The AFC North is showing its true colors after Week 5. The Cleveland Browns are one of the worst teams in the NFL. The Cincinnati Bengals season may already be over. The Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive woes are rearing their ugly heads. The Baltimore Ravens are hitting their stride and look like the best team in football.
Aside from the Ravens, this division is in free fall. The only other team with a winning record is the Steelers, but they are looking less and less trustworthy by the week.
Ravens running back Derrick Henry continues to amaze, while Lamar Jackson does the impossible. Baltimore was the only team from the division this past weekend that won, a testament to their upward trajectory and its counterparts' demise.
After an eye-opening Week 5, here’s where each AFC North team ranks heading into Week 6.
(Note: Number in parentheses indicates last week's ranking)
AFC North Week 6 power rankings
4. Cleveland Browns (4)
The Browns might just be the worst team in football. It seems like every week, they can't play worse than they did the week prior, but somehow they find a way. Quarterback Deshaun Watson looks terrible, and the offense is anemic. Their league-leading defense last year is getting carved up by opposing offenses, and they can't stay off the field due to their own offensive ineptitude.
The Browns have now lost three games in a row, with their only win on the season an 18-13 victory over the 1-4 Jacksonville Jaguars. The Browns are bad. This week, they got blown out by the rookie-led Washington Commanders 34-13. Yikes.
3. Cincinnati Bengals (3)
The Bengals had every opportunity to come away with a Week 5 win over the Ravens in Cincinnati this past weekend but blew every single one. Leading 38-28 late in the fourth quarter, the Bengals allowed Lamar Jackson to take over the game and bring them back to force overtime.
Multiple mishaps and poor play calling led to the Bengals' demise, and they now sit at 1-4 with almost no hopes for a playoff birth. This team is unraveling, their defense stinks, and Joe Burrow can play perfectly but he still can't save them. Cincinnati isn't playing well enough to win.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers (2)
Reality is hitting hard for the Pittsburgh Steelers and their fans. Just two weeks ago, they were riding high at 3-0, but back-to-back losses have dropped them to 3-2, with no clear path forward. The moment of truth has arrived. Week 4's 27-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts was a bit suspect, but so was Pittsburgh being undefeated. Last week's 20-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys was much less so.
This is not a good offensive team. Quarterback Justin Fields cannot make big plays with his arm and running back Najee Harris can't run for more than three yards a carry. Things are not looking great for the Steelers and many fans and pundits are calling for veteran QB Russell Wilson's number moving forward to inject some life into this stale offense.
1. Baltimore Ravens (1)
What a game for the Ravens on Sunday. Talk about keeping composure and delivering when the moments shine brightest. Baltimore came into the game on a two-game winning streak and easily could have keeled over and given the Bengals the game down 38-28 in the fourth quarter, but they didn't. The defense did enough to keep them in the game and the Ravens pulled through.
This Ravens offense is unstoppable with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. The dynamic duo is the best in the league, and the sky is the limit for what they can accomplish together. Baltimore is staying put at the one spot this week. It will take a lot of convincing play from other teams to move them off the podium.
They'll take on rookie quarterback sensation Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in Week 6.
