AFC North Power Rankings: Week 2

Now that week one has come and gone, we have a slightly clearer picture of the AFC North. Not much has changed, however. The only thing that changed from last week’s power rankings is that two teams switched spots. Read on to find out my week two AFC North Power Rankings.

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4. Cleveland Browns

Last Week: 4

Before week one I expected the Browns to finish the year in last place of the AFC North and the first game of the season didn’t change that. In the first half against the Steelers the Browns performed about as horrifically bad as any team could. Mike Pettine must have struck a nerve at halftime, though, because the Browns came out swinging in the second half. Brian Hoyer tore apart the Steelers’ secondary and the front seven couldn’t stop the Browns’ running game. The defense even stopped the Steelers offense, which was rolling in the first half, in it’s tracks. They played very well in the second half, but it is still a concern that their first half performance will be the norm for the rest of the season.

Next Game: vs Saints

3. Baltimore Ravens

Last Week: 3

Aug 28, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice (27) watches their game against the New Orleans Saints from the bench in the second quarter at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Since I live in Northern Virginia I am sentenced with the awful fate of watching the Redskins and Ravens pretty much every week of the season. This week I had to watch the Ravens get thrashed by the Bengals, since I obviously wasn’t going to watch the Texans completely annihilate the Redskins. The Ravens awful performance can be summed up into one number. 62. That’s how many passes Joe Flacco threw in week 1. That’s about 30 more than he should throw in any given game. The defense didn’t exactly look great either, although the were missing Lardarius Webb. At least they were able to control AJ Green on all but one play. This team doesn’t have the looks of one that will be competing for a playoff spot this year.

Next Game: vs Steelers

2. Pittsburgh Steelers

Last Week: 1

In the first half against the Browns the Steelers looked absolutely fantastic in every facet of the game. They were absolutely steamrolling the Browns at the half. Something changed in the second half, though. They came out and looked exactly like the Browns did in the first half. They couldn’t get anything going on offense and were getting run out of town on defense. If they can play like they did in the first half for the rest of the season then they should have no problem winning this division and making a run at the playoffs. If they play like they did in the second half then they will probably struggle to even reach five hundred. Here are three things I learned during week 1. First, the offense is shaping up to be one of the three best in the AFC. Second, the Jarvis Jones–Jason Worilds–Cam Heyward pass rush trio doesn’t look too bad either. Lastly, Markus Wheaton is legit, the best second wide receiver in Pittsburgh since the Santonio-Hines duo.

Next Game: vs Ravens

Sep 7, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) passes against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

1. Cincinnati Bengals

Last Week: 2

On Sunday the Bengals traveled to Baltimore and handled the Ravens in their own stadium. Don’t let the box score fool you, it wasn’t that close. The Bengals looked very good on offense, especially Andy Dalton. On defense they didn’t have any problem stopping the disjointed Ravens offense. If it weren’t for one long pass play to Steve Smith in the fourth quarter, they barely would have even reached 10 points. I thought the Bengals would be in for a little bit of a tough year this season after having a terrible offseason. They showed no signs of that week 1. The Steelers better pick it up if they want a shot at the division title.

Next Game: vs Falcons

There you go Steelers Nation. Did I get it right? Who do you think should have moved up? Who should have moved down?

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