2023 AFC North Is One Of The Best Divisions In Nearly A Century

The 2023 AFC North was a gauntlet both inside and outside of the division. The Baltimore Ravens finished the year 13-4 and are the top seed in the AFC Playoffs. The second-place Cleveland Browns finished with an 11-6 record after sitting the majority of their starters in Week 18. The Pittsburgh Steelers snuck into the playoffs with a three-game win streak giving them a wildcard berth.

Not only were the division rivalries all hard-fought games, but this AFC North also dominated its out-of-division games. Against the NFC West (arguably the second-best division in football), the AFC North finished with a 12-4 record.

Against the AFC South, the North was 10-6 with Cleveland having a perfect 4-0 record. 

Even more of a credit to this division, the Jacksonville Jaguars entered Week 13 with an 8-3 record facing the Bengals, Browns, and Ravens in consecutive weeks. On Monday Night Football, they fell to the Bengals in overtime, then lost a shootout to Cleveland the week after and then got thumped by the Ravens. They weren't able to shake their three-game losing streak and ended up missing the playoffs completely.

An AFC North opponent was not a welcomed sight for any competitor. Rarely did the opposing team walk away from an AFC North matchup unscathed and celebrating a victory.

Sunday marked the end of another regular season, one that was historic for the AFC North. Time will tell if the Ravens, Browns or Steelers can represent the conference in the Super Bowl.