Is the AFC North suddenly wide open again with the Steelers’ loss to the Bengals?
The Steelers couldn’t stop the Bengals’ offense, and the Ravens are getting healthy, so where does the AFC North stand? While the Browns look like they made a mistake trading Joe Flacco, nobody is madder about it than the Steelers. Not only did the trade directly contribute to their second loss, it raises concerns for the rest of the season.
Now, let’s provide some much-needed perspective first. The Steelers are still 4-2, the only team in the AFC with a non-losing record. The Bengals are now all of 3-4, and they still don’t have Joe Burrow. But they do have Flacco, and he showed he still has some tread on the tires.
Then there’s the elephant in the room, the Ravens. While they are 1-5, they are getting Lamar Jackson (and others back. Coming out of their bye, they have one of the easier records in the league. The Steelers face the opposite predicament, coming out of the “easy” part of their schedule, which puts the fate of the AFC North on the line.
After all, if Pittsburgh could lose to a Bengals team with a quarterback they just acquired, how will they handle tougher tasks? Granted, road divisional games on short weeks are an entirely different animal from anything else. Incredibly, the Steelers are 0-7 on the road on Thursdays against AFC North teams with Mike Tomlin, though.
The Steelers’ loss puts the Ravens three games back in the AFC North in the loss column. That means they only need Pittsburgh to lose one other game to control their fate. If they can sweep the Steelers, they’ll be in business.
And while the Steelers play the Packers, Colts, Chargers, Lions, and Bills, the Ravens play the Vikings, Dolphins, and Patriots. A three-game difference in the loss column is big, make no mistake. But it’s far from insurmountable with 11 games to play. And the Steelers and Ravens still play twice, including a potential AFC North decider in Week 18. I guess I’d still rather be Pittsburgh, but I feel a lot less comfortable after last night.
After another disappointing season and months of retooling, the Steelers are set to try it all again in 2025. Though they limped into the playoffs, they once again embarrassed themselves therein.
Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers isthe quarterback question. They settled in on Aaron Rodgers, but we still have a lot to learn about him. The2025 NFL Draft class could play a big role, but veteran additions like Jalen Ramsey will be paramount.
Now we are in the regular season. From Rodgers to George Pickens to Minkah Fitzpatrick and Ramsey, we’ve seen the Steelers make some big changes. Now it’s about evaluating the roster in place and figuring out how it all works out.
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