An unwatchable AFC North has become unmissable

Prior to the season, the AFC North was seen as one of the top divisions in the league.

With a Baltimore Ravens team led by head coach Jon Harbaugh boasting an offensive trio of quarterback Lamar Jackson, running back Derrick Henry and tight end Mark Andrews, they were seen by many as one of the favourites to win the Super Bowl.

The Cincinnati Bengals had a lot of question marks in the offseason surrounding their defense but with Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, it was felt that anything was possible with that potent of an offense available to them.

The Pittsburgh Steelers signed quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the offseason and with the team making the playoffs in spite of failings at the position, the four-time MVP was seen as an upgrade that would make the team at least competitive if not anything else.

Whilst the Cleveland Browns were seen as the least likely to win the division, any team that has Myles Garrett on it has a chance of ruffling a few AFC North feathers.

Whilst the division has certainly been competitive, this has not been for the reasons anyone expected.

No team is above .500, with the Ravens and Steelers tied for the division lead at 6-6. All four of the teams in the AFC North have allowed more points than they have scored.

Here is how an unwatchable AFC North has become unmissable.

The Ravens have had a difficult 2025 season. Not only have they allowed the 14th most points in the league, but they are also 23rd against the pass and 18th against the run.

They started 1-5, with some costly fumbles from Henry early on in the season. The former Tennessee Titans running back and 2020 Offensive Player of the Year was being discussed in trade rumours and with Jackson on the sidelines through injury, the Ravens’ season appeared done.

Every year, one team becomes a victim to the injury bug and the Ravens seemed on a trajectory to being that team this season.

When the Ravens lost 17-3 to the Los Angeles Rams in Week Six, they were 1-5 and four wins behind the 4-1 Steelers.

Even with the Steelers losing 33-31 in a Thursday Night Football thriller during the Ravens’ bye week, they were still 4-2 and comfortably clear of Baltimore. However, since then they have gone 2-5 and have allowed the Ravens to take the lead in the division after five wins in their previous six.

Only four teams have made the playoffs since 1933 after starting a campaign 1-5. This includes the 1970 Bengals, 2015 Kansas City Chiefs, 2018 Indianapolis Colts and 2020 Washington Football Team. The Ravens would be in rare company should they go on to make the postseason.

The Bengals will have a huge say on who wins the AFC North.  Having already beaten the Steelers and Ravens this season, they have already allowed themselves to be at least in the conversation if anything else.

They now have Burrow back from injury and he is a quarterback that can beat anybody on his day when healthy.

A Week 15 home game against the Baltimore Ravens could have huge implications on the AFC North and Zac Taylor’s men will be ready to pounce should the Ravens and Steelers stutter down the finish line.

Their defense may have allowed the most points this season, ranking dead last against both the pass and run, but with a trio of Burrow, Chase and Higgins, they have the talent there to put up plenty of points. They would be a team to be frightened of should they find a way to capitalise on the Ravens and Steelers’ shortcomings and sneak in to the playoffs.

Down the stretch, the division is left with some cracking matchups that will have a big say on who wins it.

The Steelers and Ravens still have to play each other twice, including this weekend and a Week 18 showdown in Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium.

Cleveland still has to play the Steelers in Week 17 and Bengals in Week 18. Whilst they are unlikely to make the playoffs, they could still cause some problems and shake up the course of the 2025 AFC North.

Led by Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz, a unit that ranks third against the pass and 10th against the run has the capabilities to be a threat to any opposition offense.

The Ravens’ schedule is the toughest, with three in-division games as well as a home game against the current 11-2 New England Patriots in Week 16 and one of the NFC favourites in the Green Bay Packers in Week 17. These will put more pressure on the need to win games against AFC North opponents.

With four struggling teams battling it out for what is likely to be just one playoff spot courtesy of being crowned division champions, the AFC North has become all the more compelling, for the completely wrong reasons.

Andy Davies