AFC North standings: Ravens resting easy at top after Week 11

The Ravens are miles ahead of everyone else in the AFC North standings after a Week 11 win and the debacle between the Steelers and Browns.

The Baltimore Ravens once again handled their business, defeating the Houston Texans in Week 11 handily. Though they were already at the top of the AFC North standings, the week wasn’t nearly as fun for the rest of the division.

It kicked off on Thursday night as the Cleveland Browns beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in a game marred by an ugly brawl at the end. Impact players from both teams are now suspended. Pittsburgh’s loss was already a huge deal, extending Baltimore’s lead in the AFC North standings. But with starters now missing time due to the fight, it’s going to make the next few weeks even tougher for both the Browns and Steelers, potentially putting them further in the hole.

The Bengals are officially out the running for the playoffs, losing to the Oakland Raiders to fall to 0-10.

Let’s take a look at the AFC North standings after Week 11.

AFC North standings:

Team Record Division Record Conference Record
Baltimore Ravens 8-2 3-1 6-2
Pittsburgh Steelers 5-5 1-2 4-3
Cleveland Browns 4-6 2-0 4-3
Cincinnati Bengals 0-10 0-3 0-6

The Ravens now hold a three-game lead over the Steelers for the top of the AFC North standings, a lead that is effectively 3.5 games thanks to a head-to-head tiebreaker. With just six games remaining, it would take a complete collapse by Baltimore to not hold the AFC North crown by Week 17.

The Ravens can clinch the division in Week 13 if the following things happen:

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AFC North standings: Ravens sweep Bengals with Week 10 win

The Baltimore Ravens sweep the Cincinnati Bengals to keep their lofty lead in the AFC North standings through Week 10.

The Baltimore Ravens handled their business and beat the still-winless Cincinnati Bengals 49-13. It’s Baltimore’s first sweep of Cincinnati since the 2011 season and it marks another big win within the AFC North standings for the Ravens.

Baltimore will now finish no worse than 3-3 within the division, an important step to winning the AFC North. With a final game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns left on the schedule, the Ravens appear to have an insurmountable lead over the division at this stage.

Behind Baltimore is Pittsburgh, with their Week 10 win over the Los Angeles Rams. While they’re surging themselves, owning a four-game winning streak now, they still sit firmly behind the Ravens.

The Browns picked up a big win of their own, defeating the Buffalo Bills in the final minutes of the game to get their third win of the season. Though they remain well behind the Ravens within the division standings, there’s still plenty of season left to completely count them out.

The Bengals, on the other hand, are done. Having moved to 0-9, they’re now guaranteed to have a losing season. Though the AFC North isn’t exactly the toughest division in the league this year, it seems almost certain that a winning record is going to be needed to sit at the top of it. And with the playoffs firmly out of reach, Cincinnati has clearly moved into figuring out what talent they have on their roster and perhaps if rookie coach Zac Taylor will return in 2020.

Let’s take a look at the AFC North standings after Week 10.

AFC North standings:

Team Record Division Record Conference Record
Baltimore Ravens 7-2 3-1 5-2
Pittsburgh Steelers 5-4 1-1 4-2
Cleveland Browns 3-6 1-0 3-3
Cincinnati Bengals 0-9 0-3 0-5

The Ravens effectively hold a three-game lead over the Steelers in the AFC North standings after Week 10, thanks to their current head-to-head and division-record tiebreakers. Their Week 17 game looms in the horizon if Baltimore were to lose half of their next six games.

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