The Steelers missed an opportunity to take the AFC North lead with a tie on Sunday but no other team in this division did well either.
It was another tough week across the AFC North division. The Bengals were on a bye week so they suffered the least in their efforts. They didn’t gain any ground but Cincinnati is starting to struggle but they need to fix things.
The Browns and Ravens both lost their matchups in week 10. It was a disappointing week for both teams but they continue to stay in a competitive division. The good news for both is that the Steelers didn’t win either.
Pittsburgh is tied with the terrible Detroit Lions. It was an ugly game but they are keeping pace with the division-leading Ravens at the moment. They are only half a game behind for leading the division.
Cincinnati Bengals (5-4) vs Las Vegas Raiders (5-4), Sunday at 4:05 P.M. ET
The Bengals are falling from grace as they continue to slide after their impressive start. Their back-to-back losses before the bye week have taken away the impressive wins that had them as division leaders. Now they look to get out of a hole in week 11.
This will be a playoff-like atmosphere as these two are vying for a potential playoff spot down the line. It will be a huge game for the future implications for these two. The Raiders are also starting to struggle after a solid start to 2021.
The Bengals will have a lot of chances on offense but they need their defense to come back to form. That is the main reason that they are struggling but this offensive line will have their hands full against the Raiders defensive unit. The Bengals should win this one in a close game but it could very easily go in the other direction.
Detroit Lions (0-8-1) vs Cleveland Browns (5-5), Sunday at 1 P.M. ET
The Cleveland Browns are coming off a devastating loss against the New England Patriots over the weekend. It was a complete blowout as the Browns couldn’t muster much of anything. They will now look to move forward and try to create some momentum as they now sit in last place in the AFC North.
The Browns continue to reel as injuries and their play continue to cause issues. Baker Mayfield seems to have dodged a bullet with his injury but many will have to watch closely and see if he plays this week.
Now they will turn their attention to the Lions as they look to rebound against a poor team. It is a home game and this one should be easy for them to win no matter if they have starters out or not. The Lions did have a tie last week and that could mean some progress in their competitive fight.
It doesn’t seem likely that Detroit could pull off an upset but they showed some fight last week. They almost defeated a handful of clubs throughout the year thus far. Now they will try and shock the world against the Browns.
Cleveland will need to win this game and games like this one if they want a shot. Now they need to not look past their opponents every week and move forward. The home squad should win this fairly easily without much question.
Baltimore Ravens (6-3) vs Chicago Bears (3-6), Sunday at 1 P.M. ET
The Baltimore Ravens lost a game that shouldn’t have caused them any issues. They now look to go up against the Bears in cold Chicago. Last Thursday was a game that they should not have lost against the Dolphins but they played so sloppily.
They might still be clinging on for dear life to hang onto the division lead, but they are not unbeatable. Most of the AFC has not been able to stand out among their peers so it will be tighter and tighter as the season rolls along.
The Ravens are lucky to still be the top dog in the standings at the moment after the Steelers failed to take advantage of the situation. Now they try and rebound against another team that they should defeat without much concern. That issue did play out last week so it is not the most outlandish idea that it could happen again as they face an upcoming quarterback, Justin Fields.
That young Bears offense is growing by the week and has caused major headaches against some good teams. Now they will look to cause issues in the cold climate of Illinois. The Ravens are not a powerhouse but they go as Lamar Jackson does and he had an off week last week. Don’t expect him to have another bad week of play against another bad defense.
Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3-1) vs LA Chargers (5-4), Sunday at 8:20 P.M. ET
The Pittsburgh Steelers are the only team that did not lose last week. On the other hand, the black and gold did not beat a winless team. Now they head across the coast to take on the playoff-hopeful LA Chargers.
It will be a prime-time game as they get ready for under the lights on Sunday night. It is going to be a tough game but the away squad might be missing some major players. T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick might not be available for this Sunday.
Watt is nursing a hip/knee injury that was not season-ending as many had feared. Fitzpatrick was just placed on the Covid list so it is less than likely that he plays come game time. Those are two of the top three defenders on this defensive unit.
The Steel City has a huge game here and a big chance to make a statement with a win here. They are playing without some of their biggest players and overcoming that adversity against a good team would be huge. This is going to have major playoff implications down the line and this might decide who goes into the postseason and those that don’t.
This is going to be a very difficult game but the Chargers are having a tough time right now. They will be the favorites going into this game but the Steelers will put up a fight. This is going to make turnovers and overcome the red-zone woes for the visiting club to come away with a win.
The Steelers have a big week as they take on a tough opponent. The rest of the division has some more favorable matchups besides the Bengals.