The AFC North and NFC North are loaded, to an unprecedented extent in NFL history.
All eight teams in the two North divisions are above .500 after Week 7. Never before has the league had two divisions with every team having a winning record heading into Week 8.
The Browns lead the AFC North at 5-2 because they have the head-to-head tiebreaker with the 5-2 Steelers. The Bengals are 4-2 and the Ravens are 4-3.
The Vikings are 6-0, the only remaining undefeated team in the NFC. The Bears are in second place in the NFC North at 5-2, followed by the Lions at 4-2 and the Packers at 4-3.
If the playoffs started today, the Browns would be the No. 3 seed in the AFC. The Steelers would be the No. 6 seed and the Bengals would be the No. 7 seed. The Ravens would be out of the playoffs.
In the NFC, the Vikings would be the No. 1 seed and the three other teams would be the three wild cards: The Bears would be the No. 5 seed, the Lions would be No. 6 and the Packers would be No. 7 — as they have been each of the last three years.
We’re a long way from the playoffs, but right now, it looks like most of the biggest games down the stretch will be played in the North.
The Ravens were in complete control for the first half of Sunday’s divisional matchup with the Bengals.
But Cincinnati flipped the script for the game’s final 30 minutes, scoring touchdowns on five consecutive possessions to defeat Baltimore, 35-13.
The Bengals did next to nothing on offense for the first half of the contest, with Baltimore dominating time of possession 22:20 to 7:40. Joe Burrow was just 6-of-12 passing for 43 yards and Tee Higgins did not have a catch over the first 30 minutes.
But everything changed in the third quarter, as Burrow got things going with a 6-yard touchdown to Mike Gesicki. Then he tossed a 13-yard touchdown to Higgins, giving Cincinnati a 14-13 lead.
It didn’t stop there, as Samaje Perine’s 1-yard touchdown increased the lead after a turnover on downs. Ja’Marr Chase got in the action with a 2-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. And Burrow tossed his fourth score after the defense picked off Tyler Huntley, firing a 16-yard TD to Drew Sample.
Burrow finished 22-of-30 for 292 yards with four touchdowns, exiting the game with just under five minutes left in the fourth quarter with the outcome all but official. Joe Flacco came in for mop-up work against his former team.
Higgins caught six passes for 148 yards with a TD. Chase had five receptions for 62 yards with a score.
While the Ravens were 8-of-11 on third down in the first half, they didn’t convert one again until there was just over a minute left in the game — finishing 9-of-16 in the category.
On the injury front, Bengals tight end Erick All (knee) and safety Kyle Dugger (quad) were both ruled out. Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith had to exit early in the fourth quarter with a knee issue.
Now at 4-2, the Bengals will face the Titans at home next weekend.
The 4-3 Ravens will be on the road to face the Bills in Week 8.
Though the Bengals were thoroughly dominated in the first 30 minutes of Sunday’s matchup with the Ravens, they were down just 13-0 at halftime.
They’ve come back to take the lead with just two possessions in the third quarter.
Joe Burrow finished Cincinnati’s first drive of the second half with a 6-yard touchdown to Mike Gesicki. Then after a Baltimore three-and-out, Burrow connected with Tee Higgins for a 13-yard touchdown to make the score 14-13 with 4:29 left in the third quarter.
Burrow was just 6-of-12 for 43 yards at halftime. He’s now 15-of-22 for 143 yards with two TDs.
Higgins, who did not have a catch in the first half, now has four receptions for 61 yards with a score.
On the injury front, Ravens ight guard Vega Ioane has been downgraded to out with a knee injury.
Though Lamar Jackson is missing his third consecutive game with a high-ankle sprain, the Ravens’ offense has been plenty effective. But scoring field goals instead of touchdowns has kept the Bengals within striking distance.
The Ravens have a 13-0 lead at halftime.
Baltimore has been able to control the ball and the clock with long drives. The team scored quickly to open the game, with Zay Flowers taking a screen 48 yards for a touchdown. Then Tyler Loop hit a 34-yard field goal to cap an 18-play, 78-yard possession that took 11:00 off the clock in the second quarter.
