AFC North power rankings: Steelers stumble as Ravens thrive in Week 4

As we reach the quarter-way point of the season, each team in the division is starting to settle in. Some teams look way better than others and the level of play has been inconsistent at best. After a 2-2 week in the division, where does each team land in this week's power rankings?

4. Cleveland Browns (1-3) LW: 3

Woof. Just when you thought it couldn't get worse for Cleveland, Sunday happened. A 20-16 loss to the Raiders is bad but not as bad as how Deshaun Watson played once again. 176 passing yards with one touchdown and one interception against the Raiders is atrocious. He's been awful this season and the Browns have a huge question mark at the quarterback position.

The defense held Gardner Minshew in check, but let up a lot of yardage on the ground as the Raiders came back from an early 10-0 hole. That unit has improved throughout the season, but the offense being anemic puts them in a spot where they have to be perfect. And they weren't yesterday.

The Browns are in serious trouble of letting this season slip away from them early. They lost winnable games to the Giants and Raiders and now the schedule gets a lot tougher. At this point, I'd be shocked if Kevin Stefanski was the head coach by the end of the season.

Next week: @ Washington Commanders (3-1)

3. Cincinnati Bengals (1-3) LW: 4

After starting the season 0-3, the Bengals were facing a must-win situation on Sunday and they found a way to win. They beat the Panthers 34-24 behind 2 rushing touchdowns from Chase Brown and 2 passing touchdowns from Joe Burrow. The offense hasn't really been an issue outside of the first week and that unit performed how we all expected them to.

The defense was better but still showed the cracks we all saw last week against Washington. Chuba Hubbard cleared 100 rushing yards and Diontae Johnson had his best game of the season, catching 7 balls for 83 yards and a score. I'm still not a believer in this Bengals defense, but they did enough yesterday to get the win.

The schedule doesn't get any easier for the Bengals going forward as they have a huge divisional game next Sunday to worry about. A 1-4 start to the season isn't out of the realm of possibility for this team.

Next week: vs Baltimore Ravens (2-2)

2. Baltimore Ravens (2-2) LW: 2

Following a big 35-10 home win over the Buffalo Bills, I strongly considered sliding the Ravens up to the top of the list. Derrick Henry was impressive once again and I was wrong about how I thought he would play. That rushing attack is lethal and hard for anyone to stop. I'm still concerned about Lamar Jackson's ability to win close games with his arm but he didn't need to last night.

The defense was fantastic as well, shutting down Josh Allen and a high-powered Bills offense. After a lot of struggles the first few weeks, it was nice to see that unit put together a complete performance. They'll need to keep that up going forward.

Ultimately, I took a look at the entire season and I still have one team edging out the Ravens on this list. However, a win next week could shake up this list quite a bit.

Next week: @ Cincinnati Bengals (1-3)

1. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1) LW: 1

The Steelers remain at the top of this list despite a 27-24 loss to the Colts. The defense was bad, letting Joe Flacco carve them up for crucial third-down conversions. T.J. Watt was silent and needs to play better next week. That unit was bad, but their track record says they'll bounce back next week. I'm not overly concerned about them.

Justin Fields was spectacular, putting up over 350 yards and 3 total touchdowns. He had a bad fumble in the third quarter, but played out of his mind after that. The center snap exchange problems need to be fixed ASAP, but Fields almost led an incredible comeback despite his defense dropping the ball. He's QB1 going forward.

I'm worried about the injuries piling up for the Steelers and the rushing game, but Fields showed flashes of a franchise quarterback. That alone was a win, despite losing the game on the scoreboard. On to the next game.

Next week: vs Dallas Cowboys (2-2)