Jul 23, 2025; Owings Mills, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) warms up during training camp at Under Armour Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

Ravens Predicted to Make AFC North History

Originally posted on Baltimore Ravens on SI
By Jon Alfano | Last updated Aug 30, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The AFC North has long held a reputation as one of the NFL's absolute toughest divisions, and there's one stat that shows that better than any other.

In the 23 years since realignment, no team has won the AFC North three years in a row. There have been plenty of back-to-back champions, but not a single back-to-back champion in more than two decades. It's the only division in the league to hold this distinction.

However, it may not hold it for much longer. The Baltimore Ravens have won the division in each of the past two years and they look like an absolute juggernaut heading into the 2025 campaign, with very few weaknesses on either side of the ball. In fact, they might just have the best roster in the entire league, though that's of course up for debate.

NFL.com pundits recently made their playoff predictions for the upcoming season, and 26 of 29 voters picked the Ravens to win the AFC North for a third year in a row. The remaining three picked them as a wild card team, two as the fifth seed and one as the sixth seed.

"One of four teams to appear on all 29 ballots (Bills, Chiefs, Eagles), the Ravens are again considered the overwhelming favorites in the North," NFL.com's staff wrote. "But they might not be going to the dance alone. The Bengals, who garnered some support as division champs, were voted into the top wild-card slot, appearing on 76 percent of all ballots.

"The Steelers and Browns, both led by seasoned Super Bowl-winning QBs, were not viewed as optimistically, however. The majority of voters picked Pittsburgh to miss the playoffs for the seventh time during Mike Tomlin’s lengthy tenure, while the Browns are expected to come up short for the fourth time in Kevin Stefanski’s six seasons at the helm."

While the Ravens seem like a very complete team, their division rivals all have glaring issues.

The Cincinnati Bengals' offense is one of the best in the league, but their defense was atrocious last season and seemingly didn't improve much this offseason.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the oldest teams in the league and have seeminfly been treading water for the past several years, though it would be foolish to rule out Tomlin an co. fully as he hasn't had a losing season in his 18-year tenure.

The Browns are, well, the Browns. There's not much optimism in northeastern Ohio going into this season.

Of course, the Ravens will still have to work to retain their crown, but if they're as good as expected, they should become the first team to three-peat in the AFC North.

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

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