Ravens Falter in AFC North Race

The Baltimore Ravens' first divisional loss knocks them out of first place.

Oct 27, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Za'Darius Smith (99) sacks Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) during the second half at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Ravens always play with fire, and while that's normally a good thing, they can easily get burned as a result.

That was the case on Sunday, when Baltimore's five-game winning streak came to an end in a 29-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns. The Ravens' offense played a decent game, but failed to take over like in previous contests. On the other hand, the defense was atrocious as Jameis Winston tore the secondary apart in his first start of the season. Overall, it was just a sloppy performance for a team that normally emphasizes the little details.

Any loss hurts, doubly so when it's to a division rival. As a result, the Ravens have taken a hit in the AFC North race. On that note, how did the rest of Baltimore's rivals fare in Week 8.

First, while the Ravens and Browns did battle on the other side of the state, the Cincinnati Bengals fell 37-17 to the Philadelphia Eagles at all. Jalen Hurts shredded the Bengals' defense with 236 passing yards and four total touchdowns (one passing, three rushing), while Saquon Barkley added 108 yards on the ground. Joe Burrow completed 26 of 37 passes for 234 yards, a touchdown and an interception, but with no help from his defense or run game, it wasn't anywhere near enough to win.

With the loss, Cincinnati falls to 3-5 on the season and 0-4 at home. For a team with Super Bowl aspirations before the season, that is an incredibly disappointing record.

Then on Monday Night Football, the Pittsburgh Steelers won their third-straight game with a 26-18 home victory over the New York Giants. Russell Wilson continues to play well for Pittsburgh, as he completed 20 of 28 passes for 278 yards and a touchdown. However, the star of thed show was wide receiver Calvin Austin, who had a receiving and punt return touchdowns to help Pittsburgh earn the victory. Meanwhile, the defense forced two crucial turnovers by Daniel Jones to hold off a late New York rally.

For possibly the first time all season, there's no ties in the division standings. The Steelers lead the way at 6-2, the Ravens are in second at 5-3, the Bengals in third at 3-5 and the Browns in last at 2-6.

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