Where the Browns stand in updated AFC North standings after Week 8

The Cleveland Browns came out, once again, looking flat on offense during a 32-13 loss on the road against the New England Patriots.

Although the end result should surprise virtually no one, considering what the Browns have shown all year and the fact that the Pats are contending for the Conference lead, Cleveland’s poor effort still leaves a lot to be desired.

Let's revisit the AFC North’s standings to see where each team stands after Week 8 action, where only one of the four franchises found a way to win.

Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3)

Aaron Rodgers’ return to Green Bay wasn’t the affair he expected, with the Steelers dropping their second game in a row, allowing the rest of the division to hang around.

Even though Rodgers managed to toss two touchdown passes and Pittsburgh’s running game felt somewhat solid, the defense just couldn’t put the brakes on Jordan Love and Co., resulting in a 35-25 win at home for the Packers. Now, Pittsburgh could spend some time without safety DeShon Elliott, defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale or guard Isaac Semualo, after all three exited Sunday night’s game with injuries.

The Steelers next game is a tough one, hosting the Colts and their league-best record of 7-1 at Acrisure Stadium. Indianapolis is an early favorite at -3 at FanDuel Sportsbook and -3.5 at ESPNBet for the game.

Cincinnati Bengals (3-5)

Just when we thought the Bengals could be ready to surge after beating Pittsburgh the week before, they dropped one against the New York Jets... The same Jets who hadn’t won anything all year... At home.

So, who are the Bengals, really? Well, they’re a team capable of putting a bunch of points on the board, that’s for sure. But on the flipside, they’re also the team who has allowed the most touchdowns and the second-most points per game average so far. And things could get worse, depending on edge rusher Trey Hendrickson’s hip injury status, and whatever happens with linebacker Logan Wilson’s trade request.

Cincy will be gearing up for a third straight home game this week, against a Bears’ team that’s already a -2.5 betting favorite. But letting these Jets leave town with a win will most likely haunt them at the end of the season.

Baltimore Ravens (2-5)

Coming off their bye, many supposed Lamar Jackson would reappear in the Ravens’ lineup for their home game against Chicago. Tyler Huntley got the start instead, led Baltimore to a resounding win over the Bears, and gave Jackson a few more days to recover with a Thursday night matchup against the Dolphins lurking around the corner.

With Jackson set to return from a hamstring issue, and Baltimore slowly but surely getting healthy again, they're embarking on a three-road game journey that will take them to Miami, Minnesota and Cleveland. Expectations are still high for this team in spite of a 1-5 start to the season, but we’ll know more about this group during the three-leg tour because all these visits look very winnable right now.

The Ravens are heavily favored at -7.5 to beat the Dolphins at the start of Week 9 action next Thursday.

Cleveland Browns (2-6)

The Browns head to their bye week searching for answers on offense. After getting trounced in Foxborough, head coach Kevin Stefanski quickly dismissed any idea of swapping quarterbacks, choosing to stick with third-round rookie Dillon Gabriel instead of giving fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders his first shot at the helm.

Cleveland’s season is quickly going down the drain, and if personnel changes aren’t the solution, as Stefanski seems to be signaling, then it’s time to take a long hard look at gameplanning and playcalling.