Going into this season, the Baltimore Ravens were the favorite to win the AFC North. Through three games, though, they aren’t at the top. That spot is currently being shared by the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers. However, with Joe Burrow out for most of the year, the Bengals’ chances at keeping the division crown don’t seem great. The Steelers aren’t without questions, either. Despite that, Chris Simms isn’t ruling them out of the race.
“I expect the Ravens to win this division, but the Steelers is not a bad bet,” Simms said recently on his Unbuttoned podcast. “I do believe the Steelers are getting their defense figured out a little bit. And I think Aaron Rodgers and their offense, at least, they’re making some plays there. So, I see a way.”
Currently, the Ravens are sitting at 1-2, but that doesn’t tell the whole story of their team. Their losses have come against the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions, two of the better teams in the league. Also, they were competitive in both those games.
With Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, it’s no surprise that Simms still thinks the Ravens are favorites to win the AFC North. However, they’ve shown real flaws, the biggest of which is their defense. Currently, their defense is ranked at the very bottom of the league, according to FOX Sports.
Unfortunately, the Steelers’ defense is dealing with similar problems and has faced some less impressive offenses. Just as well, their offense hasn’t found a rhythm yet.
That could still put them behind the Ravens in the division. While both teams’ defenses have issues, the Ravens’ offense is much better than the Steelers. That might be enough to give them the edge in the division.
Also, the Steelers’ last two meetings against the Ravens didn’t end well. They got blown out in both those games. While they’ve made many changes since then, their current problems could set them up for failure against the Ravens again. The combination of Henry and Jackson could be a nightmare for the Steelers’ run defense.
However, if their defense figures things out, like Simms believes, they could be in for a more competitive matchup. The Steelers aren’t set to play the Ravens until Week 14, so they have time to get back on track. A lot could happen between now and then.
