The Cincinnati Bengals represented the AFC North extremely well on their overseas trip to Madrid, Spain. The Browns, Ravens, and Steelers should be proud.
Who are we kidding? Each of Cincinnati's divisional rivals wished nothing but ill upon the men in stripes, hoping that the Falcons would find a way to win. Alas, the Bengals and their fans took Spain's capital city by storm while the Browns and Ravens continued their recent losing ways.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh comfortably sat at the head of the table and watched everything go down from the top of the division, awaiting their critical showdown this upcoming weekend.
One team up, two teams down in this week's AFC North power rankings, heading into Week 10.
4. Ravens find new QB, but not answers against Jags
It doesn't measure up to classics such as The Hunt for Red October, Good Will Hunting, or Finding Forrester. Nevertheless, the hunt for a capable quarterback after a Lamar Jackson injury is a theme that Charm City is becoming all too accustomed to.
Fortunately for the Ravens, they have found a quarterback to lead them for the rest of the season, potentially, in Jacoby Brissett. Nonetheless, they still had to play the Jacksonville Jaguars with their third-string quarterback on Thursday Night Football. And that went as swimmingly as everyone thought it would.
The Ravens lost to the Jaguars, 33-10, in a game that was never in doubt, bringing their losing streak to four consecutive games.
Undrafted rookie free agent Joe Fagnano completed 10 passes on 18 attempts for 60 yards and two interceptions. It was a rough outing for the rookie, showing everyone why the Ravens worked so hard to get a deal for Brissett consummated before Tuesday's trade deadline.
Running backs Justice Hill and Derrick Henry did what they could, rushing for 152 yards on 26 carries and one touchdown between them.
The Ravens' defense also continued its streak of underwhelming play, allowing Jacksonville 33 points, 242 passing yards, and one touchdown to quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
The Ravens’ defense has allowed the most points in the AFC North by a substantial margin, and the fourth-most in the NFL.
Because the game was on Thursday night, they have an extended week to prepare their new starting quarterback, Jacoby Brissett, ahead of their game against the winless Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football.
3. Browns show their teeth, but fall short
The other AFC North team heading in the wrong direction fast is the Cleveland Browns, who have lost two back-to-back games.
Nevertheless, they still have a 5-4 record and are 2-1 in the division.
Despite suffering a loss for the second straight week, the Browns put up a fight against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. However, they lost 23-22 in overtime after three offensively challenging quarters before the offenses came alive.
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders had a positive start in place of the injured Deshaun Watson, completing 19 out of 31 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns.
In the process, Sanders showed that he could take a hit and keep on ticking with his late-game heroics.
Budding star wide receiver Denzel Boston recorded six receptions for 98 yards on seven targets.
Unfortunately, for Bengals fans, linebacker Carson Schwesinger looks every bit the part of an outstanding linebacker in his second year. Against the Saints, he recorded 15 tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss, and two quarterback hits.
Just in case you forgot, the Bengals selected Shamar Stewart with the 17th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Schwesinger went to the Browns with the first pick of the second round, 33rd overall. The Bengals subsequently selected Demetrius Knight in the second round with the 49th overall pick.
When you look at the individual pieces and talent on the Browns' roster, it is easy to see how they have a 5-4 record through nine weeks of this season. Fortunately, for the rest of the division, they have not put it all together just yet.
The Browns are at home against the Houston Texans this upcoming weekend. That begins a stretch of four consecutive home games, including the first leg of the Ohio derby with the Bengals.
2. Bengals stay calliente in Madrid, hopefully still hot on Sunday
The Cincinnati Bengals and their fans showed up and showed out in Madrid on Sunday, defeating the Atlanta Falcons 34-17.
Quarterback Joe Burrow played another game in which he proved to be of MVP caliber. He completed 24 passes on 29 attempts, throwing for 271 yards and three touchdowns.
Wideout Ja'Marr Chase appeared a lot more festive on the sidelines than he did last week, recording 10 catches for 155 yards and one touchdown.
Ja’Marr looks a lil happier on the sideline after the Bengals go up 21-10 in Madrid. Oh and he has 8 catches for 142 yards and a TD so far 😭🔥 pic.twitter.com/NbKnFOvBtX
— Stripe Hype (@StripeHype) November 8, 2026
Chase's running mate, Tee Higgins, had a relatively quiet day while still hauling in five passes and two touchdowns.
Well that was a fun game to be at to say the least. Had a funny feeling I should pull out my phone for this play…RESULT: TEEEEEEEE pic.twitter.com/c1AtFz7xcx
— Stripe Hype (@StripeHype) November 8, 2026
After giving up 10 early points to the Falcons, Cincinnati's defense did its part, holding Atlanta to 17 points for the game.
They limited Michael Penix to 160 yards passing. Running back Bijan Robinson reached the 100-yard rushing mark on 19 carries, but as ridiculous as it sounds, he was still limited by the Bengals' defense. You had to be there, we suppose.
Cincinnati's game against the Falcons was such a success on and off the field that many fans and players are already looking ahead to next year, when the Bengals will host a home game abroad.
However, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, and despite the fun in Madrid, the Bengals have the most important regular-season game in over three years ahead of them when they take on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football.
The Bengals are 6-2 overall and have won four consecutive games, tying them with the Steelers. However, they are 1-1 in the division, a full game behind the Cleveland Browns and Steelers, who are both 2-1 in that department.
Cincinnati must come away with the win, not only to move to 7-2 overall, but to catch up to the Browns and Steelers in any tie-breaking scenarios.
1. Steelers steel-hot heading into divisional showdown?
The Pittsburgh Steelers got to witness Week 9 from their couches and perch at the top of the AFC North.
Now, with a week's rest, they are in an advantageous position as they face the Bengals, who are coming off an overseas trip to Spain, making it a quasi-short week for Pittsburgh's rival as Cincinnati's practice schedules and meeting times this week shift due to travel.
Heading into their bye week, the Steelers had won four consecutive games. We will find out whether that momentum continues or if the bye week hurts them. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking on our part.
Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy has an impressive 12-5 record (.706%) coming off a bye week.
McCarthy's 45-37 (.549) record in primetime games is a bit more encouraging if you are a Bengals fan. His .489 winning percentage (22-23) on Sunday Night Football is even more so.
The Steelers head into their match against the Bengals with the division's best-scoring defense. Their +36-point differential is second only to Cincinnati's +65.
The Steelers' biggest edge over Cincinnati in the power rankings is their Week 3 head-to-head win and their 2-1 record in the AFC North.
However, that could change on Sunday night, making the Steelers-Bengals game a must-watch for NFL fans.
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