The Baltimore Ravens lead the AFC North’s standings entering Week 4. But that doesn’t mean much right now since nearly everyone looks downright terrible this season. After three games, two of the four teams in the division have yet to find the win column and the most hyped team of the offseason has struggled to get even one. The Ravens sit at the top but have plenty of their own questions, surprisingly on defense for a change.
But Week 4 will see the division square off against each other as inter-division play begins. Though it’s still early in the season, this week could very well determine the AFC North’s standings for the rest of the year.
Cleveland Browns (1-2) at Baltimore Ravens (2-1)
Though the Browns have gotten off to a dreadful start to their season in spite of all the hype, they have a chance to completely redeem themselves in Week 4. A win over the Ravens would make both teams 2-2 but give Cleveland the edge with a division win and actually put them in first.
Baltimore, on the other hand, has looked solid through three weeks even in the face of their defense struggling. They held their own against arguably the best team in the league in the Kansas City Chiefs last week and are still on pace for a solid record and a playoff berth.
But it’s the AFC North and records should be completely thrown out when inter-division play happens. The Browns have tons of talent on offense even though they haven’t been able to get it working quite yet. Their defense has underperformed, largely thanks to injuries, but still has a bunch of first-round picks starting.
If the Ravens think they’ll be able to walk through this game and still win, they could get upset. However, if they play to their potential, they should be able to beat up a young and inexperienced Browns team and gain a comfortable lead for the AFC North crown.
Cincinnati Bengals (0-3) at Pittsburgh Steelers (0-3)
The Bengals are pretty much exactly where we expected them. They’ve been competitive in most of their games so far but are in the midst of rebuilding under new coach Zac Taylor. The Steelers aren’t that huge of a surprise given the tough start of their schedule. Regardless of how surprised you are by their records, it’s still a game between two twos without a single win.
This week will put one team firmly in the gutter of the AFC North standings and all but end their season before it even starts. Only six teams have ever come back from an 0-3 start to make the postseason and only one team has ever come back from 0-4.
