The AFC North is basically a blender. You throw in four teams that genuinely seem to hate each other, add a dash of mud and snow, and wait to see who crawls out alive.
Honestly, the 2025-2026 season was exactly that. If you’re looking for what are the standings in the AFC North right now, the dust has finally settled on the regular season. The Pittsburgh Steelers are sitting at the top of the mountain. Barely.
It wasn't pretty. In fact, for most of December, it looked like the Baltimore Ravens were going to run away with it. Then, Week 18 happened. A classic, ugly, 26-24 win for Mike Tomlin’s squad over Baltimore at Acrisure Stadium sealed the deal.
The Final AFC North Standings Breakdown
The regular season is over, and the playoff bracket is set. Here is how the four teams finished up:
- Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7): Division Champions. They secured the 4th seed in the AFC.
- Baltimore Ravens (8-9): Second place. A brutal collapse in the final weeks left them outside the playoff bubble.
- Cincinnati Bengals (6-11): Third place. Injuries and a Swiss-cheese defense made for a long winter in Cincy.
- Cleveland Browns (5-12): Fourth place. They actually finished with a two-game win streak, but it was too little, too late.
How Pittsburgh Stole the North
You’ve got to hand it to Mike Tomlin. The guy just refuses to have a losing season. By hitting 10 wins, he also tied the legendary Chuck Noll for the most regular-season wins in franchise history (193).
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The real story here is Aaron Rodgers. Yeah, the veteran QB under center for the Steelers was a polarizing move, but his steady hand in the fourth quarter against the Ravens in Week 18 was the difference. While the Steelers' point differential was a meager +10—the lowest for a division winner in the AFC this year—they won the games that mattered.
They went 4-2 in the division. In the AFC North, that’s the only stat that actually carries weight.
The Ravens' Heartbreak
Baltimore fans are probably still staring at the wall. This team was 6-5 and looked like the most dangerous out in the league. Derrick Henry was still doing Derrick Henry things, but the home record killed them.
They went 3-6 at M&T Bank Stadium. That is unthinkable for a John Harbaugh team. Losing to the Steelers twice in one season? That’s how you end up watching the Wild Card round from your couch. They finished 8-9 and missed the playoffs entirely, a shocking result given their talent.
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Why the Standings Look So Weird This Year
Usually, the AFC North is a two-team race. This year, it was more of a "who can survive the least amount of self-inflicted wounds" contest.
The Cincinnati Bengals were a mess. Joe Burrow kept them in games, but their defense allowed 492 points over the season. That’s nearly 29 points a game. You can’t win in this division giving up scores like that. They finished with a -78 point differential, which is honestly kind of embarrassing for a team with that much offensive firepower.
Then you have the Browns. Cleveland actually beat the Steelers in Week 17, which is why Pittsburgh had to go into Week 18 with their lives on the line. The Browns are in a weird spot. Their defense is still top-tier—allowing only 379 points, fewer than the division-winning Steelers—but their offense was a ghost town. They scored only 279 points all year. That’s 16 points a game. You’re not winning many NFL games in 2026 with that output.
Looking Ahead: The Playoff Picture
So, what does this mean for the postseason? Since the Steelers clinched the North, they secured a home game at Acrisure Stadium.
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They took on the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round on January 12. Unfortunately for the "Steel City," the magic ran out. Houston handled them 30-6. It was a flat ending to a rollercoaster season, but winning the division title still counts for the history books.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans
If you're following the AFC North into the 2026 offseason, here is what you need to keep an eye on:
- Steelers QB Situation: With the season over, the big question is whether Rodgers stays for one more run or if Pittsburgh finally hunts for a long-term successor.
- Bengals Defensive Overhaul: Expect Cincinnati to spend every cent they have on the secondary and defensive line. They cannot waste another year of Burrow’s prime.
- Baltimore’s Identity Crisis: The Ravens have to figure out why they can't win at home. Look for them to be aggressive in the draft to find a playmaker who can take the pressure off Lamar Jackson.
- Draft Order: The Browns are picking high again. With a 5-12 record, they’ll have a top-10 selection to hopefully fix that stagnant offense.
The 2025 standings show a division in transition. The old guard in Pittsburgh is still hanging on, while the rest of the North is left wondering what went wrong. For now, the Steelers can claim the crown, even if the playoff exit was a bit of a reality check.