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Cleveland Browns rivals forge lead in the AFC North

By Elliot Kennel

CINCINNATI, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 12: Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals calls out instructions in the second quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at Paul Brown Stadium on September 12, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 12: Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals calls out instructions in the second quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at Paul Brown Stadium on September 12, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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Sep 12, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) throws a pass against the Cleveland Browns during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 12, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) throws a pass against the Cleveland Browns during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports /

The Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens find themselves in last place, looking up at Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.

The first shall be last and the last shall be first as co-favorites to win the AFC North, the Cleveland Browns, and the Baltimore Ravens find themselves sharing the basement after Week 1 in the NFL, while chronic basement dweller Cincinnati is basking in first place with the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

Football is not for the faint of heart. If you thought this was going to be easy, this is not the game for you. This fan still believes the Browns have the best team in the AFC North, but it’s not likely that they will compile a massive win total. The competition is good.

By no means did the Browns disgrace themselves by losing to the AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs. Hey, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Tyreek Hill are amazing players, and they deserve every award they receive and every dollar they get. They will get the better of more than one NFL team this season, rest assured. The Browns will get another shot at them in the playoffs.

Unfortunately, the rest of the AFC North was not idle while the Browns suffered this gut-wrenching loss. Let’s examine what is happening around the AFC North and what it means for our team.

Currently, both Cincinnati and Pittsburgh are 1-0, while Cleveland and Baltimore are 0-2. All the games were very close and were not decided until the fourth quarter.

Last place really s***s, okay? But there is no team that looks particularly unbeatable. There is no reason why the Browns cannot turn it around and beat all three of these teams this season. Most observers tend to regard the Ravens as the most dangerous of the AFC North division rivals.

However, the Steelers may be underrated because they are still the team with the toughest defense, and teams with tough defenses can often win ugly football games. We can ask the Buffalo Bills about that.

The Bills can console themselves with the belief that they outplayed the Steelers in many respects and probably they should have won that game. Perhaps so. But they didn’t, and perhaps that is the perfect illustration that teams with strong defenses often win ugly.

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