Ravens Leave Door Open for Three-Team Divisional Race

The AFC North, once among the most-feared divisions in the NFL, has sunk to one of the least-impressive assortments of talent in the league in rapid time. Just two seasons after producing three double-digit win teams, the Baltimore Ravens now sit as the lone sub-eight win team in the current playoff picture with a 6-6 record and the de facto 4-seed.

The Ravens were slotted to lead the north back into the playoffs without much thought before the season started, but they can't feel comfortable about their current positioning. The rival Pittsburgh Steelers, too, sit at a neutral record, and the Ravens' most recent Thanksgiving embarrassment to the Cincinnati Bengals gave life to a team that was once pronounced dead.

Dissecting a Public Ravens Collapse

Joe Burrow earned the team's fourth win of the fall at the Ravens' expense over this past long weekend, and the crucial inter-divisional victory served as the Bengals' re-throwing their name back into playoff consideration. Their losing record would deem them uncompetitive in nearly every other division in football, but the Ravens and Steelers each refuse to run away with their leads.

"We all know Mike Tomlin's Steelers have never finished a season with a losing record, so this is a tough call to make. But my goodness, did they stink Sunday," ESPN's Dan Graziano wrote. "So the Steelers are playing extremely poorly. Thing is, the Ravens kind of are, too. Yeah, they had won five in a row before Thursday night, but Lamar Jackson hasn't thrown a touchdown pass in three games, and Baltimore's offense looks out of sync."

Baltimore Ravens Quarterback Lamar Jackson — Nov 27, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) rushes the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals during the second half at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

He'd be fair to point out Jackson's sub-par play as of recent, as his turnovers were enough to take the Ravens out of the running in an eventual 32-14 loss in Baltimore. Granted, he wasn't alone in compiling the highlight reel, with poorly-timed fouls and drops from his weapons continually robbing Jackson of that big, breakthrough play, but he's looked like a physical shell of himself ever since reports started leaking of the various nagging leg injuries he'd spent November quietly accumulating.

The Bengals' Late-Season Rise

And while the Bengals haven't looked much better than the Ravens over the last few months, sinking to the AFC's basement while waiting on Burrow's return, they now represent a divisional spoiler with a real chance to remain in the playoff hunt.

"The 4-8 Bengals are in this thing, folks, and looking at those schedules and the way these teams are playing, don't tell me they can't win the division at 8-9," Graziano wrote.

The Cincinnati Bengals — The Bengals celebrate their victory after their game against the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on Thanksgiving Thursday November 27, 2025. The Bengals won the game with a final score of 33-14. | Phil Didion/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Baltimore spent the last month getting away with unconvincing wins over other under-performers, and has a real chance to fall apart right when they're up against a slew of high-stakes matchups against the Bengals and Steelers.

The next two weeks, which include the Ravens' first time personally seeing Aaron Rodgers' Steelers and a trip to visit the Bengals in Cincinnati immediately afterwards, may provide some answers as to how the sloppiest division in the AFC will play out.

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