Following the Ravens heartbreaking loss to the Raiders on Monday they find themselves in last place in a crowded AFC North. It’s only been one week, but this division already looks to be one of the league’s best. The Browns are an up and coming powerhouse, Joe Burrow’s Bengals looked primed to exceed expectations, and the Ravens and Steelers are competitive as always. So what did each Ravens rival’s Week 1 performance tell us? And how will Week 2’s matchups shake up the divisional standings? Let’s take a look.
(You can discuss this on the BSL Board here.)
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers were expected by most to fall to mediocrity this season. An aging Ben Roethlisbereger, an uncertain offensive line, and a defense that lost some key pieces were all signs that perhaps for once, the Steelers would not be in the mix for the AFC North crown. They proved that thought completely incorrect with their performance on Sunday afternoon in a game that was very reminiscent of last year’s Week 8 matchup between Baltimore and Pittsburgh.
Heading into Buffalo as 6.5 point underdogs, the Steelers started slow, falling behind 10-0 at the half. However, as is often the case with Tomlin-led teams, the Steelers made the necessary adjustments to get the offense going and turn things around in the second half. Two field goals and a Diontae Johnson touchdown grab were enough to propel Pittsburgh into the lead early in the fourth quarter. Just minutes later, the Steelers special teams unit provided the most important play of the day when former Detroit Lions safety Miles Kilebrew and linebacker Ulysees Gilbert III ran it back for a touchdown. The Steelers never looked back, winning by a final score of 23-16.
The Steelers will look to continue their momentum at home against Las Vegas on Sunday. The matchup seems to favor Pittsburgh as is evidenced by the fact that the Steelers are currently 5.5 point favorites. Considering the struggles Raiders corners faced against Sammy Watkins and Marquise Brown in Week 1, it’s hard to imagine them having much more success against Pittsburgh’s lethal wide receiver trio of Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, and JuJu Smith-Schuster. That being said, pass rushers Maxx Crosby, Yannick Ngakoue, and Carl Nassib should cause problems for a Steelers offensive line that was unimpressive to say the least against Buffalo.
On the other side of the ball the matchup to watch will be Darren Waller against Pittsburgh’s linebacking duo of Devin Bush and Joe Schobert. Waller was targeted 19 times a week ago and despite Baltimore’s best efforts to contain him, he wreaked havoc all night long. If he gets loose as he did on Monday Night he could cause serious problems for the Pittsburgh defense. Getting the running game going, something the Bills were unable to do a week ago, could also prove vital if the Raiders are going to pull off the upset. And, of course, keeping T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward and the rest of the Steelers pass rush in check will undeniably be a top concern for Jon Gruden’s group.
With the Ravens set to take on the Chiefs on Sunday night, a Steelers win could put the team in a very difficult position early in the season. Falling two games back of your biggest rival in Week 2 is something no team wants to do.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals pulled off an upset of their own on Sunday, taking down the Minnesota Vikings in overtime by a score of 27-24.
Much of the discussion before the game was surrounding the return of Joe Burrow, who tore both his ACL and MCL halfway through the 2020 season. The young quarterback impressed, going 20 for 27 with 261 yards to go along with two touchdowns. He wasted little time reestablishing a connection with his college teammate and rookie first round pick Ja’Marr Chase. They connected five times for 101 yards including a 50 yard touchdown right before halftime to give the Bengals their first lead of the game.
Despite holding a double-digit lead for much of the second half, the Bengals were unable to put away the Vikings in regulation. A late touchdown run from Dalvin Cook and a last-second 53 yard-field goal enabled the Vikings to send the game into overtime. From there the defenses took over with the Bengals and Vikings punting twice and once respectively before the Vikings finally marched into Cincinnati territory and looked ready to end the game. However, just when things looked bleak for the Bengals a fumble by Dalvin Cook gave them the ball back with enough time to drive down the field and hit a 33-yard field goal for the win.
Cincinnati now turns its attention to the 0-1 Chicago Bears. Chicago is coming off of a pathetic performance that saw them blown out by the now Matthew Stafford led Los Angeles Rams but they have still opened as a 3 point favorite to beat the Bengals. Andy Dalton will get a chance at revenge against his former employer while Bengals fans will get their shot at revenge against the quarterback who kept them in mediocrity for almost a decade.
If last week’s game is any indication of what Chicago’s secondary will look like this year then Joe Burrow will get plenty of chances to take shots downfield on Sunday afternoon. Tyler Boyd, Tee Higgins, and Ja’Marr Chase should all see a healthy supply of targets. With the loss of AJ Green this offseason, Chase could play a particularly important role as the player who is able to take the top off a defense considering how much trouble the Bears had limiting big plays a week ago. And, of course, keeping Khalil Mack contained will be an important goal for the Bengals offensive line.
Defensively the Bengals will need to focus their energy on stopping Bears running back David Montgomery. Other than Allen Robinson the Chicago passing offense offers little threat so if the Bears are going to have success on Sunday it will likely be on the back of their third year running back. It’s hard to imagine the Bears shutting down the high-powered Bengals offense for four quarters so getting on the board early and often will likely prove important should the Bears pull out a win.
Cleveland Browns
The most popular pick to win the AFC North this year, the Browns entered Week 1 with high expectations. For the first three quarters of football they didn’t disappoint.
Cleveland led 8-3 after the first, 22-10 at the half, and 22-20 at the end of the third quarter. Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt rolled through the Browns defense and Baker Mayfield hit just about every throw he tried to make. Even the defense was finding success shutting down Patrick Mahomes and the best offense in football.
But all that matters in football is the final score, and a fourth quarter collapse saw the Browns return to their ways and end the day 0-1. In the second half the Browns surrendered a fumble around midfield, botched a punt and turned the ball over inside their own 20 yard line, and threw an interception just as they seemed ready to mount a game-winning drive. It’s safe to say Cleveland still has some hurdles to get over before we can deem them Super Bowl contenders.
The Browns will look for redemption this week at home against the somehow 1-0 Houston Texans. There’s not too much to say about this matchup other than that Cleveland should dominate.
Though they looked solid last week it’s hard to imagine the Texans rush defense containing the best rushing attack in the league. I expect big days from both Chubb and Hunt. In the passing game Baker Mayfield will once again be without Odell Beckham Jr., but Jarvis Landry and Austin Hooper performed admirably in his absence a week ago and 2021 third-round pick Anthony Schwartz showed impressive flashes in his limited playing time.
On the other side of the ball the Texans have assembled a crew of forgotten veterans. Former Browns quarterback Tyrod Taylor will look to impress in a revenge game and I wish him the best of luck with that endeavor. Considering that his weapons consist of Brandin Cooks, Mark Ingram, and David Johnson, he’s gonna need it.
With the Browns handed their easiest opponent of the season and the Steelers and Bengals thrown very winnable games, this could be a rough week for Ravens fans. A Sunday Night victory could completely change that, but if Mahomes and crew emerge victorious again, try to remember that it’s a long season and that there’s plenty of time to turn things around.
Luke Rollfinke is a student at Vanderbilt where he is pursuing a career in sports journalism. A recent graduate from the Friends School of Baltimore, Luke has spent his entire childhood in Charm City and is a devoted Orioles fan. In the past, he has written for SB Nation and has worked closely with Ravens columnist John Eisenberg. From nights at Camden Yards to Sunday afternoons watching NFL Redzone, Luke eats, sleeps, and breathes sports. He is excited to bring his perspective to BSL.