After the Cleveland Browns beat the Buffalo Bills 37-24 on Thursday, they improved their record to 3-2 and temporarily moved into sole possession of first place in the AFC North. Fans were hoping for some help from the Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots so that Cleveland could retain that lead heading into Week 6, but that didn't end up being the case.
- The Bengals held Tom Brady and the Patriots to without a touchdown in a 13-6 win. It was a similar, low-scoring game to what they played against Cleveland in Week 4, but Andy Dalton really stood out as a limiting factor for the Cincinnati offense again. Had it not been for a massive downpour of rain late in the game, the Patriots might have had a chance to send this game to overtime.
- The Ravens had a back-and-forth came with the Dolphins, but ultimately won 26-23. Joe Flacco nearly cost Baltimore the game with a pick six in the fourth quarter that tied the game, but Miami's game-tying field goal attempt went wide left to end the game.
The Browns, Bengals, and Ravens are each 3-2. We could analyze the tiebreakers, but it's really too early in the season to do so. The Browns have a win over Cincinnati but a loss to Baltimore, so there is no clear leader atop the division at this point.
As far as next week goes, here are next week's AFC North matchups:
- Detroit vs. Cleveland
- Cincinnati vs. Buffalo
- Green Bay vs. Baltimore
- Pittsburgh vs. New York Jets
The Bengals catch a break by facing a Bills team that will be without a proven quarterback (thanks to the Browns, ironically). The Ravens will be tested by the Packers' offense. The Steelers...well, are the winless Steelers. The Lions may have Calvin Johnson back, but if he is limited, that will be a huge bonus for the Browns.