If you aren’t a fan of the Baltimore Ravens or the Cleveland Browns, you are probably feeling annoyed right now in the AFC North. The Ravens and the Browns both got wins in Week 12, while the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers both took home losses. The momentum in the division has officially swung from the Steelers to the Ravens, which was predictable for those who paid attention.
The 2025 NFL season is 12 weeks in, and we are starting to discover which teams are gearing towards the postseason and which are gearing towards the offseason.
Winner: QB Shedeur Sanders
It’s only right to give 5th-round rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders his flowers. In his first start, Sanders made history for the right reasons. Sanders became the first rookie quarterback for the Cleveland Browns to win their first career start since The Return:
As far as Sanders’s play went, it was fine. Aside from the one bad interception he threw, he managed the offense well and made some key plays. The deep pass to wide receiver Isaiah Bond might have been the best throw by a Browns quarterback this season (not joking).
Sanders doesn’t lack confidence, and it’s clear how hard he works on improving his game. With his dad, Deion Sanders, in attendance, Sanders played well enough to make his father and his fans proud of him.
Loser: Pittsburgh’s hold on the division
Everyone saw this coming from a mile away. It wasn’t a question of “IF” the Steelers would choke the division away, it was a question of “WHEN.” After the team started 4-1 and with the Baltimore Ravens starting 1-5, the script has flipped. Baltimore has won 5 straight while the Steelers have won 2 of their last 6 games.
This isn’t a team that should instill any fear in anyone. Defensively, the unit is inconsistent and no longer elite (to be blunt, they haven’t been elite for a while) and their offense is just one-dimensional and lacks true game changers outside of wide receiver D.K. Metcalf. It’s not a surprise that the Steelers choked the division away and the way they did it was predictable and fast
Winner: Baltimore Ravens
Shoutout to the Baltimore Ravens. At 1-5, that is a death sentence for most teams in the NFL. Somehow, the Baltimore Ravens found a way to dig themselves out of their proverbial hole and find themselves in first in the AFC North. Defensively, the unit looks much better than it did to start the year, but the offense continues to be a bit inconsistent. Maybe it’s due to quarterback Lamar Jackson not being 100% but the offense has looked up and down as of late.
Things could change, but right now the Ravens are atop the AFC North with all the momentum.
Winner: Browns defensive line
A lot of words and phrases can be used to describe how the Cleveland Browns defensive line looked against the Las Vegas Raiders offensive line. Some aren’t safe for work, but we will give the clean version. It was an obliteration of epic proportions. The Browns defensive line registered 10 sacks. It’s not a typo. 10. sacks.
DE Myles Garrett: 3 sacks
DL Maliek Collins: 2.5 sacks
DL Isaiah McGuire, LB Devin Bush, DE Cam Thomas: 1 sack each
DL Shelby Harris, LB Jerome Baker, DL Michael Hall: 1/2 each
Defensive end Myles Garrett is likely going to win Defensive Player of the Year this season, despite Cleveland potentially not having a winning record. He’s been that dominant, but this is also probably the best defensive line he’s had since he’s been here.
It’s possible that Garrett will break the sack record, but this dominant showing from this unit shows how great this defense has been despite an anemic offense. The scary part? This unit is only going to get better.
Loser: Bengals playoff hopes
To be fair, the Bengals playoff hopes were already on life support, but after a loss to the New England Patriots you can pretty much pull the plug on them. It’s a flawed team that’s not really well coached and lacks talent on the defensive side of the ball. Trading for Joe Flacco was cool, but he was never going to save this team; he was only brought in because backup quarterback Jake Browning was a liability.
Those “Thank You, Cleveland” chants that Bengals fans chanted on Thursday night after their win over the Steelers have aged poorly. There’s no point in quarterback Joe Burrow playing again this season; it’s just right to shut him down and prevent further injury. Rough year to be a Bengals fan.