Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Ravens Perfect Weekend Capped By AFC North's Failures

Originally posted on Baltimore Ravens on SI
By Anthony Miller | Last updated Oct 27, 2025 11:00 AM ET

After nearly two months of pure misery for the Baltimore Ravens, they finally had something to cheer about after picking up the biggest win of the season over the Chicago Bears in Week 8.

It was a stellar performance from the whole team, with the backup quarterback, Tyler Huntley, filling in for the injured Lamar Jackson and racking up over 200 yards of total offense and a touchdown pass in the win. Even the running game looked good with Huntley, Derrick Henry, and Keaton Mitchell all helping to get Baltimore to 177 yards and 5.1 yards per carry as a unit.

Defensively, they might have given up over 300 yards to the Bears, but they were great when Chicago got in the red zone. Only one touchdown was allowed, with a field goal and a defensive stand added in there. Their biggest play was Nate Wiggins' interception that got Baltimore to the Bears' nine-yard line in the fourth quarter, flipping the game.

This was the second win of the season for Baltimore, which moved to 2-5 on the year. The biggest question was whether they were too far behind after the bye week to make a legitimate playoff run. Now, the real question is whether they could make a run for the AFC North division title.

Ravens might be in the AFC North title race after perfect outcomes from Week 8

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

It all started with the Cincinnati Bengals holding a 31-16 lead over the winless New York Jets heading into the fourth quarter. That did not last long as New York scored 23 of the last 30 points to upset the Bengals 39-38 and capture their first win of the season.

The Cleveland Browns were actually competitive against the New England Patriots, trailing only 9-7 at halftime. It all changed: 21 straight points by the Patriots in the third quarter doomed the Browns to a 32-13 loss.

Pittsburgh needed the night with the Steelers facing the Green Bay Packers. In a weekend of blowouts, this was one of the few closer games, but the Packers had their own 21-point quarter. This happened in the fourth quarter, taking down the Steelers 35-25.

With all the results in for the AFC North, here is how the division stacks after eight weeks of football:

Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3)
Cincinnati Bengals (3-5)
Baltimore Ravens (2-5)
Cleveland Browns (2-6)

Baltimore is no longer at the bottom of the division; they have moved up to third. The Ravens are also just two games behind the Steelers for first place in the AFC North.

For the Ravens, this weekend couldn't have gotten any better, and with a win against the Miami Dolphins, Baltimore could be in second place by the end of the week.

This article first appeared on Baltimore Ravens on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: