The Steelers stayed the same in their division as the rest of the AFC North saw some movement in the hierarchy.
Another week brings along some new storylines to monitor around the AFC North division. The Steelers remain in the lonely depths at the bottom of the division, while other teams keep their winning ways alive. Changes have been made in the hierarchy of power as the division continues to change things around.
Three of the four teams in the group were able to win their respective games when they were called upon. Week 16 around the NFL will bring either Christmas cheer or a dampened day depending on their club’s result. The AFC North is going to be a contentious unit at the bitter end of the season.
The Steelers won but still remain at the bottom of the division
A winning effort by the black and gold against the Panthers seems almost useless at the current state of their season. They have almost no shot at the post season, and it could ruin their draft picks when it is all said and done. Love it or hate it, the Steelers will never say die and will try to win every week. One thing is for sure, these players seem like they are trying to keep Mike Tomlin’s non-losing season streak alive.
Las Vegas Raiders (6-8) vs Pittsburgh Steelers (6-8), Saturday at 8:15 P.M. EST
One of the best plays in football history took place 50 years ago as the Immaculate Reception will be honored. That will take place on top of Franco Harris having his number 32 retired during the game against the Raiders on Christmas Eve. What should have been a fun experience will take a more somber feel after the sudden passing of legend, Franco Harris.
Cleveland was able to overcome a division rival last week
A huge win for the Browns took place last week as they were able to defeat the Ravens at home. Nothing spectacular from Deshaun Watson, as he continues to prove that his contract might become a terrible deal. The story of this game was their defense and the ability that they showed against a beat-up Baltimore squad.
Cleveland is having major issues on the offensive side of the ball as it refuses to add points to the board. Jacoby Bissett seemed to have a better grip on this group, and now they are seeing worse results from the change. The Browns defense was able to handle the Lamar Jackson-less Ravens offense without much concern.
New Orleans Saints (5-9) vs Cleveland Browns (6-8), Saturday at 1 P.M. EST
Perhaps another easy opponent will be on the docket for Cleveland this weekend as they host the New Orleans Saints. The away team in this contest has not been great all year, but they are somehow still in the hunt for their division lead. That speaks more to the terrible play of the entire NFC South than it does the Saints.
One should imagine that the Browns are going to be able to copycat what they did last week. Their defense should be able to be relied on heavily and capitalize off Andy Dalton’s mistakes. Watson does not seem like he will be able to turn things around this season, but their run game should be able to lead a slow offense to a win.
Ravens dropped from their seat atop the AFC North division
Until this past weekend, the Ravens sat on top of the AFC North division throne for most of the year. That changed this past week as the Bengals were able to jump ahead of them after Baltimore lost to Cleveland. It was a tough divisional contest that saw both offenses struggle to find a rhythm.
Another week of being without Lamar Jackson seems like a real possibility as the Ravens try to hold onto a playoff spot. Injuries always pile up for Baltimore, so they are used to trying to overcome that problem. This offense has not been able to do enough to bail out their great defensive performances in recent weeks.
Atlanta Falcons (5-9) vs Baltimore Ravens (9-5), Saturday at 1 P.M. EST
Even though Baltimore is having injury problems, their biggest strength right now is their coaching and defense. The Falcons will be coming to the Ravens stadium under blistering cold conditions on Christmas Eve. That is going to leave Atlanta in unique playing conditions as they are used to warm and indoor facilities.
Expect this contest to stay low scoring for the most part, but the Ravens offense should be able to at least put up the same amount they did against the Steelers. That should be able to give them a great chance to win on Saturday. A loss here should make the Baltimore faithful concerned not just about what could happen come playoff time, but if their playoff spot will start to slip away.
Cincinnati gains the division lead heading into week 16 of the season
It has become uncommon for a team to win the AFC North division in back-to-back seasons. Cincinnati is going to have a good opportunity to make that happen, especially with how they have been playing. Six wins in a row for this group as they are playing their best football just at the right time of year.
Last week we saw the Bengals go down to Tampa Bay to take on Tom Brady and the Bucs. It was a rough go of things at the beginning, but Cincinnati was able to rumble back into the lead behind their offensive attack. The Bengals are the real deal, and they are set up for another deep playoff run in the next couple of weeks.
Cincinnati Bengals (10-4) vs New England Patriots (7-7), Saturday at 1 P.M. EST
One of the marvels of this effort of Cincinnati has been their performances in hostile environments. They can go into those tough games and find ways of coming out on top of their opponent. This week they head east to take on the New England Patriots who have not been the biggest success story of late.
This is a huge opportunity for both clubs as they try to alter their positioning in the AFC playoff race. New England is starting to fall out of the picture so they will be playing with desperation in a tough AFC matchup. The Bengals are playing too well right now and they should be able to extend their division lead this weekend.
The Steelers have almost no chance to make the post season, but they are playing for respect. They want to try and claw their way out of last place in the division and make a positive trajectory into next season.