Fresh off their bye week, the Pittsburgh Steelers might be “licking their chops” a bit. Over the next 10 days, they will face both of their reeling rivals from Ohio — first the Cleveland Browns at home. Then on Thursday Night Football, the Steelers will visit Zac Taylor and the Cincinnati Bengals during Week 7.
The Bengals have lost three consecutive games since quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a toe injury. During that stretch, Cincinnati has averaged 12.3 points and 217.3 yards per contest.
But Taylor hasn’t lost faith in his team. The Bengals head coach explained to the media Sunday that one of the reasons why is because of what’s happening with the rest of the AFC North.
“Five games in, that’s what I’m counting on to get us through this, the last 12 games, where we can go win some games,” Taylor told reporters after the team’s Week 5 defeat. “I’m not oblivious to what goes on in the AFC and our division.
“There’s going to be plenty of opportunity there if we can stick through this storm and stick together and find a way to put us in some better positions on offense together and score some points.”
The Baltimore Ravens are the biggest story in the AFC North. Arguably, they are the biggest disappointment around the entire NFL . The Ravens have started 1-4 and suffered a 34-point home loss in Week 5.
Cleveland is also 1-4.
With a 3-1 record, the Steelers are the only team in the division above .500 and have an early lead in the AFC North.
Zac Taylor Overlooking Steelers Early AFC North Lead?
Coming into the 2025 NFL season, the Ravens and Bengals were the main focus in the AFC North. The Steelers were mostly an afterthought because their 41-year-old quarterback. Baltimore and Cincinnati feature MVP candidate quarterbacks.
Taylor’s comment seems to suggest, at least indirectly, that the Bengals head coach still sees the Ravens as his team’s biggest competition. If that’s the case, then the Bengals aren’t in bad shape. They sit in front of Baltimore in the standings.
But that’s obviously a little disrespectful to the Steelers . While Pittsburgh hasn’t played great to open the season, the team continues to find ways to win under Mike Tomlin.
In Taylor’s defense, he’s not wrong about his team having upcoming opportunities. It’s just that few outside of Cincinnati likely believe at the moment the Bengals will be able to take advantage of those opportunities without Burrow.
If the Steelers defeat the Browns and Bengals in back-to-back games, Tomlin’s club will be 5-1 and hold at least a three-game AFC North lead in the loss column. In all likelihood, the Steelers will be the favorite ahead of both matchups.
The best opportunity the Bengals have of staying in the division race is beating Pittsburgh during Week 7 on October 16.
Ravens Still Favorites in AFC North?
It’s not hyperbole to write Baltimore suffered an embarrassing loss Sunday. The Ravens allowed the most points they’ve ever yielded at home in 18 seasons under head coach John Harbaugh.
The Steelers didn’t play Sunday to increase their division lead. But they got healthier during a bye week.
Yet, the Ravens are still the betting-odds favorite to win the AFC North.
“Per ESPN Bet, the Ravens are -110 to win the AFC North,” Steelers Depot’s Alex Kozora wrote . The Steelers are +140 while the Cincinnati Bengals (+1100) and Cleveland Browns (+1800) have long odds.
“FanDuel has a narrower gap but still places Baltimore in first, -105 compared to Pittsburgh’s +130.”
It’s a long season. If any fan base should know that, it’s Pittsburgh’s. Just last year, the Steelers were sitting in first place of the AFC North after Thanksgiving with a 10-3 record.
But following a four-game losing streak to end the season, the Steelers lost the division and had to sneak into the playoffs.
There’s still plenty of time for the Ravens , or for that matter, the Bengals, to make up ground on the Steelers. Again, that was Taylor’s point.
But it also wouldn’t be shocking if Steelers players see either those betting odds or Taylor’s comments as a little disrespectful.
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