AFC North Season Preview and Predictions

by Jake Lax, September 01, 2025

AFC North Season Preview and Predictions

The AFC North is one of the most talented divisions in the NFL, and many can argue that it might be the toughest. In 2024, the North sent the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers to the playoffs, with the Cincinnati Bengals fighting until the very end. The only blemish on the division is the Cleveland Browns, who finished 3-14 last season and are still searching for answers on both sides of the ball. Cincinnati finished with a 9-8 record, behind Joe Burrow’s league-leading passing yards, the defense just couldn’t contain anyone. The Pittsburgh Steelers went 10-7 but fell apart towards the end of the season. The Ravens, who won the division last season at 12-5 hosted the Steelers in the Wild Card round, beating them 28-14. Baltimore’s season ended with a heartbreak in Buffalo, as tight end Mark Andrews dropped what would be the game-tying 2-point conversion. The outlook for 2025 in this division is tight as we could very easily see three playoff teams come out of the AFC North.

Cleveland Browns

The Browns are my pick to finish last in the AFC North and I have them winning three games again this year. Head Coach Kevin Stefanski is entering his sixth year as Cleveland’s play caller, while he’s a great coach the talent just isn’t there for the Browns. Cleveland is back in another rebuild and they’ll see most of the same in 2025.

The Browns will open the season with veteran quarterback Joe Flacco under center, but it’s likely only a matter of time before one of their two rookie signal-callers gets a shot. Cleveland drafted former Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillion Gabriel with in the third round, placing him as the backup quarterback. The Browns also took another big swing in the fifth round taking the very talented Shedeur Sanders, a high upside prospect whose unexpected slide added intrigue to the quarterback room.

At wide receiver, Jerry Jeudy returns as the clear WR1 after a breakout 2024 campaign that saw him rack up 1,229 yards and earn a Pro Bowl selection. He’ll be joined by Cedric Tillman and rookie Isaiah Bond, an undrafted talent with off-field concerns but undeniable athletic upside. The tight end position remains a strength, anchored by David Njoku who is one of the league’s best receiving tight ends. Jerome Ford and Quinshon Judkins will be the backs for Cleveland, after the departure of the great Nick Chubb. Judkins was the Brown’s second round pick and looks to make an immediate impact on the ground.

On defense, they drafted standout tackle Mason Graham and linebacker Carson Schwesinger to support Myles Garrett, who is one of the best in the league. The Browns took a big hit losing Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah for the season, so they’ll need the young linebackers to step up. In the secondary, cornerback Denzel Ward remains a lockdown presence and hopes to bring life into the Browns defense in 2025.

A successful year for the Browns would be seeing all the fresh young talent develop and give them future hope. The playoffs are completely out of the picture, but if they can find a quarterback worth building around in Gabriel or Sanders, the dawg pound should be happy. This year I think they’ll go 3-14, a low bar, but a realistic one.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals are going into 2025 as one of the AFC’s biggest questions. After back-to-back 9-8 seasons and missing the playoffs, the pressure is on. Head Coach Zac Taylor should be on the hot seat this year as the team has too much talent to continue to fall in mediocracy. This season I see them improving to a 10-7 record and sneaking into the playoffs if the team stays healthy.

The Offense is led by one of the best quarterbacks in football and MVP candidate Joe Burrow. Burrow led the league in passing yards at 4,918 to go along with his league leading passing touchdowns at 43. Burrow should be primed for another great season in 2025 with his elite receiving core returning. Jamar Chase is the best wide receiver in the NFL and last season he proved why, going for 1,708 yards, and bringing in 17 touchdowns. Chase carries to close relationship with Burrow from all the way back in their college days at LSU. Beside Chase is another standout receiver in Tee Higgins, who has the talent to be a wide receiver one on many teams. Higgins previous season was slowed by injuries, but still saw him record 911 yards and 10 touchdowns. The loaded offense also contains running back Chase Brown, who should see the majority of the carries entering year three.

Defensively, Cincinnati lost key veteran defensive end Sam Hubbard to retirement. The Bengals were finally able to extend Trey Hendrickson, ending his contract holdout. Hendrickson is one of the game’s best edge rushers earning an All-Pro selection after leading the league in sacks with 17.5. With Al Golden coming in as the new defensive coordinator for the Bengals they hope to see a lot of improvement on defense.

If the offense is continuing to play as it has and the defense can make any sort of improvement, we should see the Bengals make the Wild Card. There’s too much talent on this team to count them out and I see them at 10-7 winning tough games to fight their way in.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers enter 2025 ready to compete after they closed out last year with a Wild Card loss to the Ravens. Head Coach Mike Tomlin is now entering his 19th year as Pittsburgh’s head coach. They’ve been competitive every year, as it’s a standard for Pittsburgh. This year they hope to push past the rotten ending they had last year and make a deep run.

