Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1)
The Pittsburgh Steelers returned from their Week 5 bye with a 23-9 divisional win over the Cleveland Browns. For the first time this season, the Steelers are now the betting favorites to win the AFC North
following their win on Sunday.
Aaron Rodgers was efficient against the Browns, completing 21 of 30 passes for 235 yards and a pair of touchdowns while avoiding being sacked at all by Cleveland’s dangerous front. One of Rodgers’ touchdowns went to wide receiver D.K. Metcalf, who led the team with 95 receiving yards. The Rodgers-Metcalf connection has been strong for the Steelers in the duo’s first five games together.
Pittsburgh’s defense made life hard for rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel while also limiting the Browns’ rushing attack to just 65 yards on the day. The Steelers sacked Gabriel six times, with two each from cornerback Jalen Ramsey and outside linebacker Nate Herbig.
The Steelers have a quick turnaround this week as they travel to take on the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football, with a chance to extend their AFC North lead.
Cincinnati Bengals (2-4)
The Bengals had a new, but all-too-familiar face at quarterback this week, as veteran Joe Flacco made his Cincinnati debut after being traded from the Browns. The 40-year-old quarterback led the Bengals to an attempted comeback late in the game against the Green Bay Packers but was ultimately unsuccessful, losing 27-18.
Flacco finished the game 29 of 45 for 219 yards and two touchdowns while being sacked just once. He connected with superstar wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase 10 times for 94 yards and a touchdown while also finding Tee Higgins five times for 62 yards. Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki left the game with a pectoral injury and has since been placed on injured reserve. Star defensive end Trey Hendrickson also exited with a back injury.
Hendrickson has been a rumored trade target for teams around the NFL ahead of the trade deadline, though reports indicate that the Bengals are unwilling to move him. Cincinnati will need rookie first-rounder Shemar Stewart to step up on Thursday against Pittsburgh if Hendrickson is unable to go.
Baltimore Ravens (1-5)
The Baltimore Ravens dropped their fourth game in a row with a 17-3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. At 1-5 now, the Ravens are no longer the favorites to win the division.
While Baltimore showed more fight this week against the Rams than they did in last week’s 44-10 loss to the Houston Texans, mistakes were once again the talking point. Quarterback Cooper Rush threw another interception — his fourth in two games as the starter — while wide receiver Zay Flowers put the ball on the ground twice, though the second one ended up as a charged fumble against Rush instead. Rush was replaced by third-string quarterback Tyler Huntley late in the game.
One positive takeaway for the Ravens was the improved showing by Zach Orr’s defense — albeit aided by a few mistakes from the Rams — as well as the reemergence of the rushing attack with Derrick Henry going for 122 yards on 24 carries. Baltimore enters a much-needed bye week now with the hope of getting several injured players back on the other side, most importantly, quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Cleveland Browns (1-5)
The second start for Cleveland rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel did not go well, as the Browns dropped to 1-5 and 0-3 in the division with a 23-9 loss to the Steelers.
While Gabriel did not turn the ball over, the rookie out of Oregon struggled to connect with his targets in the passing game throughout the day, finishing 29 of 52 for 221 yards and zero touchdowns while being sacked six times. Standout second-round rookie running back Quinshon Judkins was also bottled up on the ground, rushing 12 times for just 36 yards. Rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. led the team with 81 receiving yards on seven catches. Fannin could be relied upon more going forward, as fellow tight end David Njoku left the game with a knee injury.
After the game on Sunday, Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin shared his opinion on Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry trading Flacco to a divisional rival.
“Andrew Berry must be a lot smarter than me or us, because it doesn’t make sense to me to trade a quarterback that you think enough of to make your opening-day starter to a division opponent that’s hurting in that area,” Tomlin said. “But that’s just my personal feelings.”
