It took until the final night of the game week, but the picture is clear in the AFC North following the conclusion of Week 7.
Once again, the Pittsburgh Steelers remain on top of the division, while the Cincinnati Bengals appear to be getting on track, and the Cleveland Browns are all but done. The Baltimore Ravens rolled to a 41-31 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, keeping pace with the Steelers in the division.
AFC NORTH STANDINGS, WEEK 7
1. Baltimore Ravens (5-2)
2. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2)
3. Cincinnati Bengals (3-4)
4. Cleveland Browns (1-6)
Prior to the Monday Night Football matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Steelers rolled to a 37-15 blowout win over the New York Jets to improve to 5-2 on the season, while the Cincinnati Bengals did something they hadn’t done since 2017, which was win a game in Cleveland, defeating the Browns by a score of 21-14.
The Bengals improve to 3-4 on the season, while the Browns fall to 1-6, and are now without quarterback Deshaun Watson for the season after he suffered a torn Achilles against the Bengals.
In Tampa Bay, the Ravens found themselves up against one of the better teams in the NFC in the Buccaneers, and quickly the Ravens fell behind 10-0 on the road.
The Buccaneers went right down the field to open the game against the Ravens, marching 70 yards in eight plays as quarterback Backer Mayfield hit running back Rachaad White for 18 yards out of the backfield to start the drive. Later, rookie wide receiver Jalen McMillan gained 11 yards on a run, and then Mayfield hit star receiver Mike Evans for 25 yards, giving the Buccaneers a 7-0 lead and Evans his 100th career touchdown reception.
That fast start carried over to the defense for Tampa Bay, too, as the Buccaneers sacked Ravens’ quarterback Lamar Jackson twice on the first drive of the game, forcing a punt. Building off of the momentum, the Buccaneers then drove down the field again offensively on the next drive.
Mayfield hit rookie running back Bucky Irving for 15 yards out of the backfield, then later hit Irving out of the backfield for 14 yards and looked to have a touchdown pass to wide receiver Chris Godwin for 8 yards, but a holding penalty wiped it out, forcing the Buccaneers to settle for a field goal and a 10-0 lead after one quarter of play.
The Ravens came right back though as Jackson heated up. The two-time MVP found tight end Charlie Kolar for 19 yards, scrambled for 11 yards, connected with tight end Isaiah Likely for nine yards, and then hit tight end Mark Andrews for 9-yard touchdown as the Ravens covered 70 yards in six plays, making it a 10-7 game.
Just when it looked like the Bucs were going to take a 17-7 lead, the Ravens’ defense stood tall as cornerback Marlon Humphrey stepped in front of a Mayfield pass and intercepted the pass in the end zone, keeping Tampa Bay off the board just a few plays after Evans went down with what appeared to be a hamstring injury.
And in the blink of an eye, the Ravens took the lead.
Jackson hit wide receiver Rashod Bateman for 60 yards on a scramble, and then after a Jackson touchdown run was negated by a bogus holding penalty, Jackson hit running back Justice Hill on an 18-yard touchdown off a screen pass, giving the Ravens a 14-10 lead late in the second quarter.
That drive seemed to spark the Ravens as Mayfield and the Buccaneers turned the ball over again with Humphrey recording another interception on the ensuing drive, giving the Ravens the ball near midfield late in the first half.
Ten plays, 50 yards later, the Ravens took a 17-10 lead into the half, squandering a 2nd and Goal from the 8-yard line, losing yardage on three straight penalties, eventually leading to a 28-yard field goal from Justin Tucker to head into the halftime with the seven-point lead.
In the blink of an eye in the third quarter, the Ravens took a 17-10 lead and turned it into a 34-10 game before the quarter was over. The Ravens opened the second half with a field goal drive to make it 20-10.
Then, the Buccaneers drove down trying to answer, but missed a field goal as Chase McLaughlin hit one off of the upright to miss from 55 yards. Four plays after the missed field goal, the Ravens were in the end zone again as Jackson dialed up the deep ball to Bateman again, connecting on a 49-yard touchdown to make it a 27-10 game.
Tampa Bay then punted quickly on the next drive, and the Ravens seemingly put the game away.
Derrick Henry ripped off an 81-yard run, and Jackson then found Andrews for his second touchdown of the game, this one from four yards out, putting the rout on.
The Buccaneers wouldn’t go quietly as they recovered a fumble on a backwards pass from Lamar Jackson to Zay Flowers, setting up an 18-yard touchdown from Mayfield to White, and a two-point conversion to Sterling Shepard to make it a 34-18 game.
But Henry made another big play, ripping off a 39-yard run and then capping off the Ravens’ drive by hauling in a 13-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to make it a 41-18 game, putting a capper on the night.
In the win, Jackson threw for 281 yards and five touchdowns on 17-of-22 passing, while Henry rushed for 169 yards on 15 carries, and Bateman led the Ravens with four receptions for 121 yards and a score.
The Ravens move to 5-2 on the season and will take on the 1-6 Browns in Week 8 at 1 p.m.
