Old Friend Boosts Ravens in AFC North Race

The Baltimore Ravens are just one game back of the AFC North lead.

Sep 29, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Joe Flacco (15) throws a pass during the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images / Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Sunday night was one to remember for the Baltimore Ravens.

After a less-than-stellar start to the season, the Ravens finally put together a full 60-minute game in a 35-10 thrashing of the Buffalo Bills. Both the offense and defense shined throughout the night, allowing the Ravens to get back to .500 with a huge win over a fellow contender.

Before Baltimore's triumphant victory, though, their AFC North rivals had some interesting games of their own.

Starting with the early window, the Pittsburgh Steelers suffered their first loss of the season, falling to the Indianapolis Colts 27-24 on the road. It wasn't Anthony Richardson leading the victory, but rather longtime Ravens cornerback Joe Flacco. The reigning Comeback Player of the Year entered in place of Richardson in the first quarter, completing 16 of 26 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns in the win.

On the other side, Justin Fields completed 22 of 34 passes for 312 yards and scored three total touchdowns (one passing, two rushing). A quarter of the way through the season, it's pretty clear that Fields is the Steelers' guy going forward.

At the same time, the Cincinnati Bengals finally earned their first win of the season, defeating the Carolina Panthers 34-24 on the road. It was a back-and-forth game for the first half, but the Bengals ultimately pulled away in the second half. Joe Burrow completed 22 of 31 passes for 232 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, while running back Chase Brown added two touchdowns on the ground. Not perfect, but a much-needed bounce-back game for Cinci.

Finally in the late window, the Cleveland Browns' frustrating season continued with a 20-16 road loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. This game almost went very differently as Deshaun Watson hit Amari Cooper for a go-ahead 82-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter, only for it to come back due to a holding penalty. The Browns then came close to going ahead in the final minute, but couldn't finish the job.

Watson finished the game completing 24 of 32 passes for 176 yards, one touchdown and one interception in what was somehow one of his better performances this season. Cleveland's defense did a solid job, but again, it wasn't enough to earn the win.

Pittsburgh still leads the division at 3-1, but Baltimore is just behind at 2-2. Cincinnati and Cleveland are down at 1-3, but again, it's a long season with plenty of football left to play.

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