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The first week of the preseason should never be mistaken for a crystal ball. Still, the AFC North wasted little time showing why Baltimore, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh could spend the fall trading punches while Cleveland tries to catch up. Three teams opened with victories. The Browns were dismantled. Exhibition records mean almost nothing, but the performances beneath them exposed an early separation that may be difficult for Cleveland to erase. Ravens Look Ready to Reclaim the AFC North Baltimore began the Jesse Minter era with a convincing 24-7 victory over Philadelphia. Lamar Jackson did not need to play for the Ravens to control the game from beginning to end. The encouraging part was not simply the final score. Baltimore’s defensive depth overwhelmed Philadelphia and nearly produced a shutout. Joe Fagnano also completed 22 of 28 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown, offering some welcome stability behind Jackson. The Ravens remain the AFC North favorite because their roster has fewer obvious weak points than the competition. Minter inherited a contender, not a renovation project. Joe Fagnano (1) to Ja’Kobi Lane (1)* Baltimore Ravens 16 yards pic.twitter.com/7zUY03UF6t— NFL Touchdown Videos (@NFLTDsVideos) August 16, 2026 Bengals Still Have One Terrifying Concern Cincinnati beat Detroit 16-14, but protecting Joe Burrow remains the issue capable of wrecking everything. Burrow played only 13 snaps and was already sacked once. Orlando Brown Jr. struggled on the play, prompting Zac Taylor to defend his starting left tackle afterward. August reassurance is nice. Keeping Burrow upright once the AFC North pass rushers arrive would be nicer. Cincinnati has the quarterback and offensive weapons to win the division. It also has a recent history of asking Burrow to survive more punishment than any franchise quarterback should reasonably absorb. If that problem returns, another promising season could go sideways before the leaves change. 2026 may just be the year that Burrow and company emerge atop the AFC North and make a serious playoff run. Steelers May Be Deeper Than Expected Pittsburgh’s 28-9 win over Green Bay produced the most eye-catching individual performance in the division. Rookie Drew Allar completed 10 of 13 passes for 153 yards, threw two touchdowns, and ran for another. Aaron Rodgers remains the starter, and one preseason performance should not inspire anyone to begin carving Allar’s Hall of Fame bust. Football fans occasionally struggle with that second part. However, Allar’s debut has started chatter among Pittsburgh’s fanbase. The Steelers may have found a developmental quarterback who can learn behind Rodgers without being rushed onto the field. The question is how different their quarterback room will look at the end of the season. Under Mike McCarthy, Pittsburgh also appears capable of threatening the AFC North immediately while building beyond the Rodgers experiment. Steelers rookie QB Drew Allar in his preseason debut: 🏈10-of-13 completions 🏈154 YDS 🏈3 Total touchdowns 🏈0 interceptions pic.twitter.com/88247O6wer— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 14, 2026 Browns Remain the AFC North Outsider Cleveland’s quarterback competition did little to inspire confidence during a 34-10 loss to Chicago. Deshaun Watson completed 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards but lost a fumble. Shedeur Sanders went 6 of 11 for 79 yards and threw an interception. Neither quarterback seized control of a competition that Cleveland desperately needs someone to win. The Browns could improve quickly under Todd Monken, especially if first-round receiver KC Concepcion becomes an immediate weapon. For now, though, the AFC North appears to contain three legitimate contenders and one team still searching for its starting quarterback. That is a brutal place to begin in football’s least forgiving neighborhood. MORE NFL NEWS: