Heading into Week 9 at the midway point of the 2026 NFL season, the AFC North is absolutely bonkers. Every single team in this division is sitting at a .500 record or better, which, let’s be real, nobody saw coming. But the biggest jaw-dropper? The Baltimore Ravens are somehow in last place, and with Lamar Jackson reportedly battling yet another injury-riddled season, history suggests it’s fair to write them off. He might not even play again this season! That news just tore the division wide open for the remaining contenders.
The Standings Are Wild, and the Ravens Are Sunk
Alright, so here’s how things look after Week 8, after Sunday’s games. The Pittsburgh Steelers are leading the pack at 6-2. Right behind them are the Cincinnati Bengals at 5-2, and then the Cleveland Browns at 5-3. Our last place team, the Ravens, are at 4-4. The Steelers are up a half-game on the Bengals, thanks to having an extra win and Cincy already having their bye week. Plus, Pittsburgh already holds that crucial head-to-head tiebreaker, beating the Bengals at home in Week 3. The Steelers even have a bye in Week 9 before they face the Bengals again in Week 10, this time in Cincinnati.
Looking at division play, the Bengals are 1-1, having lost to the Steelers but snatching a win from the Ravens in Baltimore in Week 7. The Browns are 2-1 in division play, with wins over the Steelers in Week 4 and the Ravens in Week 6. The Bengals and Browns don’t even meet until Week 13 in Cleveland, with their rematch in Week 18. And the Ravens? They’re sitting at a rough 0-2 in the division, losing to both the Bengals and Browns. They’ve got the Steelers twice still, Week 15 in Pittsburgh and Week 18 in Baltimore. But honestly, with Lamar Jackson potentially out for the rest of the season, it’s tough to see them climbing out of that last spot in such a stacked division.
Pittsburgh’s Running Away With It?
So, with the Ravens fading, the race is really boiling down to the Steelers, Bengals, and Browns. And right now, Pittsburgh is looking scary good. They just routed the Browns, avenging an earlier loss, and that win pushed them to a perfect 4-0 at home and 2-1 in the division. They’re on a four-game winning streak since that tough Week 4 loss in Cleveland. This team is playing complete, complementary football, raising their big-play potential on both offense and defense. Aaron Rodgers, yeah, *that* Aaron Rodgers, and the running game, led by Jaylen Warren, are making that offense balanced and explosive. Their defense? Forget about it! They’ve only allowed an average of 14 points over the last four games, and their average margin of victory in that stretch is 12 points. This team is *for real*.
Their remaining schedule looks pretty decent too, ranked No. 25 in the NFL with opponents having a .470 winning percentage. They’ve got favorable matchups against the Eagles, Texans, Panthers, and Titans. Their toughest tests seem to be at home against the Broncos in Week 12 and on the road against the Jaguars in Week 14.
Pittsburgh’s got to keep this momentum going after their Week 9 bye, especially with that massive rematch against the Bengals coming up in Week 10 on Sunday night. If the Steelers can just snag that one game, it’ll give them a HUGE edge in this division race. The stage is set for Pittsburgh to make a serious run, and the rest of the AFC North better be ready.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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