The early magic of the Cleveland Browns' 2026 season is beginning to fade, and with it, their hopes of winning the AFC North. Deshaun Watson, under a barrage of New York Jets pass rushers, was unable to lead his team to its fourth win of the season.
The Browns now find themselves in a three-way tie for the second spot in the division's standings. There doesn't seem to be a bad team in the AFC North, but no team has been able to separate itself from the pack, either.
After five weeks of action, here's how the division stacks up.
AFC North power rankings after Week 5
Week 5 results:
- Bengals beat Dolphins 31-24
- Browns lost to Jets 17-12
- Steelers beat Colts 34-22
- Ravens beat Falcons 30-23 (OT)
1. Baltimore Ravens
No Lamar Jackson, no problem. With Tyler Huntley under center, the Ravens pulled off a dramatic overtime win over an Atlanta Falcons team that had built momentum in recent weeks. When healthy, this Baltimore team is the most talented in the division on both sides of the ball.
The rest of the AFC North is keeping pace with the Ravens for now, but they could quickly put this division race to bed in the coming weeks.
Next game: Sunday, Oct. 18 at Browns
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
Is the Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy reunion … working? The Steelers' offense was unable to get anything going early in the season, but they've found a breakthrough in the last few weeks. Since Week 3, Pittsburgh's offense ranks fourth in the NFL in EPA per play.
If they can keep this offensive awakening going, the Steelers will be a force to contend with in the AFC North.
Next game: Sunday, Oct. 18 at Buccaneers
3. Cleveland Browns
Per PFF, Watson was pressured 22 times on Sunday. On those plays, he completed four passes for 62 yards. The Jets were getting after him constantly, making it impossible to gain any sort of momentum on offense.
There were plenty of limiting factors for the Browns in Week 5, but this loss proved that they aren't quite ready to take over the top spot in the AFC North. Still, fans in Cleveland should be encouraged by their team's first five games.
Next game: Sunday, Oct. 18 vs. Ravens
4. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals are now the only team this season to allow the Miami Dolphins to score more than 13 points. While the 31-24 final score wasn't a good representation of how the game played out, it exposed a Cincinnati defense that can still be taken advantage of.
Every team in this division is competent at the very least, and the Bengals still have a chance to challenge for the title. But there are undeniable weaknesses on their roster that could cost them down the road.
Next game: Sunday, Oct. 25 at Ravens (Week 6 bye)
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