Browns lead surprising AFC North surge

The AFC North is outperforming expectations this season.

Cleveland sits at 5-2 under head coach Todd Monken. The team faces Pittsburgh on Sunday. Both clubs share a 5-2 record. The point total for the game is set at 39.5, the lowest on the Week 8 schedule. Cincinnati trails slightly at 4-2. Quarterback Joe Burrow ranks sixth in the league for expected points added per drop-back. He has one less touchdown pass than the league leader. The Bengals have already used their bye week.

Burrow plays in front of a strong offensive line. The team will host three consecutive home games. Those opponents include Tennessee, Atlanta, and Pittsburgh. Quarterbacks Jordan Love and Michael Penix Jr. are also performing well. Love has thrown seven touchdown passes and two interceptions over his last three weeks. He threw three touchdowns in a win against Carolina. Penix Jr. has thrown six touchdowns without an interception in his last two games. His quarterback rating is 109 through his first five starts. He was the No. 8 pick in the 2024 draft.

Trade activity is increasing as the deadline approaches. The Colts traded Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner. The Titans traded Jeffery Simmons. Teams are interested in Colts running back Jonathan Taylor and wide receiver Josh Downs. The Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks will play on Monday night. Both teams are playing in prime time for the third straight week. Seattle has played on Sunday, Thursday, and Monday nights. Chicago has played on Monday, Sunday, and Monday nights.

Baltimore will visit Buffalo for the game of the week. Lamar Jackson returns to action. Both teams were top contenders during the preseason. Josh Allen’s Bills are coming off a bye week. They have played in three high-scoring games recently. Those scores were 29-26 against New England, 37-34 at the Rams, and 33-30 over Las Vegas.

The Los Angeles Rams host the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. The Rams are 10-point favorites. The Chargers are coming off a bye week. Head coach Jim Harbaugh’s team has struggled this season. The Rams are among the best teams in the league. They are expected to win by a wide margin.

Minnesota is the last unbeaten team in the NFL. The Vikings travel to Detroit as 3-point road underdogs. The Lions are 4-2. Quarterback Jared Goff has elite weapons in Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Vikings defense uses a heavy blitz scheme. That defense has performed well against opponents this season.