The Pittsburgh Steelers are the reigning AFC North champions (thanks again, Tyler Loop), but that hardly means they are destined to repeat. In fact, Mike McCarthy's team might look like the worst of the four in the division at the quarter mark of the season.
We're one-fourth of the way through the 2026 campaign, and I don't know if we've ever seen a more tightly contested race between all four teams in the division. This is something we haven't been able to say with how bad the Cleveland Browns have been over the years.
But the Browns may have finally hit their groove... and the Steelers might be in trouble.
As we get set for Week 5, the Steelers plummet in the AFC North power rankings after a disappointing divisional loss, while the Browns are on the rise.
Pittsburgh Steelers fall to bottom of Week 5 AFC North power rankings
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2)
Nobody wants to see this, but it's hard to argue that this isn't where McCarthy's team currently belongs. Though the Steelers had a Week 3 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, it required a Bengals muffed punt and a roughing-the-kicker play for Pittsburgh to eventually secure victory.
A win is a win, but the Browns looked like a better team than Pittsburgh in every way in Week 4. And sadly, they might be more talented. Is Aaron Rodgers currently the worst quarterback in this division? It's hard to say he's not at this point.
3. Cincinnati Bengals (2-2)
The Bengals suffered back-to-back AFC losses after a 2-0 start to the year (one of which came against the Pittsburgh Steelers). But this is better than how they normally fare early in the season. To their credit, they put up a good fight against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 4 despite losing superstar wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase early in the game.
While their .500 record is the same as Pittsburgh's and the Steelers currently hold the head-to-head tiebreaker in the standings, the Bengals rank better in offense EPA per play (10th to 25th), defense EPA per play (11th to 14th), quarterback EPA per play (14th to 26th), as well as success rate on both offense and defense, per RBSDM stats.
2. Cleveland Browns (3-1)
I know we always say 'the Browns are going to Brown', but that hasn't been the case so far this season. Before taking down the Steelers on Thursday Night Football in Week 4, Cleveland had back-to-back wins in Tampa Bay and at home against the Panthers.
New head coach Todd Monken is dialed in, and the Browns have a plethora of young talent stepping up and making plays (like wide receivers Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion). We always associate this team with disaster, but we need to give credit where it's due—the Browns look like a pretty solid football team at the quarter mark.
1. Baltimore Ravens (3-1)
Even with the latest ankle injury to two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, it's hard to argue that the Baltimore Ravens aren't still the best team in the AFC North. Though new head coach Jesse Minter had a 24-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 2, the Ravens have a road blowout win against the Colts, while taking care of business against the Cowboys and Titans in back-to-back weeks.
The Ravens overpaid in their trade for center Cam Jurgens, but this addition will only aid the offense. Baltimore could take a step back in the power rankings if Jackson misses time, but for now, Baltimore has a top-five EPA offense and the No. 2 EPA quarterback in the NFL, per SumerSports. They are still the biggest threat in the AFC North at the quarter mark.
Add us as a preferred source on Google