense.
Lamar Jackson may be without the services of Zay Flowers (hamstring) once again, whose absence has been clearly felt over the last six quarters of play. Rashod Bateman and Mark Andrews will likely be relied on heavily again in the passing game. The Cowboys’ defense has been a sieve through two games and they’ll be missing several starters due to injury. If the Ravens’ pass protection can hold up against Quinnen Williams and others, they should be able to score a good amount of points. Baltimore’s offensive line has been one of the league’s worst in pass protection through games and have struggled on the interior.
