Category: AFC NORTH

Mike Tomlin creates new AFC North competition via Hard Knocks demands

Mike Tomlin aims for the Steelers to outshine their AFC North rivals in handling the distractions brought by Hard Knocks: In Season.

The AFC North is no stranger to intense and competitive matchups for divisional supremacy. However, it appears Head Coach Mike Tomlin is looking to introduce another competitive aspect to the division.

Tomlin wants his team to handle the distractions brought by the new Hard Knocks: In Season with the AFC North better than their three divisional rivals.

During Tuesday’s press conference, ESPN reporter Brooke Pryor noted that Tomlin views this opportunity, like many others, as a chance to push his team to conquer the challenges that being featured on Hard Knocks would bring.

In what will be the first-ever feature of an entire division, Hard Knocks: In Season with the AFC North will debut on December 3rd at 9:00 PM EST. In the meantime, the Pittsburgh Steelers are gearing up for Week 13 to take on a formidable divisional opponent, the Cincinnati Bengals.

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Ravens kicker blames Week 11 field conditions for missed field goals

Justin Tucker says the field surface in Pittsburgh “wasn’t ideal” after missing two field goals in Week 11, while Chris Boswell was perfect.

Sorry, Justin Tucker: no one is buying the excuses you’re trying not to make for your lackluster Week 11 performance. For fans unaware of the recent developments behind Tucker’s post-game comments, the Ravens kicker initially accepted fault for his two missed field goals during the contest but ultimately pointed to poor field conditions in Pittsburgh as a contributing factor.

When asked if the field conditions at Acrisure Stadium directly contributed to his two missed field goals, Tucker tried to avoid deflecting blame, but ended up doing just that: “I wouldn’t say the surface was an issue, but it wasn’t ideal.” He doubled down on the less-than-ideal field claims, adding, “Throughout the course of the game, the most action takes place between the hashes, and it naturally just gets chewed up.”

While some speculated that the field conditions could have been affected by the Panthers-Clemson CFB game on Saturday, Steelers kicker Chris Boswell had no issues. Boswell made all six of his field goal attempts in Week 11, including an impressive 57-yard bomb.

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Is Lamar Jackson’s Kryptonite the Pittsburgh Steelers?

Lamar Jackson has struggled mightily against the Steelers, with seven INTs and just one win since 2019. Will Week 11 be any different?

Make no mistake, Pittsburgh Steelers fans: Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is one of the most talented players this league has ever seen. However, much to the dismay of Baltimore fans, Jackson seems to struggle heavily against the Steel City.

In his four starts against the Black and Gold, the Steelers have come out victorious three times. For fans curious about the last time Jackson pulled off a win against the Steelers, they would need to look all the way back to the 2019 season.

Throughout those four contests, the two-time MVP has looked awful, to say the least. Jackson has thrown for four touchdowns, seven interceptions, and an abysmal average passer rating of 66.8.

Failing to throw more TDs than INTs in any of the four contests, and throwing at least one INT in every start he has made against the Steelers, it isn’t a stretch to assume he’ll struggle once again in Week 11 when the Baltimore Ravens visit Pittsburgh on November 17 at 1:00 PM EST.

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Sorry, Baltimore: Steelers know exactly how to stop Derrick Henry

Pittsburgh has consistently contained Derrick Henry, with wins over him in 2017, 2020, and 2023—a testament to their resilience.

King Henry may rule in Baltimore, but he has bowed several times to the impressive display of determination and resilience that the Steel City represents. The Pittsburgh Steelers have faced a Derrick Henry-led offense three times during his career—in 2017, 2020, and 2023—and emerged victorious each time.

In 2017, the Pittsburgh defense limited Henry to 32 rushing yards on 7 attempts. In 2020—a season many consider one of the greatest by a running back, with Henry averaging 5.4 yards per carry on 378 attempts, rushing for 2,027 yards, and scoring 17 rushing touchdowns—the Steelers once again tamed the king in their Week 7 matchup with the Titans, holding him to just 75 yards on 20 attempts. When the teams met again in 2023, Pittsburgh held Henry to the same 75 rushing yards.

The Baltimore-based king is one of the greatest running backs of his era, but his lack of production speaks volumes about HC Mike Tomlin’s ability to scheme effectively and prevent him from taking over the game. While Henry is an elite player in the NFL, make no mistake: just like the Baltimore Ravens over the past few seasons, Pittsburgh will have his number once again in Week 11.

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Mike Tomlin on the villainous Week 11 matchup with Baltimore

In the Steelers-Ravens rivalry, ‘villains’ like Patrick Queen and Arthur Maulet are set to add fuel to the fire in Week 11.

There is no love lost between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens. Within an AFC North rivalry that burns so intensely hot it could mimic the sun, there are bound to be players deemed ‘villains’ by opposing sides.

During the Monday press conference, Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin highlighted former Steelers CB Arthur Maulet, now in Baltimore, and former Raven, current Steelers LB Patrick Queen, as two players who have crossed over to the other side of this heated rivalry.

Early in the 2024 offseason, Queen further stoked the flames, declaring, ‘I wanna be that villain; I wanna be that guy.’ When asked about Queen’s potential to embrace this ‘villainous’ role against his former team in Week 11, Tomlin responded emphatically, noting that while Queen will have his opportunity, he won’t be the only one: ‘There’s a lot of villains on both sides of this rivalry.’

With both teams hosting a variety of potential villains, including Queen, Maulet, and newly acquired Ravens WR Diontae Johnson, this matchup’s bad blood will be on full display in Week 11 on November 17th, at 1:00 PM EST.

