Around The AFC North Week 8

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There's an argument to be made that the AFC North is the toughest division in football right now, with all four teams within a single loss of each other.
While the Cleveland Browns takes their two-game win streak on the road to Seattle, the rest of the AFC North is in action this weekend as well looking to start sorting out which teams are contenders, and which are pretenders.
Here's where you can find the Browns biggest rivals, the Steelers, Bengals and Ravens, this weekend.
Jacksonville Jaguars (5-2) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) - 1 p.m., Sunday
The Steelers represent the only AFC North team that will play in the 1 pm window this weekend, and they've got a tough task with the red hot Jaguars coming to the Steel City. Jacksonville has won four straight entering Sunday and seem to be hitting their stride. Pittsburgh, well their offense is still in the basement of the league in terms of EPA per play but that Mike Tomlin magic has them in the mix at 4-2.
In typical Steelers fashion, they continue to find ways to win ugly, and that's the same reason why there's still plenty of doubt about this team sustaining their winning ways. If they're able to pull this one off, it would be their biggest statement yet.
Cincinnati Bengals (3-3) @ San Francisco 49ers (5-2) - 4:25 p.m., Sunday
The Browns aren't the only team heading west this weekend. Fresh off their bye week, the Bengals visit the slumping 49ers, coming off two straight losses and looking to get back to being one of the NFL's top teams. The Bengals are in a similar state though, hoping a week of rest pays dividends for Joe Burrow's calf injury.
Somehow, Cincinnati has scratched and clawed it's way to 3-3 on the season and are right in the thick of an extremely competitive division. For the Bengals to a win a third straight though, the 49ers have to lose a third straight.
Baltimore Ravens (5-2) @ Arizona Cardinals (1-6) - 4:25 p.m., Sunday
Baltimore also hits the road to battle an NFC West foe in the Arizona Cardinals, who despite their record are a tough team. Lamar Jackson seemed to finally find a rhythm in the Todd Monken offense last week, trowing for 357 yards and three touchdowns in a statement win over the Lions. If the offense truly is turning the proverbial corner it's worst case scenario for the Arizona.

Spencer German is a contributor to the Northeast Ohio cluster of sites, including Cavs Insider, Cleveland Baseball Insider and most notably Browns Digest. He also works as a fill-in host on Cleveland Sports Radio, 92.3 The Fan, one of the Browns radio affiliate stations in Cleveland. Despite being a Cleveland transplant, Spencer has enjoyed making Northeast Ohio home ever since he attended college locally at John Carroll University, where he graduated in 2013.
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