It’s time to talk about how good the AFC North is this season

The AFC North is a force to be reckoned with and could very well see three teams make the playoffs.

Heading into the 2020 season, we knew the AFC North would be an intriguing one, as three of the four quarterbacks in the division were drafted in the past two years. Five weeks into the season, three teams in the division have winning records and look to be legitimate threats to make it to the playoffs and make a deep run.

The reigning AFC North champions are the Ravens and they’re 4-1 after five games. They’re continuing to run the ball down the opposition’s throats, but their defense has also taken a step forward this year. Yes, they had a rough game against the Chiefs two weeks ago, but that’s going to happen from time to time.

The Ravens are still the favorites to win this division, but it won’t be as easy as a run to the top of the North as it was last year. They’re actually in second place at the moment, as the Steelers have yet to lose a game, sitting at 4-0. Pittsburgh had an unexpected bye in Week 4 due to the Titans’ COVID-19 concerns, but the Steelers took care of business as per usual this week and defeated the hapless Eagles.

Pittsburgh’s pride to this point is their defense, who has been absolutely destructive and will be the reason why they win the division and even vie for a Super Bowl this year. They’re that good. They might have allowed some chunk plays against the Eagles, but that’s bound to happen in the NFL.

Then, last but not least, we come to the Browns, who are 4-1 and that’s the first time that’s happened since 1994! I wrote a post urging people not to jump on Cleveland’s bandwagon just yet, but they went toe-to-toe with a tough Indianapolis defense and came out on top, so now it’s okay to jump on that bandwagon, folks.

The Browns have finally looked like the team many expected them to look like last year and they’re doing it in a multitude of ways, from throwing the ball to running the ball to playing fairly solid defense.

While the Bengals have only won one game, their fans should feel confident moving forward with Joe Burrow at the helm. The No. 1 overall pick has looked good through his first five games as a pro quarterback, but unfortunately for him, he plays in the toughest division in the AFC.

While the Ravens, Steelers, and Browns are all looking like playoff teams, only one can win the AFC North and host a playoff game. There is a real chance that the other two teams make the playoffs though, especially with the expanded format going into effect this year. Something to keep in mind is that these teams will have to beat up on each other as the season progresses, but right now, the AFC North deserves some respect for how competitive it’s been.