For the last few decades — at least – the AFC North has been viewed as the best of the best when it comes to NFL divisions. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens’ rivalry has helped prop it up while the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns tried to find their way.
The AFC North consistently put three teams into the playoffs in recent years, and was the first division in 88 years to have all four teams finish over .500 during the 2023 season. It should be a strong division once again, too.
One would think it remains the best division in football, right?
For Pro Football Focus’ Trevor Sikkema, he did his best Lee Corso impersonation Thursday morning.
Not so fast, my friends.
Sikkema doesn’t believe the AFC North is the best division in football. He doesn’t believe it’s the second or third best, either. In fact, Sikkema ranked the AFC North as the fourth-best division in the NFL, behind the NFC North, AFC West, and NFC West.
“The AFC North remains a competitive division, but it’s no longer the juggernaut it was just a few years ago,” Sikkema writes regarding the AFC North in his rankings. “The Ravens have claimed back-to-back division titles and are firmly in their Super Bowl window heading into 2025. The Bengals, with Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins all returning, should again field one of the league’s most dangerous offenses.
“However, their defense regressed in 2024, ranking 20th in EPA per play. Getting Trey Hendrickson back on the field and in the fold could be key — if the defense can hold up, Burrow is more than capable of carrying them to a playoff berth.”
Entering the 2025 season, the Ravens and Bengals are firmly the top two teams in the division, at least according to the talking heads. The Bengals have Joe Burrow coming off a tremendous year, and he has his weapons back in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, not to mention TE Mike Gesicki, so their offense should be lethal again.
The Trey Hendrickson situation in Cincinnati is a mess, but the belief is with new defensive coordinator Al Golden, and a bunch of young pieces acquired through the draft, the Bengals’ defense should be better.
Baltimore, as Sikkema wrote, is firmly in its Super Bowl window with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry forming a dangerous tandem in the backfield. Baltimore added some pieces to the defense this offseason, too, and signed big-name receiver DeAndre Hopkins in free agency as well.
Things seem to fall off a bit behind Baltimore and Cincinnati, despite the Steelers being a playoff team last season. The Browns remain the Browns, though, so that hinders the division a bit. But even with some uncertainty in Pittsburgh right now, there’s a good chance that team is still in the playoff picture in December.
Sikkema isn’t buying it though.
“In Pittsburgh, it’s nearly sacrilegious to predict a losing season, but despite having one of the league’s best defensive lines, there’s little to get excited about offensively,” Sikkema writes. “The team still hasn’t locked in Aaron Rodgers, and even if they do, it’s questionable how well he fits Arthur Smith’s scheme. If not Rodgers, rookie Will Howard could end up being the guy — a major gamble in a competitive division.
“As for the Browns, their quarterback situation is a full-blown mystery, with four players reportedly in contention for the starting job. Kevin Stefanski has two Coach of the Year awards, but the team’s win total projection (4.5) tells the story.”
The Browns will be a mess. They don’t have much direction offensively, though the defense should be pretty good. Sounds a lot like Pittsburgh in a way, no?
The Steelers are still waiting on Aaron Rodgers, which really has delayed things. He might not be a great fit in Pittsburgh with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, but the Steelers don’t have many better options. Having DK Metcalf at wide receiver and Pat Freiermuth at tight end, not to mention a strong running game, should help Rodgers, but it remains to be seen if he can fit in Pittsburgh.
The defense should be good once again, but it can only carry the Steelers so much in an offense-driven world.
In total, the AFC North is projected to have 34 wins in 2025, behind the 37 for the NFC North, AFC West and NFC West. It might not be as great as it was a few years ago, but the AFC North remains quite good. It’s a good bet that the division has more wins than those other three, too.
