While the Pittsburgh Steelers were on their bye in Week 5, they still won because the rest of their division lost. Right now, they’re in control of the AFC North. However, the Baltimore Ravens are still favorites to win the division, even though they’re 1-4. While the Ravens look like they’re in free fall, Juan Thornhill isn’t underestimating their chances of winning the AFC North.
“I really don’t want anybody to think that the Ravens are done,” Thornhill said recently via reporter Mark Kaboly on Twitter. “They aren’t done. I promise you that. I’ve seen them enough, and I have played enough ball to know.
“They have a lot of guys injured right now and a lot of bad things happening for them, but once they figure it out, I guarantee they are not done. By the time we play them, they will be back to form.”
The Ravens are missing multiple key starters, including superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson. As a result, they got thrashed in Week 4, losing to the Houston Texans 44-10. They looked far from a playoff team, let alone a division champ.
However, Thornhill is right. While this is his first year with the Steelers, he spent the previous two seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Therefore, he’s got experience battling the Ravens in the AFC North. He’s seen them turn things around before.
Most of the Ravens’ injuries aren’t long term, besides defensive lineman Nnamdi Madubuike. They’ll get healthy, and once Jackson is back, they could flip the switch and return to being a Super Bowl contender.
It’s important to note that the Ravens were struggling even before they were decimated by injuries, though. Even when healthy, their defense was having problems.
They faced similar issues last year, though, and down the stretch, they turned things around. The Ravens’ defense was the worst in the league for much of the 2024 season. However, as the playoffs drew closer, that unit turned things around, helping the Ravens win the division.
Maybe they could do something similar this year. The Steelers don’t play the Ravens until Week 14 and both teams could look very different by then. While the Steelers are on top of the AFC North right now, that could change quickly. They led the division for most of last year, but they dropped it to end the year. The AFC North race isn’t over until it’s over.
