Every team in the AFC North were not able to complete the main objective this past week and that led to the Steelers remaining on top.
The AFC North division had a tough weekend as a whole. All four clubs lost and that means there was zero movement in the standings so week three will have to be where things begin to shakeup. The biggest game of all four contests for this week will be the big divisional game on Thursday Night Football.
The Steelers are still on top of the division lead right now, despite having a pitiful performance against the New England Patriots this past Sunday. Expect some bigger matchups and time to reveal the true contenders to win the division. This could be a worse group than many have thought at the beginning of the season, especially if you judge off of things early.
Bengals remain winless after another underdog beat them
The most shocking thing at the early goings of the season is the Cincinnati Bengals and their current concerns. The offensive line is in shambles for now, and there is all kind of inconsistencies across the board. They lost to a Dallas Cowboys team without their starting quarterback as the Bengals seem to continue to deal with a Super Bowl hangover, even though they did not win.
Cincinnati Bengals (0-2) vs New York Jets (1-1), Sunday at 1 P.M. EST
One would have to imagine that this is where the cats from Cincinnati turn things around. Many thought that would happen last week, so who knows if they can beat the Jets on the road. These are easy games that they should win on paper, they just need to start showing consistency as a unit.
Browns were not able to take care of another easy opponent
The Cleveland Browns failed to win a big game against the New York Jets last week after having a commanding lead at one point. A late comeback led by Joe Flacco sunk the Browns and their hope of keeping things alive by the time Deshaun Watson returns from suspension. Things are not over yet, but the schedule will get harder and losing to a team like the Jets will not help their cause later.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cleveland Browns, Thursday at 8:15 P.M. EST
The Steelers will come to town on a short week that will determine the potential leader in the division after week three. The Browns are coming off a tough loss that saw them have the game slip through their fingers. Luckily for them, Pittsburgh is not as much of an imposing force as they used to be.
Ravens could not close out a game against a tough AFC team
The Ravens seem like the early favorite to win the AFC North even though they have not led in the standings yet in the infancy of this season. They are a tough club that has the best quarterback play right now, which will keep them above water. It was a tough last second loss against the Miami Dolphins at home this past week, but that was a playoff caliber roster.
Baltimore Ravens vs New England Patriots, Sunday at 1 P.M. EST
Baltimore will hit the road for their upcoming game on Sunday against the New England Patriots. The Ravens have shown success against the hated Patriots in their recent histories. The crows should be able to bounce back against the Patriots as their offense will be too much for New England to handle.
Steelers struggle to find ground on offense which cost them
It was a tough pill to swallow for Pittsburgh fans as they saw their offense somehow show that they are worse than last season. Mitch Trubisky and the play calling by Matt Canada have sunk this team from holding a 2-0 record after the game against the Patriots. Watching the game was boring as the offense continues to fail in the most generic ideals on offense.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cleveland Browns, Thursday at 8:15 P.M. EST
This is a monumental game for the Steelers during the early part of their 2022 campaign. This divisional matchup will have severe ramifications later in the year and this matchup being on a short week will not help. There will be a bunch of issues on offense that continues to hurt this club, no matter how admirable the defense has been playing so far, it likely will not be enough.
The Steelers still remain at the top of the AFC North division heading into week three of the regular season. Each club struggled in week two and that helped the black and gold stay on top.