The Baltimore Ravens have a better record than everyone else in the AFC, but quietly entering Week 13 the race for the AFC North title is heating up.
So much so, in fact, that there’s momentum gaining for the Pittsburgh Steelers to be the division winner when it’s all said and done in the 2023 season.
Pittsburgh sits at 7-4 entering Week 13 and is second in the division, with a 3-1 record against division opponents. One of those three wins includes a victory over the Ravens.
Now, as the seasons gets into the stretch run, the focus is turning to the division race. For Peacock’s Michael Holley, appearing on the latest episode of his show “Brother From Another,” he made the case that the Steelers will win the AFC North due to how they are playing currently and how the schedule shapes up for them down the stretch as it appears much easier on paper than the Ravens’ schedule.
“Let’s keep it a buck: Baltimore is a better team in Pittsburgh. Baltimore has a lot more ways to win games, but it is just really scheduling, it come down to scheduling…So I really think it’s gonna come down to this,” Holley said regarding the Steelers and the Ravens within the AFC North. “It’s gonna come to this down for the division. I like the Steelers over the Ravens, but if you say pick a team, Oh, I’m on that fence. I’m dancing on the fence now ’cause I picked the Steelers.
“I’m getting everything I want. …I’m placating them both. I think the Steelers win the division. I think the Ravens, if I have to pick one team to go far in the playoffs, I’m gonna go with the Ravens can go further in the playoffs than the Steelers.”
That’s not all that crazy of a take from Holley, if we’re being honest.
At 7-4, the Steelers are riding high after a win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 12, which happened to be the best performance the offense has had in a few seasons, gaining 421 yards of offense against a good Bengals defense. The Steelers scored just 16 points though, so there is room for improvement.
But coming off that win over the Bengals, Pittsburgh enters a very advantageous stretch in the schedule, starting with a matchup against the Arizona Cardinals at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday. After that, the Steelers host the New England Patriots in Week 14 on Thursday Night Football, and then travel to take on the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15.
Pittsburgh closes the season with a home game against the Bengals in Week 16, and then road trips to Seattle and Baltimore in Weeks 17 and 18. That’s a favorable close to the season compared to the Ravens.
Baltimore will host the Los Angeles Rams in Week 14 coming out of their bye week, and then will have to battle the Jacksonville Jaguars and San Francisco 49ers on the road with the Niners game being on Christmas, before then hosting the Miami Dolphins and Steelers to close the season.
That’s a brutal stretch late in the season, and it might be all that more difficult for a Ravens team that is largely banged up. But quarterback Lamar Jackson is playing at an MVP level, and the team is finding ways to win games in ugly fashion.
We’ll see how the Ravens continue to play down the stretch and see if the Steelers can stack strong performances together, if at all. Should the Black and Gold be able to do that, it won’t be at all surprising to see Pittsburgh atop the AFC North when it’s all said and done.
