We're only three games into the 2026 season, but we're not used to seeing every AFC North team knotted with the same record. Squared at 2-1, the Pittsburgh Steelers will need to take care of business against the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football to start gaining headway in the division.
The Steelers are coming off a massive divisional win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens escaped Rio de Janeiro with a last-season field goal for a walk-off win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3.
From first place to fourth, this division is tighter than anyone anticipated entering Week 4. Here are my updated power rankings as we get set for the Steelers versus the Browns on Thursday night.
Week 4 AFC North power rankings have the Steelers moving up one spot, the Bengals moving back
4. Cleveland Browns (2-1)
Let's give credit where credit is due: the Cleveland Browns have already outperformed expectations early in the season. They now have back-to-back wins against NFC South opponents, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Carolina Panthers.
Having said that, the Browns haven't done one particular thing at a high level early in the season. Their passing game remains inefficient, and they have a point differential of -17 through three games. Meanwhile, Cleveland ranks 21st in offensive EPA per play and 15th in defensive EPA per play, per RBSDM Stats.
The Browns haven't been a terrible team so far (which is weird to say), but even with their 2-1 record, they are still last among a crowded AFC North.
3. Cincinnati Bengals (2-1)
I want to be clear about this: these are Week 4 AFC North power rankings; this isn't necessarily where I think the Cincinnati Bengals are going to finish. While the Steelers found a way to pull off the win at home in Week 3, it wouldn't shock me if the Bengals rose to the top of these power rankings by the end of the season.
Regardless, the Steelers flat-out humiliated the Bengals' defense in Week 3 by putting up 30 points to go with 411 yards of total offense. This was the first 30-point game by the Steelers in 10 games dating back to last year, while the Steelers have only recorded 30 points and 400-plus yards in the same game four times since Ben Roethlisberger was the quarterback, all the way back in 2018.
The Bengals' offense is elite—there's no doubt about that. But their hyped up defense may prove to be fraudulent after all.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1)
We can talk about some of the fluky plays that may have altered the outcome in this game (the Bengals foolishly roughing the punter or muffing the punt return late in the game). But it's hard not to be optimistic about Pittsburgh's offense coming off their big divisional win.
Aaron Rodgers played one of his best games in a Steelers uniform so far. Meanwhile, Jaylen Warren was phenomenal, and the offensive line bullied the Bengals both in the run game and in pass protection.
The Steelers are still a middling team by most metrics, with the 29th-ranked offense and 11th-ranked defense in terms of EPA per play. But things finally seem to be coming together, and the investments in the O-line are paying off.
1. Baltimore Ravens (2-1)
The Baltimore Ravens have a few glaring roster holes that could be their Achilles' heel in 2026. But they still look the part of a threatening contender in the AFC this year. The Ravens lost by a touchdown to the New Orleans Saints in Week 2, but they racked up 41 points in Week 1 in a blowout win over the Colts and are coming off a huge win in Brazil over the Cowboys.
So far this season, the Ravens are +14 in point differential through three games while ranking 4th in offense EPA per play and 20th in defense EPA per play. With an energetic coaching staff and two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, the Ravens are still the most threatening team in the AFC North for the time being.
And with the Steelers and Browns set to beat each other up this week and the Bengals facing the Jaguars, the Ravens could look even better after their home matchup against the Tennessee Titans in Week 4.
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