AFC North Power Rankings: Where do the Bengals stand after Week 1?

There are always a lot of great expectations when it comes to the first week of the NFL season. All fanbases have reasons for hope. Half of those fanbases will he happy, while the other half will ultimately be disappointed after the first game. Fans of the Cincinnati Bengals fall into the latter category rather than the former this year.

When it comes to the AFC North, the division got off to a slow start in Week 1. The Bengals, Browns, and Ravens each lost this past weekend, leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers as the lone team from the division to start the season off with a win.

With the first week in the books, let’s look at the updated AFC North’s Power Rankings.

AFC North Power Rankings after Week 1

4. Cleveland Browns (0-1)

In last place of the AFC North Power Rankings after the first week of action is the Cleveland Browns. 

Deshaun Watson still does not look like the answer that Cleveland hoped he would be when they made the controversial decision to trade for him and pay him a fully guaranteed contract. In the opener against the Cowboys, he had a paltry 51.1 passer rating. He threw the ball 45 times while accumulating only 169 yards. For context, Joe Burrow threw for 164 yards on 16 fewer attempts than Watson. However, not all the blame is on Watson, as the Cowboys sacked him six times. 

The Browns’ defense did not help, as they surrendered 33 points to Dallas. That was the most points allowed by any team in the AFC in Week 1. Cleveland finished the week with the worst point differential of all the AFC teams with a -16. 

The Browns will look to get back on track against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2. However, they will need to perform immensely better to escape the basement of the AFC North Power Rankings. 

3. Cincinnati Bengals (0-1)

The Bengals were on the wrong end of the most shocking upset loss of opening weekend. They were supposed to get over the slow-start era that has come with Zac Taylor’s time as head coach against a subpar Patriots team. Unfortunately, that stigma remains. The Bengals are now 1-10 in their first two games to begin the season under coach Taylor. 

Starting slow is something that the Bengals are used to. However, that does not make it any less frustrating. The way they lost is even more infuriating. Turnovers, poor tackling, and questionable play-calling at critical moments doomed the team against New England. 

There were several discouraging stats from Cincinnati's first game of the season. The Bengals’ ten points scored were the fewest of all the AFC North teams. Yet, their defense played well enough to hold the Patriots to only 16 points, allowing them to win. An opportunity Cincinnati’s offense failed to seize. 

Cincinnati barely holds on for third place in this week’s AFC North Power Rankings over the Cleveland Browns. But that could quickly change depending on how well they perform in Week 2 against the 1-0 Kansas City Chiefs. 

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0)

The Steelers will not get much credit for defeating the Atlanta Falcons. And they should not for how their victory came about. They failed to score a touchdown in their first game of the season. A feat that even the Bengals accomplished in their loss. The Steelers had to rely on six field goals to earn a victory.

Heading into their second game, Mike Tomlin’s squad is still unsure who their starting quarterback will be. Their offense was competent with Justin Fields at the helm, despite not reaching the end zone. Russell Wilson watched from the sidelines with a calf injury, and we don’t know when he will return. Weirdly, even though he was not playing, he was in full uniform. Eyeblack included.

Nevertheless, the Steelers always know they can count on their strong defense no matter who their quarterback is. They only surrendered ten points to the Falcons. They held Kirk Cousins to a putrid 59.0 passer rating and forced two interceptions. 

It was not pretty, but the Steelers won their first game, which is not something the other teams in the AFC North can say. They are now alone atop the division and possess a one-game lead. Everyone will say it’s only the first week, but we know that any advantage one team has over their divisional rivals could be crucial late in the season. You never know what will happen in the course of an NFL year. 

1. Baltimore Ravens (0-1)

The Ravens earn the top spot in the AFC North Power Rankings after Week 1, even though they lost their first game. They played the best and most competitive game of the long weekend when they took on the defending-champion Chiefs. 

Baltimore’s offense was explosive despite only scoring 20 points. They finished with 452 total yards. Lamar Jackson rushed for over 100 yards and threw for 273. With that type of output, Jackson could again be in MVP discussions as the season continues. But first they must take advantage of the missed opportunities like they had on Thursday night. 

Baltimore looked like the best team in the division in Week 1. We'll see how they look against the Las Vegas Raiders in the second week of the season.