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Should Pittsburgh be worried about Baltimore?

With the Ravens looming in the AFC North race, should the Steelers be worried about Baltimore’s surging challenge for division supremacy?

While competition breeds excellence, the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves on the verge of a potential upset in the AFC North divisional race against the intimidating Baltimore Ravens.

This storied rivalry between Pittsburgh and Baltimore has recently favored the Steel City, with the Steelers winning five of the past six meetings between the two teams.

The Ravens are only half a game behind the Steelers in the divisional race, and are set to lock horns with them in Week 11, with AFC North title implications on the line.

The Steelers face a tough road ahead, as their remaining opponents’ records from Weeks 11 to 18 combine for 38 wins and 32 losses. Securing victories against tough opponents—such as the Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, and the underrated Cincinnati Bengals (twice)—will be pivotal in maintaining their lead over the Ravens.

Pittsburgh typically dominates AFC North matchups, but is this 2024 Ravens team the best they’ve faced yet? Only time will tell. First, the Steelers must focus on their Week 10 matchup against the Washington Commanders on November 10 at 1:00 PM EST.

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AFC North rival trades away star DE at deadline

The Cleveland Browns have traded away their star DE Za’Darius Smith to the Detroit Lions at the trade deadline.

While three-quarters of the AFC North continue to build up their rosters for potential playoff runs, the Cleveland Browns appear to be selling their 2024 seasonal aspirations, as the team has traded away one of their star players at the trade deadline.

Cleveland is sending DE Za’Darius Smith and a 2026 seventh-round draft pick to the Detroit Lions in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round and a 2026 sixth-round draft pick, per insider Ian Rapoport.

Considering how talented and established Smith is off the edge, the Lions have been gifted the deal of a lifetime. Detroit was in dire need of an edge rusher, as their elite DE Aiden Hutchinson suffered a season-ending broken left tibia in Week 6.

Will Cleveland continue to sell their 2024 roster as the 4:00 PM EST deadline inches ever closer? While it appears to be another case of Juju Smith-Schuster’s infamous line, ‘the Browns is the Browns,’ Pittsburgh is likely laser-focused on the trade deadline themselves, as the team has been linked to both wide receiver trade targets and defensive depth in recent days.

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AFC North rival strengthens run game with RB trade at deadline

The Cincinnati Bengals have made a trade with the Chicago Bears to acquire RB Khalil Herbert in an attempt to solve their running game woes.

The trade deadline is finally here, and it appears the Cincinnati Bengals, AFC North rivals of Pittsburgh, couldn’t wait any longer for today’s festivities, as the team has made a trade with the Chicago Bears to acquire RB Khalil Herbert in exchange for a 2025 seventh-round draft pick, per insider Tom Pelissero.

The trade came just one day after Cincinnati’s Head Coach Zac Taylor announced that the team’s RB Zack Moss would be out indefinitely with a neck injury. This move boosts not only their run game but also the depth behind newly announced starting RB Chase Brown.

Considered by many to be dark horse candidates to challenge the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North divisional title race, the 4-5 Bengals have bolstered what was once one of their weakest areas on offense, creating a two-headed RB monster with the addition of Herbert.

Will Pittsburgh make a blockbuster trade at the deadline to keep up with the rest of the AFC, or will the team see the deadline as an opportunity to acquire solid depth?

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Who is the best QB in the AFC North through 9 weeks?

With 9 weeks of football in the books, and 9 more to go in the second-half of the 2024 season, which AFC North team boasts the best QB?

One saying reigns supreme in the AFC North, and that is none other than competition breeds excellence.

While the Cleveland Browns perhaps have the worst QB situation in the division right now, the same cannot be said for the other three divisional rivals, who currently have elite signal-callers leading their teams on Sundays. With the Pittsburgh Steelers in first place in the AFC North, the Baltimore Ravens in second, and the Cincinnati Bengals not far behind, which of these three AFC North QBs is superior?

Russell Wilson, understandably so at 35 years old, is perhaps the lowest ranked of the three. His veteran presence, however, is something athletic qualities cannot make up for, and his deep ball may be the best in the division.

While many in the NFL consider Ravens QB Lamar Jackson a favorite to win the 2024 MVP award, Bengals QB Joe Burrow is almost single-handedly putting his team in a position to win games every week, throwing for a whopping five TDs in Cincinatti’s Week 9 victory.

Are the Bengals dark horses in a close AFC North race, and if so, can Pittsburgh continue to maintain their lead in the division?

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Former Steelers’ WR turned Raven a non-factor in Baltimore debut

Former Steeler and newly acquired Ravens WR Diontae Johnson had an underwhelming debut in Baltimore, making zero impact whatsoever.

While not every debut makes a splash, some fail to even make a ripple. This is exactly the reality Diontae Johnson faced in his first appearance with the Baltimore Ravens in Week 9. The former Steelers WR did his best impression of Roman Wilson’s regular-season debut. Not only did Johnson fail to record a single catch, Ravens QB Lamar Jackson didn’t target him at all during the contest. 

While his playing time was limited, similar to how Pittsburgh Steelers HC Mike Tomlin handled Wilson’s first career NFL regular-season game, his inability to make even a slight impact begs the question: was too much stock put into his arrival with the Ravens?

While Johnson has yet to be given the chance to highlight some of his less-than-lovable qualities, such as his tendency to give up on plays, his lack of consistency in run blocking, and his plethora of dropped passes, fans of Pittsburgh should be excited about the opportunity to showcase, in Week 11’s matchup with the Ravens, why acquiring Donte Jackson was well worth the price they paid in trading Johnson to Carolina. 

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