Joe Flacco Keeps AFC North Hope Alive for Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens' hopes for making any noise in the AFC North were already hanging on by a thread, and they had to prepare for a Week 7 bye knowing that their neighbors had several chances to further bury them in the standings.

Their 1-5 record through six weeks would have been shocking to anyone who's been in a coma for the last two months, the sharpest downturn compared to expectations that any team's suffered this fall. But anyone who's paid attention has witnessed a team that's failed to piece together inspiring football from their contributors, an issue that's only been exacerbated by a debilitating slew of injuries.

Their bye arrives at a beneficial point in the season, providing the squad with a chance to rest up and squash their demons in an attempt to salvage whatever's left of the season. Unfortunately, that means having to sit and watch as their division-mates try to further add to the Ravens' disadvantage in the standings, with one of the Cincinnati Bengals or Pittsburgh Steelers gaining a leg up in their Thursday night showdown.

Joe Flacco Helps the Ravens

The Steelers' winning would have been more destructive in the long-term, with the Aaron Rodgers-led operation already entering the game with a surprisingly-strong 4-1 record. They swooped in to effortlessly take over the No. 1 northern seed that the Ravens were largely expected to seize for the third straight season.

That's where the previously-2-3 Bengals came in, giving the Steelers a high-scoring challenge behind new quarterback and old Ravens friend Joe Flacco. The Baltimore icon-turned-journeyman had spent the season's first month guiding the Cleveland Browns through another rough start, but their choice to send Flacco to a division rival annoyed Steelers coach Mike Tomlin heading into their matchup, where the Bengals got the better of their opponent in a 33-31 shootout.

Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Cincinnati Bengals Quarterback Joe Flacco — Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco (16) shake hands after the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 7 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. The Bengals won, 33-31. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The upset levels out the AFC North, easing the road for when the Ravens return to action in Week 8. Their schedule gets noticeably easier from that point on, and they'll hopefully be re-joined by many of the pieces they lost on the way to that unimpressive record.

Lamar Jackson remains the organization's first and foremost concern, with his troublesome hamstring keeping him from making Baltimore's previous pair of starts. He's expected to be back in action for the following weekend's game against the Chicago Bears, where Flacco's effort may have eased the Ravens' road to crawling their way back into playoff consideration.

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