The headline move of this offseason was four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers signing with the black and gold. Rodgers brings plenty of experience at the quarterback position, being 41 years old and going into his 21st season in the NFL. This will end up being Aaron Rodgers last year in the NFL, as he’ll be retiring after a historic career. The Steelers also brought in DK Metcalf from Seattle, who has been very consistent over his six seasons with the Seahawks. Outside of Metcalf the wide receiver position really lacks for Pittsburgh. The other targets for Rodgers are his tight ends, Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith. Both were able to put up impressive 2024 seasons and hope to give the Steeler reliable pass catchers in 2025. The lead back this year will be Jaylen Warren, with Najee Harris’s departure in the offseason. Warren is above average receiving the ball and should be able to handle most of the carries for the Steelers this season.

The Steelers defensive is still one of the best in the league. They’re built around the presence of four-time All-Pro T.J. Watt, who has been unstoppable his entire career. Last season he was able to put together 11.5 sacks, while being double teamed just about every pass. The veteran Cameron Heyward is still playing phenomenal football, entering his 15th season. Heyward was able to feed off Watts’ presence and get 8 sacks himself. Linebacker Patrick Queen was great in his first season with the Steelers, after playing for the division rival Ravens for four seasons. The secondary is just as good as the pass rush filled from top to bottom. Veterans Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay will provide guidance to the young Joey Porter Jr.

The Steelers have a tough schedule, but they’re a very competitive team and always find a way to put together a good season. If Rodgers can get in a grove and show flashes from his prime this team could be in position to be one of the top AFC teams. If Pittsburgh is healthy, I don’t see any reason why they shouldn’t win ten games and earn themselves a Wild Card spot. I have the black and gold going 10-7 this year and willing their way into the playoffs.

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens have all the tools to make another playoff run, but their season starts right where it ended last year, in Buffalo. Baltimore won the AFC North again last season and will be looking for three in a row in 2025. They finished 12-5 and fell to a heartbreaking loss against the Bills in the divisional round of the playoffs. This year, head coach John Harbaugh enters his 18th season ready to lead a loaded roster to the Super Bowl.

The offense features the best quarterback in football, and someone I believe should’ve won the MVP, Lamar Jackson. Lamar is entering year eight and hoping this is finally the year he can make it to the Super Bowl. Jackson has been phenomenal year in and year out, until he reaches the playoffs, failing to win in the tough environments. Lamar should be set for another big year, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he takes home his third MVP award. Behind Jackson is one of the best running backs of all time, in Derrick Henry. In his first season with the Ravens, King Henry ran for almost 2,000 yards and scored 16 rushing touchdowns.

The receiving core is led by Zay Flowers, DeAndre Hopkins, and Rashod Bateman, who should all receive their fair share of targets. Zay Flowers is the true number one, coming off a thousand-yard season last year, and I fully expect him to follow up with a strong season in 2025. ​​The Baltimore offense also contains two great tight ends behind Isaiah Likely and the veteran Mark Andrews. This is an offense that should score a lot of points and keep the Ravens in a lot of games. Baltimore’s receiving corps is headlined by Zay Flowers, DeAndre Hopkins, and Rashod Bateman, three dynamic targets who offer a blend of speed and physicality. Flowers enters 2025 as the clear WR1 after a breakout 1,000-yard campaign last season, and he’s poised to build on that momentum. Complementing the wideouts are two high-caliber tight ends in Isaiah Likely and veteran Mark Andrews, one of the league’s best red-zone threats. With Lamar Jackson distributing the ball and Derrick Henry on the ground, this offense is built to score early and often.

Baltimore’s defense remains one of the most physical units in the league. Roquan Smith leads the team at linebacker, becoming one of the best in the league. The Ravens’ elite secondary is going to help them compete against many of their tougher opponents this year. Safety Kyle Hamilton has been unstoppable in his first three years in the NFL, and just recently signed an extension to become the highest-paid safety in the NFL. The other safety for Baltimore is the rookie from Georgia, Malaki Starks, who should be an instant difference maker. Rounding out the secondary are two of the game’s best veteran cornerbacks in Marlon Humphrey and the newly acquired Jaire Alexander. This is a secondary opposing quarterbacks will hate going up against, and one that should help Baltimore inch closer to the Lombardi trophy.

The Ravens do have a very difficult schedule; however, they’re one of the deepest teams in the NFL. If the offense continues to produce and the defense can generate turnovers, this should be a very successful season. As long as health stays on their side, I’ve got the Ravens going 12-5 this year and they’re my pick to win the Super Bowl come February.