New leader emerges in AFC North power rankings after Week 7

Shakeup in the North's power balance
Pittsburgh Steelers v Cincinnati Bengals - NFL 2025
Pittsburgh Steelers v Cincinnati Bengals - NFL 2025 | Michael Hickey/GettyImages

The feeling around the AFC North is vastly different from what it was last week. Heading into Week 7, the Pittsburgh Steelers were ready to run away with the division. 

Coming out of the weekend, the division, much like the NFL in general, is wide open. The mood has shifted in the great state of Ohio, the Steelers take a step back, and the Ravens wait patiently to leave their cage this upcoming weekend.

And thanks to this past week’s results, we crown a new leader in the AFC North Power Rankings heading into Week 8.

4. Youth movement underway with Cleveland Browns

While the other teams’ coaches and fan bases crash out over Cleveland trading quarterback Joe Flacco to the Bengals, the Browns have won just as many games without him as they did with him. They seem unbothered about the decision. 

Or, perhaps the Browns were lucky to have a get-right game against a floundering Dolphins team. 

Cleveland defeated Miami 31-6. Their record improved to 2-5. However, they are 0-3 in the division and 1-3 in the conference. 

But despite their record, as we noted last week, the future looks very bright in Cleveland. They have what appears to be a supernova rookie running back in Quinshon Judkins. 

But Judkins is not the only rookie contributing this season, as their Day 1 and 2 picks in this year’s draft are producing for a young Browns team. 

The Browns might be too young and too far down in the standings to make much noise in this year’s playoff race. However, many still expect the Ravens to win the division as they sit at 1-5. So why can't the Browns dare to dream of success this year?

If Sunday was more about the Browns and less about the Dolphins, it could signal an unexpected change of direction for the 'Elves.' It would be almost as significant a shift as finding a suitable veteran QB after your MVP-level quarterback goes down with an injury. 

Cleveland will play the Patriots next, which will be an excellent barometer of how we will view the Browns moving forward. 

3. Baltimore Ravens rested and ready to rebound

The Ravens were on their much-needed bye week in Week 7. But they were happy to see the first-place Steelers lose, making their return to the playoff chase that much easier. 

Despite being 1-5, the Ravens, along with many people who pay to talk about football, think Baltimore has an excellent chance to jump back into the race, thanks to the return of Lamar Jackson and what people perceive as an easy schedule. 

Baltimore has the sixth easiest, according to Warren Sharp. 

Coming out of the bye, the Ravens take on the Bears, followed by the Dolphins, Vikings, Browns, and Jets. Expect them to be favored in each of those matchups. And that includes the 2-5 Browns.

If the Ravens can make it through that stretch unscathed, they can look forward to facing the Bengals in a Thanksgiving night game. 

Or, perhaps the Ravens are 1-5 for a reason, and everyone is taking their “easy stretch” for granted.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers hit first division roadblock

The Pittsburgh Steelers fall out of the top spot for the first time since Week 2 after their loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. 

We expected for the Steelers defense to provide more resistance to Cincinnati’s offense, especially with a dominant pass rush. However, they recorded only two sacks, late in the game, against an improved Bengals’ offensive line

In a game where the Steelers scored 31 points, their defense proved to be their downfall allowing 33. 

The Steelers are still 1.5 games ahead of the second-place Bengals in the standings. And, they are still the only team in the division with a positive point differential. Nevertheless, Pittsburgh is 1-1 within the division, behind Cincinnati in that important category.

The Steelers will face the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football. 

1. Cincinnati Bengals rise behind savvy trade and perfect divisional record

The Bengals and Steelers are neck and neck in this week's power rankings. But as the baseball idiom goes, the tie goes to the winner. And the winner on Sunday was the Cincinnati Bengals. 

However, there is still much work ahead to do for the Bengals. They still have the worst point differential in the division and the second-worst in the NFL. And the team is last in the NFL in points surrendered.

But there are signs of hope that the defense is getting better. And that begins with an improved secondary led by breakout star DJ Turner II and the opportunistic performance of safety Jordan Battle.

And Ja’Marr Chase remains the best receiver in the league and continues to prove that he is a leader on the team with or without the ball in his hands. 

 And thanks to the Bengals’ improved play (and the Cleveland Browns), the vibes in the Queen City are high. 

The Bengals have the best division record at 2-0. Both the Bengals and the Steelers are 3-1 in the conference.

Cincinnati plays the New York Jets on Sunday at Paycor Stadium. Hopefully, the vibes will continue to be high. And, with a bit of help from the Packers, Cincinnati could share the division lead with the Steelers at the end of Week 8. 

Week 7 saw the Bengals take down the Steelers, the Browns take a step into the future, and the Ravens get  healthier where it counts the most.

Week 8 is pivotal to how we perceive each team going forward. But for this week at least, Bengals fans can rejoice that the Men in Stripes reside at the top of the AFC North Power Rankings for the first time this season.

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