AFC North – Week 8 Divisional Recap
The Steelers are dominating the division, with a 3-0 divisional record and a 2 game lead over the Ravens. The Ravens, Bengals, and Browns all lost this week.
Pittsburgh Steelers 6-2
Baltimore Ravens 4-4
Cincinnati Bengals 3-4
Cleveland Browns 0-8
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers went to Detroit and beat the Lions 20-15.
What they did well
The Steelers kept the Lions out of the end zone in the ultimate bend but don’t break defense. The Lions had 5 trips to the red zone and did not convert. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 317 yards, including a 97 yard touchdown pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster after a big defensive goal line stop. Smith-Schuster finished with 7 catches for 193 yards and a touchdown.
Where they needed improvement
The Steelers gave up 482 yards to the Lions. Roethlisberger was not sharp, missing some open receivers and throwing an interception. The Lions connected on several pass plays of 30 or more yards. The Steelers need to cut down on the big plays, and maybe not bend so much.
What is Next
The Steelers have a bye in Week 9, then they travel to Indianapolis to face the Colts in Week 10.
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens destroyed the Miami Dolphins on Thursday Night Football by a score of 40-0.
What they did well
The Ravens defense did not allow the Dolphins to get any traction. They held Jay Ajai to just 23 yards, and held the entire Dolphin offense to just 196 total yards. C.J. Mosley and Jimmy Smith each returned an interception for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Alex Collins ran for 113 yards on a night that saw Joe Flacco go down with a concussion on a dirty hit late in the first half.
Where they needed improvement
Ryan Mallett came in when Flacco went down, and only managed 18 yards in the second half. A lot of that had to do with the lead, but if Flacco can’t go next week, Mallett will need to step it up. Other than that, there is not much the Ravens did wrong on Thursday, which is what you expect in a 40-0 win.
What is Next
The Ravens travel to Nashville to face the Tennessee Titans in Week 9.
http://gty.im/867908122
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals defense found the end zone to seal a 24-23 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
What they did well
The Bengals defense stepped up when they needed to. Carlos Dunlap had a sack and an interception that he returned 16 yards for the game winning touchdown. Carl Lawson had a key sack with about a minute and a half to go in the game to force a 3rd and 13. The Bengals stopped the Colts on 4th down and Andy Dalton led the victory formation.
Where they needed improvement
The Bengals only ran for 58 yards on the day. Joe Mixon led the way with 18 yards. Yes, the rushing leader for the Bengals gained just 18 yards. And that was on 11 carries. The Bengals fumbled the ball 4 times, losing 2 of them. In a 1-point game, that could have been huge.
What is next
The Bengals will travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars in Week 9.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns went to London and dropped a game to the Minnesota Vikings 33-16.
What they did well
DeShone Kizer played the entire game, and he did not give up an interception. Joe Shobert had an interception to set up a touchdown on Cleveland’s first drive. Kizer and Isaiah Crowell each had a touchdown run to give the Browns a 13-12 halftime lead. Emmanuel Ogbah blocked and extra point, which allowed the Browns to have that lead.
Where they needed improvement
Crowell fumbled on the first play of the second half, which allowed the Vikings to take the lead with a field goal. Zane Gonzalez hit the upright on an extra point in the first half, then missed his first field goal attempt in the second half. The Browns had a 16-15 lead in the 3rd quarter, but then gave up 18 unanswered points as they fell to 0-8.
What is Next
The Browns have a bye week in Week 9, then travel to Detroit to face the Lions in Week 10.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.