AFC North power rankings: Shaky start from rivals gives Steelers a leg up

The AFC North entered the 2024 season regarded as one of the best divisions in all of football. So far, the results have not lived up to the hype as multiple teams have underperformed so far. Following a 2-2 week, where does each AFC North team fall in this week's power rankings?

Without further ado, let's get started.

4. Baltimore Ravens (0-2) Last week: 2

The Ravens took a big tumble in this week's rankings following a dismal 26-23 loss at home to the Raiders. Baltimore had a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter before falling apart, surrendering 13 unanswered points to a Gardner Minshew-led offense. Davante Adams and rookie Brock Bowers had their way with the Ravens secondary, combining for over 200 receiving yards between the two.

On offense, Lamar Jackson was fine, throwing for 247 yards with one touchdown and one interception. However, he wasn't able to do anything in the fourth quarter. After the Ravens went up 23-13 with 12:11 left in the fourth quarter, they got three more offensive possessions. They had two three-and-outs and then a failed end-of-game lateral to end the third drive. The Raiders kept scoring and Jackson had no answer.

The panic meter is starting to rise for the Ravens. Losing to the Chiefs on the road is understandable. Blowing a 10-point fourth-quarter lead at home to the Raiders is unacceptable. The Ravens play the Cowboys, Bills, and Bengals over the next three weeks, so things could really spiral if they don't clean their game up.

Next week: @ Dallas Cowboys (1-1)

3. Cincinnati Bengals (0-2) Last week: 3

The Bengals remain in the same spot despite a close 26-25 loss to the Chiefs on the road. After a pitiful week one performance against the Patriots, the Bengals upped their game and came so close to knocking off the defending champs. They held Patrick Mahomes to 151 passing yards. Joe Burrow looked like 2022 Joe Burrow, playing a clean game and making some big plays. But they couldn't make the big play to close the game out.

The Bengals led 25-23 and had the Chiefs at a 4th-and-16 on their own 35-yard line with 48 seconds left. They forced the incomplete pass, but a pass interference penalty gave the Chiefs a first down in field goal range. A few minutes later, Harrison Butker kicked the game-winning 51-yard field goal.

This was an improved performance for the Bengals, but they still find themselves in an 0-2 hole. They have a very winnable game against Washington next week and they need to win that game. And they need to figure out this Ja'Marr Chase contract situation.

Next week: vs Washington Commanders (1-1)

2. Cleveland Browns (1-1) Last week: 4

The Browns bounced back from a terrible week one performance with an 18-13 road win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Deshaun Watson was better, but still not great, as he passed for 186 yards and ran for a touchdown. Jerry Jeudy had a good game, catching 5 passes for 73 yards. But this game was all about the Browns defense.

The Browns gave up 323 yards to the Jaguars, but only 13 points. They sacked Trevor Lawrence four times and had nine total tackles for loss. They held Travis Etienne to 52 rushing yards and Christian Kirk had one catch for -1 yards. This is the Browns defense most analysts expected to see this season and they needed that unit to be elite to pull off this win.

I'm still not convinced this offense is very good or that Deshaun Watson can string together multiple great performances. But the Browns got a win and should find themselves above .500 after next week.

Next week: vs New York Giants (0-2)

1. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0) Last week: 1

The Steelers won again and that keeps them at the top of this week's power rankings. Their 13-6 road victory over the Broncos was anything but pretty, but a win is a win. The defense remains elite, tallying two sacks and two interceptions off of rookie Bo Nix. The front seven made Nix uncomfortable all afternoon and the secondary held up. DeShon Elliott looks like an elite addition so far and it was nice to see Cory Trice pick up a big red zone interception.

The offense is still a big work in progress. After a promising first half where the Steelers scored their first touchdown of the season on a pass to Darnell Washington, the offense sputtered to a halt in the second half. Justin Fields was fine but left a lot to be desired in that second half. The running game was good, but it's hard to run the ball consistently when there's no threat of a downfield pass.

I'm a little worried about the offense right now, but there's plenty of season to turn that around. The defense is elite and so is Chris Boswell. The Steelers need all the wins they can get early this season, so I can't complain too much about a 2-0 start. Let's hope they can keep it going in the home opener on Sunday.

Next week: vs Los Angeles Chargers (2-0)