The NFC North is officially the “Black and Blue Division,” but the AFC North is the off-the-books stepchild. Both have earned the moniker because of the physical, hard-nosed games played in cold environments, which have created bruising rivalries. The Pittsburgh Steelers wear black and gold uniforms, while the Baltimore Ravens wear black, purple and gold. Both have been among the league’s more physical teams for quite some time and have worn the division crown in nine of the last 11 seasons. The Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals? Both have orange uniforms and have occupied the cellar in the division 10 of the last 11 seasons. Coincidence? I think not.
Jokes aside, it’s been an interesting division. From 2015 to 2017, Cleveland won three, one and zero games. In 2020, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Cleveland all won over 10 games. That’s only happened eight times in NFL history when a division had three 10-game winners. In 2023, all four teams finished over .500, only the second time that’s happened.
What will we get in 2026? More history or more of the same? Here’s how DraftKings Sportsbook currently has the outlook:
Cleveland Browns
The probabilities are high that the cellar dweller in this division will be outfitted with orange once again. And the first three letters will likely be C-L-E. Now, there’s still tons of talent on both sides of the ball for the Browns. As ESPN’s Mina Kimes said:
Unfortunately, the current stable of quarterbacks is less than inspiring, with Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders leading the way. Harold Fannin Jr. proved that he belongs in the league, but Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion are rookies. Quinshon Judkins, selected in the second round of the 2025 draft, has potential and racked up 827 yards and seven touchdowns in 14 games last season. Unfortunately, he averaged 3.6 yards per carry, and the Browns’ offensive line is rated 31st by PFF heading into the season. In addition, Todd Monken replaced Kevin Stefanski as head coach.
Defensively, the Browns were one of the best units, especially against the pass. The EPA per dropback was second-lowest in the NFL. Cleveland finished fifth in pressure rate and third in sacks. Those numbers came under the guidance of Jim Schwartz, though, who is being replaced by Mike Rutenberg. In addition, Myles Garrett, who broke the NFL record for most sacks in a single season (23), got traded to the Los Angeles Rams.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Blitzberg? Well, the Steelers were fifth in blitz rate last season at 28.7%, but far behind the Minnesota Vikings at 44.3%. But while the Steelers defense isn’t Charmin soft, it’s a long way from the Steel Curtain. Last season, Pittsburgh was 17th in EPA per dropback but still relatively stout on the ground, allowing the sixth-lowest EPA per carry. The 48 sacks were the sixth-most, despite TJ Watt only racking up seven. That said, Patrick Graham is the new coordinator and his scheme could provide flexibility and diversity to keep offenses guessing.
Offensively, it was a dink-and-dunk fest with Aaron Rodgers under center. While he completed 65.7% of his passes for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions, his 6.6 average yards per attempt tied for fourth-lowest in the NFL. Pittsburgh’s rushing attack was middle of the pack, posting the 14th-highest EPA per carry. The offensive line is rated as the 14th-best heading into the season. There are weapons on this side of the ball with DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr., Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington and Jaylen Warren, but does a Mike McCarthy offense inspire tons of confidence?
Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati should score a ton of points, as the offense is stacked with Joe Burrow under center, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins at wide receiver, and Chase Brown, a dual-threat out of the backfield. Should be the operative word, though, with health being the other. The two words go hand in hand like peanut butter and jelly. Burrow has played a full season in only three of the six years he’s been in the NFL. The highs are incredible, as he led the NFL with 460 completions, 652 attempts, 4,918 yards and 43 touchdowns in 2024. The lows, however, are ant-getting-squashed-by-boot. Last season, Burrow only played eight games and finished with 1,809 yards, 17 touchdowns and five interceptions. The offensive line is ranked 20th heading into the season, but there’s potential for a leap as the young players looked to have developed at the end of last season.
Defensively, this is where the Bengals have struggled. Last season, the EPA per dropback was the sixth-highest, while the EPA per carry was the seventh-highest. The 492 points allowed were the third-most while the 6,475 yards allowed were the second-most. The 2,500 rushing yards allowed were the most in the NFL. Cincinnati racked up the fifth-fewest sacks and had the 10th-lowest pressure rate. It didn’t help that the blitz rate was the lowest in the league at 16.6%, but the risk/reward ratio was likely never in their favor. In the offseason, the Bengals bolstered the defensive line with the acquisitions of Dexter Lawrence II, Jonathan Allen and Boye Mafe. They also signed Bryan Cook to upgrade the secondary. Well, it couldn’t get worse, but the defense should be much improved.
Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore led the league in EPA per carry. Yeah, having Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry in the backfield will do that. In terms of EPA per dropback, though, the Ravens were 10th-lowest. That will happen when Jackson misses four games while Tyler Huntley and Cooper Rush make starts.
Out go John Harbaugh and Todd Monken. In come Jesse Minter and Declan Doyle to guide the offense. There are huge question marks since this will be Minter’s first head coaching job while Doyle’s first time as offensive coordinator came last year in Chicago. That said, more spread concepts, pre-snap motion, and Jackson under center could cause defenses to fit it up if it all comes together.
Defensively, Baltimore was 19th in EPA per dropback and first in EPA per carry. The unit’s big bugaboo was a lack of pressure. The Ravens had the fifth-lowest pressure rate and racked up the third-fewest sacks. So, all Baltimore did was acquire Trey Hendrickson from the rival Bengals. In 2023 and 2024, Hendrickson racked up 17.5 sacks in both seasons. In those two seasons, Hendrickson had the fifth- and seventh-best quarterback pressure rates in the NFL.
Final Thoughts
It’s a quarterback league, and the Browns don’t have one. Pittsburgh is the tortoise, as the Steelers will be conservative and not beat themselves, putting themselves in position if the teams above them falter. A lot would have to go right for them, but the Steelers can not be completely dismissed. Cincinnati can score on anyone when healthy, and the defense should be improved. It comes down to health. There are a ton of question marks for Baltimore, but this is the most complete team in the division with the highest floor/ceiling combo. That said, it’s the NFL. Anything can happen, especially since injuries play such a huge part.
