The first week of the 2026 season offered an early reminder that nothing is likely to come easily for the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC North.
Baltimore and Pittsburgh both opened with victories, although they got there in very different ways. The Ravens overwhelmed Indianapolis behind Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, while the Steelers leaned on a familiar formula as T.J. Watt helped rescue an uneven offensive performance. Cleveland was the lone division rival to stumble out of the gate, with turnovers,
penalties and protection problems contributing to a difficult opening day.
T.J. Watt still has plenty left in the tank
Anyone expecting age to finally catch up with T.J. Watt may have to wait a little longer.
Coming off a disappointing 2025 season by his lofty standards, the 32-year-old linebacker looked much more like the player who has spent the better part of a decade wrecking opposing offenses. Watt recorded two sacks and provided the biggest play of Pittsburgh’s 20-13 victory over Atlanta when he intercepted Cooper Rush and returned it 35 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown.
It was an impressive start for a player whose seven sacks last season represented one of the lowest totals of his career. Against Atlanta, however, there was little evidence that the four-time All-Pro has lost his ability to take over a football game.
That was fortunate for Pittsburgh because its new-look offense was hardly dominant.
Aaron Rodgers began what he says will be his final NFL season by passing for 221 yards and a touchdown. The Steelers struggled to run the ball effectively, and several dropped passes contributed to an inconsistent afternoon. Rodgers was at his best when Pittsburgh needed to put the game away, completing three passes on a final possession that consumed the remaining 4:16.
Ravens offense comes out firing
Baltimore’s opener wasn’t nearly as suspenseful.
The Ravens piled up 506 yards of offense in a 41-23 victory over Indianapolis, with their two biggest stars doing most of the damage.
Henry showed that turning 32 hasn’t made him much easier to tackle. He carried 24 times for 144 yards and three touchdowns. The performance also pushed him farther up the NFL’s career record lists, giving him 125 rushing touchdowns and 130 total scores.
Jackson was equally impressive after a 2025 season that fell short of his usual standard. He completed 17 of 25 passes for 324 yards while adding 40 yards on seven rushing attempts. He accounted for touchdowns both passing and running.
Perhaps the most encouraging sign for Baltimore was how quickly the offense took control. Jackson threw for 229 yards before halftime, and Zay Flowers accounted for 150 receiving yards on only five catches. The one concern coming out of the performance was Flowers’ hamstring, which kept him out of the second half, but he’s listed as day-to-day, so it doesn’t appear serious.
Another downer was that Baltimore lost promising rookie wideout Ja’Kobi Lane to a wrist injury and is set to have surgery that will sideline him for a month.
Rough beginning for Cleveland
Things went considerably differently for the Browns.
Deshaun Watson’s first start in nearly two years began with an interception on Cleveland’s opening possession and never really settled down. Jacksonville’s defense sacked Watson five times and kept him under pressure throughout the game.
Cleveland compounded those problems with mistakes of its own. Rookie receiver KC Concepcion Jr. lost a fumble, the Browns were flagged 11 times for 75 yards, and the offense converted only one of eight third-down opportunities. Two possessions inside the Jacksonville 20 also ended without touchdowns.
There were a couple of encouraging moments. Raheim Sanders broke a 74-yard kickoff return that helped produce a field goal, while Watson connected with Denzel Boston on a 46-yard touchdown late in the game. But Cleveland finished with only 272 total yards, and the late score did little to disguise an afternoon filled with problems.
