AFC North Week 11 preview: Big AFC North battle behind Ravens

The Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football is the game to watch as it sets up second place behind the Ravens.

Cincinnati Bengals (0-9) at Oakland Raiders (5-4)

Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Cincinnati has been dreadful this season and they’re fresh off getting embarrassed by Baltimore. That could very well spark some fire and fight from a team that hasn’t really had much under rookie coach Zac Taylor. With nothing left to lose now that they’ve been pretty much eliminated from playoff contention, the Bengals can still play spoiler.

On the other side is Oakland, which has been up-and-down all season but has beaten some decent teams. If the Raiders can get out to a fast start, they should be able to coast to a win. But if they allow Cincinnati to stay in this game, they could be primed for an upset.

While Oakland doesn’t present much of a threat to Baltimore in the playoff hunt, losing to the 0-9 Bengals would still be some help. Plus, it would give Cincinnati a win and potentially hurt their chances of landing the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL draft, which would also help the Ravens long-term.