The AFC North is absolutely flipped on its head, with the Cleveland Browns now sitting in first place after their wild 13-10 comeback victory over the Baltimore Ravens. Think about that for a second: the Browns, in first place after Week 6, for the first time in 12 years. This division is suddenly the wildest show in the NFL, and the action from this past week proves it.
Browns’ Fourth-Quarter Magic and Division Shake-Up
Cleveland pulled off a classic fourth-quarter comeback to seal that 13-10 win against Baltimore. It was exactly what we’ve come to expect from them this season: their defense locks it down until Deshaun Watson and the offense find a miracle drive late. After giving up 10 quick points in the first quarter, the Browns’ defense gave up just 123 yards over the final three quarters combined. Not even Derrick Henry could get anything going against them, which is just wild. Then, in the fourth quarter, Watson turned it on, throwing for 94 of his 164 total yards. Even Jerry Jeudy, who’s been a ghost all year, had his biggest game when it counted.
And get this: the Pittsburgh Steelers also came back from 13 points down against the Buccaneers to win in overtime, their biggest fourth-quarter comeback since 2002! Meanwhile, the Bengals, who were sitting pretty at 3-2 and tied for second before their bye week, are now in last place thanks to all this madness. The Colts? They got an ‘F’ grade for their collapse, but that’s a story for another day. This AFC North battle is absolutely bananas.
The Ravens’ Unraveling Is a Real Problem
While the Browns are celebrating, the Ravens are in a full-blown crisis. Losing 13-10 to Cleveland was bad enough, but it marks the 15th time since 2020 that they’ve blown a fourth-quarter lead of seven points or more. The 15th! Nobody else in the NFL even has 10 blown leads in that same span. Yikes, right? They essentially gave this game away in the fourth quarter with a missed field goal by Tyler Loop and a Derrick Henry fumble on back-to-back possessions. That fumble set up Cleveland for a short touchdown drive that tied the game at 10. The Baltimore defense also struggled in that final quarter, giving up 130 of Cleveland’s measly 237 total yards right when it mattered most.
This isn’t new, either. These blown leads were a huge reason John Harbaugh got fired, and it seems like Jesse Minter just hasn’t figured out how to fix it. Going 1-1 without Lamar Jackson isn’t the worst record, but the Ravens were literally a few mistakes away from being 2-0 and would absolutely be kicking themselves for this divisional loss.
This AFC North is a wild, wild place right now. With the Browns making history and the Ravens seemingly cursed in the fourth quarter, every game in this division feels like it’s got season-defining stakes. What an early season ride. You gotta wonder if the Ravens can ever snap out of it or if this is just their new normal.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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