AFC Recap: Steelers Back In First Place After Browns Upset Ravens

The Pittsburgh Steelers got help from the cross-state Philadelphia Eagles and the Cleveland Browns Sunday afternoon. The Eagles beat the Cincinnati Bengals with a 37-17 blowout win, outscoring the Bengals 27-7 in the second half to turn a close game into a rout. Meanwhile, the Browns upset the Baltimore Ravens 29-24 as QB Jameis Winston got his first win of the season.

Cincinnati is now 3-5 on the season, a crucial loss after climbing their way back into the AFC North race. Baltimore drops to 5-3, putting Pittsburgh back in first place ahead of their Monday night contest against the New York Giants.

Current AFC North Standings
1. Pittsburgh Steelers: 5-2

2. Baltimore Ravens: 5-3

3. Cincinnati Bengals: 3-5

4. Cleveland Browns: 2-6

Without WR Tee Higgins due to a late-week quad injury, the Bengals’ offense cooled off. They got off to a hot start with a 17-play, 70-yard drive that ended in WR Ja’Marr Chase 2-yard touchdown to go up 7-0. The two teams traded field goals throughout the next quarter before the Eagles found the end zone themselves on a QB sneak by Jalen Hurts. Initially ruled short, the play was overturned on review. Kicker Jake Elliott missed the extra point, allowing the Bengals to lead 10-9 going into the half.

Philadelphia came out firing to start the second half. An 8-play drive that resulted in Hurts’ second score of the day, this time from 7-yards out. Their two-point try was good to make it 17-10. The Bengals would match with a touchdown of their own, RB Chase Brown netting a 4-yard touchdown, to knot he game at 17.

But the Eagles got the long ball going, Hurts finding speedster Devonta Smith making a leaping grab for a 45-yard score three plays into the ensuing drive.

From there, it was all Eagles. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor made the aggressive decision to go for it on 4th and 1 from their own 39, but Chase stuffed for a loss and turnover on downs. Elliott hit from 49-yards out to go up 27-17. The Bengals bungled the half even more, Burrow picked by S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson on a deep downfield throw. Philadelphia chewed up the next 7:37 on the clock to march the ball from their 15 and into the end zone. For a third time, Hurts scored on the ground.

With already slim odds, TE Mike Gesicki fumbled the ball on the Bengals’ first play after the Eagles’ score. Elliott added another field goal to produce the 37-14 final. Cincinnati’s final four drives ended in either a turnover or the end of the game.

Burrow finished the game with 234 passing yards, one touchdown, and one interception. The Bengals continued to struggle on the ground, finishing with just 59 yards. Besides his early touchdown, Chase’s impact was muted, finishing with nine catches but for only 54 yards. Eagles RB Saquon Barkley led the charge with 108 yards rushing while Smith and A.J. Brown combined for 11 receptions, 169 yards, and one score.

The Ravens came into Sunday’s game favored over the Browns. But Cleveland, starting Jameis Winston with Deshaun Watson out for the season, fought them every step of the way. Baltimore trailed 3-0 at the end of the first quarter but were the first team to find the end zone, QB Lamar Jackson finding WR Nelson Agholor for an 11-yard score with less than 30 seconds to play.

The scoring got going after the half. Winston took the Browns on a 70-yard touchdown drive to go up 13-10 in the third quarter, finding TE David Njoku for a 23-yard score. Baltimore answered later in the quarter as a scrambling Jackson found TE Mark Andrews near the right front pylon for a tight-squeeze touchdown catch.

Cleveland retook the lead 20-17 as Baltimore busted a coverage, leaving second-year WR Cedric Tillman wide open over the middle for a 22-yard touchdown. The Browns tacked on a fourth quarter field goal to extend their lead 23-17 with under five minutes remaining. Jackson used his legs and feet to quickly move downfield with RB Derrick Henry finishing the drive with a 2-yard touchdown with 2:39 to play. Justin Tucker’s extra point gave the Ravens a 24-23 lead.

Stud Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton dropped a surefire Jameis Winston interception on the Browns’ final drive. One play later, Winston threw behind the Baltimore coverage to hit Tillman for his second score, a 38-yard rainbow to lead 29-24. The two-point try was no good.

With under a minute to go, Jackson almost led an improbable comeback. He moved Baltimore to Cleveland’s 24-yard line with 21 seconds left. But his scramble drills couldn’t yield any fruit, throwing incomplete on 4th and 10 as time expired as the Browns held on for their second win of the season.

Winston easily finished the day with Cleveland’s best passing performance of the season, throwing for 334 yards and three touchdowns. Derrick Henry averaged a healthy 6.6 yards per carry but had just 11 rushing attempts. Jackson threw for 289 yards and rushed for 46 more. Tucker’s struggles continue at kicker, badly missing a 50-yard attempt.

The Ravens and Bengals must quickly lick their wounds, facing each other this Thursday night. The Browns will enjoy a Week 9 bye before taking on Winston’s former team, the New Orleans Saints in Week 10.