The Athletic’s AFC North Beat Writers Handicap Division Race

Pittsburgh (4-2) was threatening to run away with the AFC North before Joe Flacco led the Cincinnati Bengals to a 33-31 upset of the Steelers last Thursday. The result helped the Ravens, but also benefited the Bengals (3-4), who are banking on Flacco keeping their playoff hopes alive until Joe Burrow returns late in the season.

The Athletic’s AFC North beat writers discussed whether the division race is wide open or if it’s the Steelers’ division to lose. None of them were ready to crown Pittsburgh yet.

“To me, there’s still a little space between them and everyone else, but I do concede that this is a ‘let’s revisit in a couple of weeks’ storyline,” Zrebiec wrote. “Pittsburgh has three really tough games on tap. The Bengals, meanwhile, have two very winnable games ahead, and so do the Ravens if their starting quarterback returns. This still could get interesting.”

Steelers writer Mike DeFabo wrote: “I have been saying for a couple of weeks that I think the division could come down to the last game of the season, when the Steelers play the Ravens. With Jake Browning behind center for the Bengals, it was a two-team race between the Ravens and Steelers. Flacco changes things. If the 40-year-old can capitalize on winnable games against the New York Jets and Chicago Bears, the Bengals could re-enter that conversation.”

Bengals writer Paul Dehner Jr. said there’s a chance the Bengals-Steelers game at Pittsburgh on Nov. 16 could be for first place.

“Cincinnati plays the winless Jets and Bears at home the next two weeks before a bye. The Steelers’ schedule stiffens, and after last Thursday, there have to be questions about how their defense will handle Jordan Love and the Packers, the top-seeded Colts and a trip to LA to face Justin Herbert the next three weeks,” Dehner wrote. “Even if the Bengals lose to the Bears, if the Steelers go 1-2 over this stretch, a victory on Nov. 16 in Pittsburgh would give the Bengals the tiebreaker and division lead.”

Browns writer Zac Jackson isn’t writing off any team, including Cleveland (2-5), which traded Flacco to the Bengals a few weeks ago.

“I’ll work under the assumption that every team is alive through the Nov. 16 Ravens-Browns game after the Bengals play in Pittsburgh,” Jackson wrote. “After that day, we’ll take another look at things.”