OTL: Not the Sunday We’d Hoped for in the AFC North

The Baltimore Ravens were able to get their job done on Thursday night with a win over the Miami Dolphins. That left you to peruse CBS, Fox and, NFL RedZone for a Sunday without the usual anxiety. The bad news for the Ravens is that the Steelers beat the Colts. The Colts turned into a pumpkin and “Indiana Jones” went back to being boring old Daniel Jones. It’s important to give credit where it is due, even for the Steelers (ed note: barf).

Micheal Baca of NFL.com breaks down how the Steelers stepped up defensively:

But with Pittsburgh keyed in on stopping the run, Jones was tasked with leading the charge through the air and it seemingly played into the Steelers’ plan. Jones’ mistake-laden day was heavily influenced by the Colts’ protection struggles but errant throws rued his day, with two of his three INTs falling squarely on the QB. Jones finished 31-of-50 passing for 342 yards with five total turnovers (three INTs, two fumbles) and a 63.9 QB rating, by far his lowest of the season (had 100-plus passer rating in seven of first eight games). Josh Downs‘ muffed punt in the first quarter brought Indy’s giveaway total to six on the day. Perhaps it will end up being a mere wake-up call for Jones and Co., but the Colts will have to soak in a stinker during a long plane ride to Berlin ahead of next Sunday’s game before getting a chance to reset and recharge for the season’s final stretch after a Week 11 bye.

The Steelers were dominant. Once they started to feel the game out, the Pittsburgh defense was able to make the Colts one-dimensional and punish them for it. Baca gets this right. One thing I’ll add is that the Steelers did a great job interrupting the short passing game. They tipped a lot of passes and didn’t give the Colts easy completions underneath. Jones has a low release point and the Steelers very much noticed. The Colts have the number one offense (or they did coming into this week) largely due to the running game and big plays through the air. The Colts tried to replace their run game with the quick passing attack and the Steelers crowded them in. I think they expected the Steelers to guard against the big play down the field, but Pittsburgh’s strategy was to make things miserable for Jones up close and personal.

Standings in AFC North after Week 9 games (Wk 10 game in parentheses)
Steelers: 5-3 (at Chargers)
Ravens: 3-5 (at Vikings)
Bengals: 3-6 (on bye)
Browns: 2-6 (at Jets)

— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) November 2, 2025

The Steelers needed this game. The Ravens have turned things around for now and they had a rough couple of weeks. A win over one of the best teams in the AFC was a legitimizer for the Steelers and it gave them a little room from the clumped records of the AFC North.

The Cincinnati Bengals lost, but check this out: Joe Flacco had 470 passing yards and four touchdowns. The Bengals lost a game in which they put up 495 total yards, secured 26 first downs, and scored at least 10 points in three of the four quarters. What does an offense have to do to win a game in the Queen city? Tackling was the main culprit for the Bengals. Kyle Monangai had 176 yards on the ground, while the Bears had 283 total rushing yards. The game-winning touchdown only happened because of a missed tackle by Jordan Battle in the open field. In a game where the Bengals recovered an onside kick, took the lead with less than a minute to go and only gave the Bears an outside chance of a miracle win, the Bengals fans walked away miserable and defeated.

We talked about this last week. The Bengals just did it again. It’s a historic low point:

#Bengals are the first team since the 1960s to score 38+ points in back-to-back games and lose both games. pic.twitter.com/Pt94xkKUCt

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 2, 2025

Bengals allowed a game-losing touchdown on this play pic.twitter.com/mxO73DVbNl

— NFL Memes (@NFL_Memes) November 2, 2025

I don’t usually look to NFL Memes to make a serious point, but look at this picture. That Bears player with the ball found a way out of that situation and scored the game winning touchdown. I include this because you have to believe it to see it, and at the end of the day the Cincinnati defense is a joke.

Lamar Jackson and the Ravens might put up 70 points per game on the Bengals defense

— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) November 2, 2025

The Ravens will certainly be ready to play the Bengals. Lamar Jackson has been the bane of their existence. Jackson outdueled Joe Burrow twice last year in unbelievable shootouts. They may be facing a different (but very familiar) Joe but it should be the same old story later this season. I doubt they score 70 like Kevin Oestreicher jokingly says but there’s a lot of truth in this humor.

Jaguars kicker Cam Little just connected on a record 68-yard field goal, the longest in NFL history.
pic.twitter.com/Tr8gm08DKe

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 2, 2025

It’s been a rough time to be Justin Tucker. It may or may not affect him, but he’s no longer the record holder for the longest field goal. Cam Little beat his record with a 68-yard kick for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Nothing will ever beat the game-winner in Detroit. Little has the record, but I’d argue that Tucker still has the best moment because it delivered the most dramatic win possible.

We have traded CB Jaire Alexander and a 2027 7th-round pick to the Eagles for a 2026 6th-round pick. pic.twitter.com/AqNCFIEVec

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) November 1, 2025

I guess we should talk about the Jaire Alexander trade, though I know you’re probably well aware of it. It doesn’t seem like a big detriment to lose Alexander. He was a splashy signing but he wasn’t getting the playing time in Baltimore and now the Ravens have a little more to work with before the trade deadline. From a football perspective it’s a nothing burger. From a business perspective it’s a perk to get something out of a player that wasn’t working out the way the Ravens had hoped.

Alright, time to stop listening to me and time to get back to your Monday. Happy November, it’s my favorite month of the year (not that you care. Personal note: Happy Birthday Harper!)

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