After three weeks, all four teams in the AFC North have the same record, sitting at 2-1 each. The Steelers, Browns and Ravens were each victorious in Week 2, while the Bengals lost to Pittsburgh in the first divisional contest of the season. Let’s take a look at the updated standings and break down each team’s upcoming matchup in Week 4.
Updated Standings:
- Pittsburgh Steelers 2-1
- Baltimore Ravens 2-1
- Cleveland Browns 2-1
- Cincinnati Bengals 2-1
Pittsburgh Steelers
Matchup: @ Cleveland Browns, 8:15pm EST (Thursday Night)
The Steelers are coming off a nail-biting win over the Bengals last week, where they squeezed
out a 30-27 victory in a surprisingly high-scoring affair. In doing so, Pittsburgh jumped out to an early 1-0 record in the division, which places them atop the standings despite all teams having the same record. The Steelers had their best offensive performance of the season thus far in Week 3, gaining over 400 total yards with 22 first downs. They’ll look to replicate this success as road favorites against the Browns on Thursday Night Football.
The biggest revelation for the Steelers from last game is they found success on the ground. Without Rico Dowdle (toe) in the lineup, Jaylen Warren totaled 127 rushing yards on just 17 carries — while also adding another 49 yards as a receiver. Expect Warren to be featured heavily again versus Cleveland’s defense, whose front seven has been strong so far this year. Pittsburgh was also able to get complimentary pass-catchers like Roman Wilson and Broderick Washington involved in the passing game. Aaron Rodgers should continue spreading the ball around to keep the Browns’ defense honest.
On the other side of the ball, the Steelers had their worst performance of the early season last week, but there’s reason for optimism in this matchup. While they’ve won their last two games, the Browns still rank bottom-five in both passing yards and rushing yards per game. If the Steelers can get pressure on Deshaun Watson and prevent the Browns from unlocking any explosive plays, they should be able to keep points to a minimum.
Cleveland Browns
Matchup: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 8:15pm EST (Thursday Night)
The aforementioned Browns are coming off a second straight win after looking lifeless in the regular season opener. Cleveland narrowly defeated the Carolina Panthers at home, 21-18, and won both recent games by a combined seven points. Nevertheless, the Browns defense has been playing well, and they’re getting more complimentary play on the offensive side of the ball. This week’s divisional matchup against the Steelers at home will be a big test for head coach Todd Monken’s team.
Much has been made about Deshaun Watson’s sudden turnaround and while his play has improved, the Browns’ passing attack has still been limited to mostly short-yardage throws. The biggest factor for Watson is avoiding turnovers, which he’s done much better with no interceptions since Week 1. Watson’s scrambling ability has also been a weapon for the Browns, as he’s rushed for 105 yards overall with a 21-yard run last week. The Steelers will likely try to heat up Watson under center. If the Browns can connect on a couple of explosive plays, that could be a huge lift for them.
On defense, look for the Browns to make a concerted effort to keep Warren contained. If the Steelers struggle to run the ball, they are much less potent offensively. Mason Graham has been a force in the middle of the defensive front with four sacks in three games. He could be big X-factor against Zach Frazier, one of the top centers in the league. The Browns’ defensive backs match up well against Pittsburgh’s pass-catchers on paper, so they may feel comfortable playing a lot of man coverage to cause more havoc at the line of scrimmage.
Baltimore Ravens
Matchup: vs. Tennessee Titans, 1:00pm EST
The Ravens came out of their trip to Brazil as winners of a thrilling game against the Dallas Cowboys. A back-and-forth, high-scoring affair saw the Ravens escape with a 34-31 victory following late-game heroics from Lamar Jackson, Zay Flowers and Tyler Loop, who kicked the game-winning 56-yard field goal. It was far from a perfect win but much-needed, as they staved off another potential blown double-digit lead defeat. Now, the Ravens will look to secure their first win at home this year in a favorable matchup against the Titans.
The Titans rank second-to-last in yards per game and have scored the third fewest points, averaging 12.3 through three weeks. They’ve had two chances to win close games over the past two weeks but came up short, losing by a combined nine points. This is a prime chance for Jesse Minter’s defense to have a breakout performance, which has been up-and-down so far. Expect Minter to dial up blitzes often against second-year quarterback Cam Ward and create exotic defensive looks. The former No. 1 overall pick has thrown for 168 yards per game so far.
Tennessee’s defense has been much more formidable, ranking No. 10 in yards and points allowed per game. The biggest challenge for the Ravens’ offensively will be blocking up front, particularly limiting the damage of All-Pro defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons. The onus will be on Vega Ioane, who is set to start at center for the first time, John Simpson and Andrew Vorhees/Emery Jones Jr. to hold up. The Ravens have been a bottom-tier pass protection team so far this season. Derrick Henry will be facing his former team for the first time since leaving Tennessee, so expect him to be extra motivated to have another productive afternoon.
Cincinnati Bengals
Matchup: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, 1:00pm EST
As mentioned previously, the Bengals dropped a close game to the Steelers last week on the road, giving them their first loss of the season. They took a big step back defensively in that matchup, allowing over 400 yards and 22 first downs, and will look to bounce back in a difficult Week 4 matchup. The Bengals are hosting a talented Jaguars team that is also 2-1 and has a point differential of +46 this season, which ranks No. 2 narrowly behind the San Francisco 49ers.
In slowing down the Jaguars’ offense, the Bengals will need to key in on Parker Washington, who is an emerging star at wide receiver. Washington has 15 catches for 221 receiving yards and three touchdowns through three games, establishing himself as Trevor Lawrence’s go-to target. The Bengals are allowing 260 passing yards per game, which ranks fifth-worst in the league. Their ability to force turnovers against Lawrence and limit explosive plays will be key for pulling out a win.
On offense, the Bengals will try again to unlock more explosive plays in the run game. Chase Brown’s longest rush of the season so far has gone for only 12 yards. Joe Burrow has started to build some momentum with five touchdowns and no turnovers over the past two games. The Jaguars’ is Top 10 against the run but allows the ninth-most passing yards per game, so this may be another Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins-centric game.
