Each week during the NFL season, I will be running through the top storylines from within the AFC North and giving my brief opinion on each matter that is discussed. Once the season gets into full swing, we oftentimes overlook many prevalent stories around the league, as we narrow our focus solely on our beloved Steelers. Hopefully this weekly piece will provide insight on the important topics in the AFC North and educate each reader on what to expect for each AFC North team moving forward.

With much to discuss and minimal time to discuss it, let’s dive right in!

Rudolph Delivers a Christmas Miracle

It was fitting for Rudolph to get the start right before Christmas, but the surprise was that Rudolph actually looked good in his start. As the Steelers continue to monitor Kenny Pickett’s health ahead of their matchup against the Seahawks, it appears as if Rudolph will get the nod yet again this week. If Pickett is healthy, I believe it is of the utmost importance to start him and see what he can offer in the post-Matt Canada offense, but Mike Tomlin wants to save his streak of no losing seasons as head coach. Despite almost no chance of making a deep playoff run, the team will likely try to ride with the hot hand and pray the right teams lose in the final two weeks.

Browns Clinch Playoff Birth, Blast Jets on TNF

The legend of Joe Flacco continued Thursday night against one of his former teams, as the Browns got off to a hot start on offense and never looked back. Highlighted by an impressive touchdown reception by Jerome Ford and over 130 receiving yards by David Njoku, Cleveland marched to a 37-20 victory, improving to 11-5 on the season. They have officially clinched a playoff birth, and if Baltimore slips up in one of their final two games, they could still come away with the division. The defense, led by linebackers Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Sione Takitaki, is playing as good as it has all season, and it is a defense that could take the Browns down a deep playoff run, despite the injuries on offense.

Ravens Shrink Purdy Down to Size

The attention being given to Brock Purdy has been far too great, but a good spanking against the Ravens on Christmas brought his stock back down to earth. Brent Urban’s two sacks and Kyle Hamilton’s two interceptions led the Ravens defense to a dominating performance, which ultimately led to Baltimore pulling off the big win 33-19. The Ravens picked off San Francisco five times Monday night, four of which were thrown by Purdy.

Brock Purdy’s performance Monday night should remind fans that he is a system quarterback, nothing more. The situation he has in San Francisco is the best in the league, and if things do not go his way early in the game, he struggles to recuperate as the game progresses. For the Ravens, this win puts them one win away from the number one seed. Win against Miami on Sunday, and the AFC runs through Baltimore.

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