The Pittsburgh Steelers added space between themselves and the Baltimore Ravens. The Cleveland Browns were officially eliminated from the playoff hunt, after being unofficially dismissed for much of the season. And the Cincinnati Bengals staved off mock draft season for at least one more week.
Here is where the AFC North power rankings stand after Week 14 of the 2024 NFL season.
4. Cleveland Browns (3-10)
The Browns entered Week 14 wanting to do “it” again. The “it” they’d hoped for was to defeat the Steelers and knock off a division rival at the top of the standings.
In Week 8, the Browns defeated the Ravens while Baltimore was at the top of the AFC North. Just two weeks ago, Cleveland defeated Pittsburgh in Week 12. Two of their three wins on the season came against the teams at the division’s top. But, Cleveland couldn't do “it” again this weekend.
The Browns showed, once again, that there was no quit in that dog. However, their bite was not strong enough to pierce Pittsburgh’s winning formula. Cleveland lost to division rival Steelers 27-14 on Sunday, taking the Elves to 3-10 and officially eliminating them from playoff contention.
The Browns rank third in the division in points allowed and last in points scored. Their 232 points scored are 101 behind the Steelers’ 323 points. Cleveland has the worst point differential in the division by a large margin. At -103, they are the only team in the division with a negative point differential after 13 games.
With the Browns losing, again, they are likely to finish the season at the bottom of the division’s standings and power rankings. They are now officially in mock draft season.
The Browns play the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Every NFL fan expects the Browns to add to their loss column. But as they say, "That's why you play the game."
3. Cincinnati Bengals (5-8)
The Bengals also almost did “it” again. But Cincinnati’s “it” is much different than Cleveland’s. Cincinnati avoided losing a close game, thereby eschewing another loss where Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase look like the best players in the NFL.
The Cincinnati Bengals won against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football, 27-20. Knowing how Jerry Jones feels about Mike Brown and the Bengals organization made the victory even sweeter.
Burrow and Chase were outstanding as they’ve been throughout the entire season. The should-be MVP threw for 369 yards and three touchdowns despite being tormented by a Dallas pass rush all evening. The ought-be offensive player of the year caught 14 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns. In doing so, the best receiver in the league extended his already formidable lead in each of those categories.
In addition to the dynamic duo’s output, running back Chase Brown contributed with his third consecutive game of more than 100 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. The now-star running back is getting noticed with his play and fantasy production.
Cincinnati’s defense played well enough to hold the Cowboys to 20 points. While not a dominant performance, 20 is the least amount of points Anarumo’s squad has surrendered since Week 7 against the Browns. The Bengals’ defense gave up 34 or more points in their previous three games.
In the division, Cincinnati is just 21 points behind the AFC North leader in points scored, the Ravens. There is a chance that the Bengals could be the division’s most prolific offense and still not make it to the playoffs. However, Cincinnati’s 360 points allowed is the worst in the division, which accounts for why they are in their situation.
The Bengals take on the Titans led by Cincinnati’s former offensive coordinator Brian Callahan. Hopefully, Cincinnati’s defense will be even more dominant against the offensively challenged Titans, who rank 30th in scoring.
2. Baltimore Ravens (8-5)
The Ravens were on a bye in Week 14. They probably enjoyed watching the rival Browns lose, but they also witnessed their toughest competition for the division title, Pittsburgh, win against Cleveland.
The Ravens still hold a slight edge over the Bengals as the highest-scoring team in the division. And they shouldn’t have any issues adding to their point total on Sunday.
The Ravens take on the New York Giants before their much anticipated and decisive matchup with the Steelers in two weeks. Although it may be a “trap game,” we should all expect the Ravens to come away with a victory even if they do not cover the spread.
Furthermore, playing the 2-11 Giants is an advantage for the Ravens in their AFC North title hunt as the Steelers must face a significantly tougher opponent this weekend.
The Ravens are two games back of the Steelers. But Baltimore’s road to end the season is significantly easier than Pittsburgh’s, on paper at least.
1. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3)
The Steelers had the honor of eliminating the Browns from playoff contention on Sunday. Now, they can turn their attention to more important matters, such as winning the division and possibly earning the No. 1 seed with some help from some friends, and foes.
The Steelers’ offense has shown that it can score many points against vulnerable defenses. However, not every defense will be as helpless as the Bengals’ defense was two weeks ago when Pittsburgh scored 44 points. The Steelers will face a more daunting test this weekend against Philadelphia.
Nevertheless, Pittsburgh’s defense continues to drive this run to the playoffs and potential divisional championship. The Steelers have, by far, the best-scoring defense in the AFC North, and the fifth-best in the NFL. And while they continue to trail the Ravens and Bengals in points scored, the Steelers have the division’s best point differential margin at +85.
More importantly, the Steelers have proven to be the best team in the division at defeating teams within the conference. Their 7-2 record against AFC teams is well above Baltimore’s 5-4 record. This bodes well for the Steelers as they look beyond a divisional championship.
The Steelers face Philadelphia on Sunday as they try to stay on top of the power rankings in the AFC North and pursue a top seed in the conference. The Eagles have the NFC East almost certainly locked up and are trying to chase down the Detroit Lions for the No. 1 seed in their own conference. It should be a great game.