Believe it or not, there is room for change at the top of the AFC North Power Rankings. With one week remaining and all four divisional rivals playing against one another in Week 18, playoff berths are on the line, and so is seeding.
The Bengals have the most at stake in their matchup against the Steelers as the men in stripes hope to sneak into the playoffs. In the other game, Cleveland can spoil Baltimore’s divisional title hopes, although we suggest you don’t bet on that.
There is a lot to look forward to in Week 18. But before we get there, let’s look at the AFC North Power Rankings after Week 17.
4. Cleveland Browns (3-13)
Bengals fans watched with bated breath as the Browns played the Dolphins on Sunday. But as has been the case for most of the season, the Elves disappointed.
Cleveland lost to the Dolphins, 20-3. The Browns’ defense kept the game close with a 13-3 score late in the fourth quarter. But, their offense could not muster a scoring drive outside of a field goal in the second quarter.
But, one team’s trash outcome is another team’s treasure, as the French say. While Cincinnati fans were upset the Browns could not pull off the upset, Browns fans rejoiced, hoping to move up in April’s draft without making a trade.
Cleveland’s 2024 season comes to a merciful end against the Ravens on Saturday. The Ravens will clinch a division title with a win. But for the Browns, it will be critical, and potentially franchise-changing, to lose and have a shot at the first-overall draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
3. Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)
The Bengals kept their 2024 post-season hopes alive against the Denver Broncos on Saturday when they defeated the current seventh seed in the AFC in overtime, 30-24. It was a game that should have been easier to win while simultaneously leaving spectators wondering how Cincinnati won.
After the game, much of the scuttlebutt surrounded Tee Higgins’s performance and future. The star and soon-to-be one of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL caught 11 passes on 12 targets for 131 yards and three touchdowns. It was an incredible performance that included highlight catches and a game-winning touchdown.
Tee Higgins' THIRD TD seals the win for the @Bengals!#DENvsCIN pic.twitter.com/hzH4j4jAWh
— NFL (@NFL) December 29, 2024
The ought-to-be NFL MVP, Joe Burrow, also had another incredible game. He threw for 412 yards and three touchdowns against a defense that ranked top ten in completion percentage (8th), interceptions (4th), yards per attempt (4th), passer rating (4th), and sacks (2nd). Burrow had an MVP performance-level game against a formidable passing defense while getting sacked seven times.
But the only thing that matters is the Bengals won and will face their arch-nemesis, the Pittsburgh Steelers, on Saturday night. There’s a case for ranking the Bengals above the Steelers this week. However, two key reasons for keeping the Bengals in third place are difficult to ignore.
First, the Steelers have a head-to-head victory over Cincinnati, but the Bengals could even the score on Saturday. Furthermore, the Steelers are 3-2 in the division whereas the Bengals are 2-3. Again, that could change on Saturday.
Heading into Week 18, the Bengals have the advantage in point differential and are on a four-game winning streak, while the Steelers have lost three straight games. If the Bengals defeat the Steelers in Week 18, it would mark the first time since Week 2 that Cincinnati could surpass Pittsburgh in the power rankings. More importantly, the Bengals would keep their playoff hopes alive.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers. (10-6)
The writing was on the proverbial wall in last week’s AFC North power rankings. The path that the Steelers and Ravens were on was diverging in different directions, as the Steelers had the tougher opponent in the one-loss Kansas City Chiefs in Week 17. The Steelers lost to the Chiefs 29-10.
Another reason the Steelers’ first-place standing in the division was a mirage was due to their performance throughout the year. The Steelers rank third in the AFC North in points scored -- well behind the Ravens and Bengals in that category. Their point differential is +35, one point worse than the 8-8 Bengals.
Furthermore, during this three-game losing heater, they allowed an average of 30 points. Their defense, one of the best in the first half of the season, has not had encouraging results since their Week 9 bye week.
1. Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
The Ravens maintain their newly-acquired spot in first place in the AFC North Power Rankings after defeating the Texans, 31-2, on Christmas Day. The Ravens had a much more favorable matchup than the Steelers in Week 17.
Baltimore has the best point differential in the AFC North and third-best in the entire NFL. Like the Bengals, the Ravens’ offense is the principal reason for their team’s success in that category. They are second in the league in points scored while being 20th in points surrendered.
The Ravens play the Browns on Saturday afternoon. They'' secure the division title with a win. But, if the Steelers lose to the Bengals, the outcome of the Ravens/Browns matchup won't matter, and the Ravens will be the 2024 AFC North Champions.
However, if the unfortunate case of Pittsburgh winning against Cincinnati unfolds, the Ravens must win versus the Browns to become division champs and host a game in the first round of the playoffs.