Subscribe to our newsletter

A look at the AFC North: Week 4

Share
Reading Time: 4 minutes
AFC North

 
Team
W
L
T
PCT
PF
PA
Home
Road
AFC
NFC
DIV
Streak
Pittsburgh

 
3
0
0
1.000
97
26
2-0
1-0
2-0
1-0
1-0
Won 3
Baltimore

 
2
1
0
.667
66
63
2-0
0-1
1-1
1-0
0-1
Won 2
Cincinnati

 
1
2
0
.333
93
95
1-0
0-2
1-1
0-1
1-1
Lost 2
Cleveland

 
1
2
0
.333
82
105
1-1
0-1
1-2
0-0
1-1
Lost 1
 
Week #3 – AFC North Scores
 
 
Pittsburgh 37 San Francisco 16
 
Oakland 26 Cleveland 24
 
Baltimore 26 Arizona 23
 
Seattle 24 Cincinnati   21
 
 
Baltimore Ravens
 
Kicker Matt Stover put the game winning FG through the goalposts as time expired holding off a furious rally by the Kurt Warner – led Cardinals. RB Willis McGahee rushed for 98 yards on 21 carries and Derrick Mason caught 8 passes for 79 yards and a TD in the victory. Stover kicked four FG’s and moved past Norm Johnson into fifth place on the NFL career scoring list with 1,745 points. He has 416 FG in his career, third most in NFL history. Combined, QB Steve McNair and Kyle Boller completed 28 passes on 38 attempts for 281 yards, 1 TD and 0 INT. CB Samari Rolle was inactive because of illness. He was replaced by Corey Ivy who contributed with a key strip of WR Larry Fitzgerald in the 2nd half. Rookie RS Yamon Figurs made his presence felt significantly with a 75 yard punt return for a TD. 
 
Cincinnati Bengals
 
WR TJ Houshmandzadeh took advantage of Seattle double-teaming WR Chad Johnson for most of the game and tied his career high with 12 catches. He had 141 yards receiving and a TD for the Bengals, who lost for the 31st time in 43 trips to the West Coast. QB Carson Palmer completed 27 of 43 passes for 342 yards and one TD and was picked off twice in the defeat. Seattle had just 210 total yards and 14 points after three quarters against a defense that Cleveland shredded for 51 points and 554 total yards last week. But ultimately, the Bengals’ defense faltered again, allowing a late scoring drive capped by a Matt Hasselback to Nate Burleson 22 yard TD pass. RB Kenny Watson contributed 60 yards on 9 carries, subbing for an ineffective and then injured RB Rudi Johnson.
 
Cleveland Browns
 
The Browns had a chance to win in Oakland as QB Derek Anderson drove the offense from their 9 to the Oakland 23 in the final 1:04 without a timeout to set up Phil Dawson’s 40-yard try for FG. Raiders Head Coach Lane Kiffin called a late timeout, which thwarted a good FG attempt by K Phil Dawson. The kick following the timeout call was blocked. Anderson was intercepted twice in the first half and finished 18-for-37 for 248 yards and a TD. The Browns trailed 16-0 before getting a 99-yard kick return for a score from Joshua Cribbs late in the first half and a 21-yard TD pass to WR Braylon Edwards midway through the third quarter to take a 17-16 lead. It wasn’t enough as the Raiders outgained Cleveland 186-88 on the ground, holding RB Jamal Lewis to 56 yards.” We played terribly offensively," Anderson said. "We made a lot of mistakes. It’s disappointing."
 
Pittsburgh Steelers
 
Pittsburgh played nearly error-free for the third week in a row, with Allen Rossum returning a kickoff 98 yards for a TD and Willie Parker running for 133 yards in their victory. The Steelers shut down the 49ers the same way they did the Browns (34-7) and the Bills (26-3) the previous two weeks, allowing no big plays and holding star runner Frank Gore to 39 yards on 14 carries. Parker, coming off a 1,494-yard season, had his fourth consecutive 100-yard game and sixth in seven games dating to last season — yardage the Steelers needed on a day when Ben Roethlisberger threw only out of necessity. Roethlisberger was 13-of-20 for 160 yards and a 9-yard TD to tight end Jerame Tuman. 
 
Week #4 Predictions
 
Baltimore Ravens (2-1) at Cleveland Browns (1-2)
 
The Ravens go to Cleveland seeking their first division win in 2007. The Browns rank 31st in the NFL in total defense; yielding an average of 35 points per game. RB Willis McGahee is sitting on a break out game, but it may not happen this Sunday as the Browns have been tough on the Ravens in recent match-ups. Brian Billick is 11-5 all time versus the Browns as Head Coach of the Ravens and Baltimore has taken 4 of the last 5 contests versus Cleveland.
 
Baltimore 20 Cleveland 13
 
Cincinnati Bengals (1-2) vs. New England Patriots (3-0)
 
The Bengals return home to face the Patriots in what would appear to be a very difficult assignment for the striped mammals. New England ranks No. 1 in total defense, Cincinnati ranks No. 29 in total defense. The game features 2 of the top 3 QBs in the AFC in Carson Palmer and Tom Brady. The teams have met 4 times since 2000 with the Patriots winning 3 out of 4. The magic number here is 38, as New England has scored that amount in each of their first 3 games and that’s what they scored against the Bengals in a 38-13 victory in 2006.
 
New England 38 Cincinnati 13
 
Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0) at Arizona Cardinals (1-2)
 
The teams have met only once this century, with the Steelers winning at home in 2003, 28-15. Pittsburgh ranks No. 2 in total defense, Arizona is No. 13. On offense the Steelers rank 8th and the Cardinals rank 11th. The Cardinals return home after losing their 2nd contest on a last minute FG, and could easily be 3-0 instead of 1-2. Note that the offensive line has yielded only 2 sacks against 3 good defenses. The Steelers have won all 3 of their contests rather easily, and they have yet to get their passing attack really cranked up, which is kind of scary. This game figures to be very close.
 
Pittsburgh 26 Arizona 24
 
Record
 
Week 3:  4 – 0
 
Season:  7 – 2
 
Don’t Miss Anything at RSR. Subscribe Here!
Latest posts
Join our newsletter and get 20% discount
Promotion nulla vitae elit libero a pharetra augue