All but one team in the AFC North started the season off with a win in Week 1. The Baltimore Ravens are the only team on the road this Sunday, as they look to improve to 2-0 along with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns will look to bounce back with an upset victory.
Division Standings:
- Baltimore Ravens 1-0
- Cincinnati Bengals 1-0
- Pittsburgh Steelers 1-0
- Cleveland Browns 0-1
Pittsburgh Steelers
Matchup: @ New England Patriots, 1:00pm EST
After a 20-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1, the Steelers will face a much tougher task this coming Sunday as they
travel to New England to take on the Patriots. While the Patriots are 0-1 and are down their No. 1 wide receiver in A.J. Brown, the reigning AFC Champions are well-coached, talented and will be eager to bounce back from their season-opening defeat. Furthermore, they’ll also have had a few extra days of rest and preparation entering this week’s matchup.
The Steelers will need to be sharper offensively against a better defensive unit. In Week 1, they were just 3-for-13 on third down attempts and gained 264 total yards, narrowly edging the Falcons in most categories. They also struggled to run the ball, gaining 58 yards while averaging 2.8 yards per rush. Jaylen Warren was much more effective than Rico Dowdle despite playing less snaps. The running back split between both players will likely fluctuate week-to-week, but either way the Steelers will need better ground production in Week 2.
Pittsburgh’s defense was able to wreak havoc last week with four sacks, five quarterback hits and two interceptions. They’ll need to be similarly disruptive against star quarterback Drake Maye, who is coming off a three-interception performance. The Patriots’ pass-catchers are less potent without Brown in the lineup, so expect the Steelers to make a concentrated effort to stop the run and force Romeo Doubs, Mack Hollins and DeMario Douglas to beat their secondary.
Cleveland Browns
Matchup: @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1:00pm EST
The Browns are coming off a putrid performance in Week 1, where they were routed in Jacksonville by a score of 34-10. They will remain on the road in Week 2 once again in Florida, this time taking on the Buccaneers. While this profiles as a more favorable matchup on paper, the Browns have a lot of issues to correct if they hope to avoid another 0-2 start to begin the year.
For starters, the Browns only gained one first down last week and committed 11 penalties, two areas that need to be reversed. They also need to be more effective running the ball. They only rushed for 87 yards against the Jaguars and Deshaun Watson led the team with 38 of them. Their only notable offensive play was a long touchdown pass to rookie Denzel Boston late in the fourth quarter. A huge spotlight is on Watson in this game as his leash as the starting quarterback is very short. Watson took five sacks last week and had a QBR of 34.2.
Defensively, the Browns may find life easier facing Baker Mayfield than Trevor Lawrence. Mayfield had multiple turnovers in Week 1. Creating takeaways to shorten the field for Watson and company should lead to greater offensive success. Tampa Bay still scored 27 points in spite of their turnover woes last week, though, demonstrating their scoring capabilities. The Browns’ defense will need to play more disciplined than they did against the Jaguars.
Baltimore Ravens
Matchup: vs. New Orleans Saints, 1:00pm EST
The Ravens are returning home in Week 2 after a successful season opener in Indianapolis, where they defeated the Colts handedly by 21 points. Baltimore’s new-look offense under Declan Doyle totaled over 500 yards and scored 41 points, highlighted by multiple explosive plays both on the ground and through the air. Defensively, the Ravens forced two turnovers and created a ton of pressure on the quarterback.
Against the New Orleans Saints, the recipe for a similarly success formula is ripe. The Saints have an underrated offense under Kellen Moore and a group of pass-catchers to support sophomore quarterback Tyler Shough, led by wide receiver Chris Olave. Olave had nearly 200 receiving yards in Week 1 and will be key for the Ravens to slow down. The Saints fell down big to the Detroit Lions in Week 1 before storming back to score 30 points and nearly escape with an overtime victory. Expect Jesse Minter to dial up pressure against Shough and try to force the young quarterback into turnovers, in a raucous road environment.
The Ravens are short-handed at wide receiver following injuries to Zay Flowers and Ja’Kobi Lane. The latter is confirmed to be sidelined for at least a few weeks, whereas Flowers has a chance to play in this game but may be limited by his hamstring ailment. The Saints’ defense is plenty beatable, as the Lions demonstrated in Week 1, but the Ravens’ offensive line will need play a more complete game in pass protection and commit less penalties.
Cincinnati Bengals
Matchup: @ Houston Texans, 1:00pm EST
The Bengals enter Week 2 on the heels of a 33-27 victory over the Buccaneers, where they led by multiple possessions for most of the game. Cincinnati gained 26 first downs and converted over 50% of their third down attempts, totaling 351 yards. They weren’t efficient running the ball and superstar wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was surprisingly quiet (two catches for 12 yards) — but the fact the team still scored 30+ points in spite of these factors may be a good sign. More importantly, the Bengals forced four turnovers on defense and scored points off all of them, including a fumble return touchdown to open the game.
They will try to replicate more takeaway success defensively against the Texans this Sunday on the road. The Texans’ offense proved to be dangerous in the season opener, exceeding the 30-point mark in Week 1 with nearly 400 total yards. However, they may be without the services of their No. 1 wide receiver in this matchup, as Nico Collins is dealing with a hamstring injury. Houston’s passing attack is far less dangerous with no Collins or a limited version, so that would play into the Bengals’ favor.
On-paper, the Texans present a huge challenge for the Bengals’ offense, as they were considered to be the top overall defense in the league entering this season. However, Houston’s defense was carved up by the Bills in Week 1 and allowed 36 points, so they may be vulnerable than many believed. The Bengals will likely need Chase to be much more involved in this game and find more balance in the run game. Quarterback Joe Burrow is reportedly dealing with a back injury this week.
