Yes, the Cleveland Browns' electric start to the season is real. After four weeks of regular-season action, Todd Monken's squad is 3-1 and finds itself in the middle of a race for the AFC North title.
The Browns have become the biggest surprise of the early NFL season and pulled off another win in Week 4, this time over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football. If they can carry their momentum forward, it won't be long before they overtake the Baltimore Ravens for the top spot in the division.
As we turn our attention to Week 5, here's how the AFC North stacks up.
AFC North power rankings after Week 4
Week 4 results:
- Browns beat Steelers, 27-24
- Bengals lose to Jaguars, 22-17
- Ravens beat Titans, 24-18
1. Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore's win over the Tennessee Titans wasn't as convincing as it should have been. Jesse Minter's squad allowed 11 unanswered points, escaping with a one-score victory against one of the worst teams in the league. With Lamar Jackson's health in question, the Ravens are one piece of bad news away from collapsing.
Their lead over the Browns in these rankings is razor-thin. One slip, and they'll lose the top spot to the team they least expected.
Next game: Sunday, Oct. 11th @ Falcons
2. Cleveland Browns
The doubters are dropping like flies. Cleveland took down Pittsburgh just days after the vintage Aaron Rodgers performance that had Steelers fans believing again. Deshaun Watson looks like an average NFL starter, which is much better than we could have said before the start of the campaign.
The Browns still have some work to do to prove themselves as a legitimate contender for the division title. Their most impressive win of the year came against the Carolina Panthers, and their Week 1 beating from the Jacksonville Jaguars was hard to forget. They'll face their truest test in two weeks against the Ravens.
Next game: Sunday, Oct. 11th @ Jets
3. Cincinnati Bengals
With Ja'Marr Chase sidelined, the Bengals' offense fell flat against the Jaguars. It's been a problem all season, as Cincinnati has struggled to evolve its talented offense. On the other hand, the Bengals' defense has emerged as an average unit, a massive improvement from 2025.
The level of talent on this roster is impossible to deny, but in a tightly contested AFC North, the Bengals haven't shown that they have what it takes to rise to the top.
Next game: Sunday, Oct. 11th @ Dolphins
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
As it turns out, Aaron Rodgers is still the 42-year-old version of himself, not the prime version that he showed in Week 3. The Browns got after the Steelers QB on Thursday night, pushing Pittsburgh back to its spot at the bottom of the division.
After a 2-2 start to the year, this Steelers team seems destined for another near-.500 finish, even after moving on from Minecraft master Mike Tomlin. Some things never change.
Next game: Sunday, Oct. 11th vs. Colts
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