Another 13-play, 82-yard drive took 6:09 off the clock and finished with a Loop 24-yard field goal late in the second period. The Ravens had a shot to extend that lead, but Ja’Kobi Lane couldn’t haul in a Tyler Huntley pass in the end zone on third down.
Huntley is 15-of-21 for 215 yards with a TD so far. Flowers has been particularly effective, catching six passes for 120 yards.
The run game has not gotten going much, however, with Derrick Henry registering 32 yards on 13 carries.
Baltimore leads in time of possession 22:20 to 7:40.
Cincinnati’s offense had just three first downs, 59 total yards, and was 2-of-6 on third down in the first half. Baltimore had 12 first downs, 258 yards, and was 8-of-11 on third down.
With so few plays, the Bengals have paltry offensive numbers. Joe Burrow, who has been heavily pressured, is 6-of-12 for 43 yards. Ja’Marr Chase has two catches for 23 yards. Tee Higgins doesn’t have a catch on one target.
Ravens right guard Vega Ioane is questionable to return with a knee injury. Emery Jones Jr. came in to replace him at the position.
The Bengals will receive the second-half kickoff.
Zay Flowers has done it again.
The young receiver had an impressive catch-and-run for a 48-0yard touchdown, giving the Ravens an early 7-0 lead over the Bengals.
Baltimore was facing third-and-9 after a short run by Derrick Henry and an incomplete pass to Rashod Bateman. So the team drew up a screen pass, with Tyler Huntley quickly hitting Flowers on the right side.
Flowers made a couple of defenders miss and zoomed up the middle of the field, outrunning Cincinnati’s defenders for a long touchdown.
It was the longest touchdown pass of Huntley’s career.
Flowers now has three receiving touchdowns this season.
The Jets won’t be getting running back Breece Hall back in the lineup for Sunday’s home date against the Dolphins.
Hall was listed as questionable on Friday due to the quad injury that’s kept him out for the last two games, but he wound up on the wrong side of that decision when the team released its inactive list for Week 7. Hall was limited in practice during the week and a move to full practice may be necessary for him to get back in the lineup.
Braelon Allen has 41 carries for 194 yards and a touchdown as the starter in Hall’s absence.
While Hall remains out, the Jets will be getting wide receiver Adonai Mitchell back in the lineup. He’s missed the last four games with a finger injury.
Dolphins at Jets
Dolphins: LB Willie Gay, WR Jalen Tolbert, CB Marcellas Dial, CB Reese Taylor, DE Rob Beal, OL DJ Campbell, OT Chukwuebuka Godrick
Jets: CB Jarvis Brownlee, RB Kene Nwangwu, RB Breece Hall, LB Joseph Ossai, OL Max Mitchell, G Dylan Parham, DL Jack Heflin
49ers at Falcons
49ers: DE Nick Bosa, WR Mike Evans, WR Deebo Samuel, LB Luke Gifford, LB Garret Wallow, S Marques Sigle, QB Kurtis Rourke
Falcons: QB Jack Strand, LB Divine Deablo, CB Avieon Terrell, QB Andy Dalton, WR Olamide Zaccheaus, RB Brian Robinson, DB Billy Bowman
Giants at Texans
Giants: OL Josh Sills, TE Theo Johnson, OL Marcus Mbow, CB Greg Newsome, CB Nikko Reed, S Jevon Holland, QB Jake Haener
Texans: T Blake Fisher, G Febechi Nwaiwu, T Nathan Thomas, TE Marlin Klein, RB David Montgomery, S Jalen Pitre, S Reed Blankenship
Bengals at Ravens
Bengals: S Russ Yeast, C Connor Lew, OT Myles Hinton, DE Shemar Stewart, DT Landon Robinson
Ravens: QB Lamar Jackson, S Jaylinn Hawkins, WR Elijah Sarratt, G Andrew Vorhees, DT Broderick Washington
Buccaneers at Panthers
Buccaneers: DL DeMonte Capehart, WR Emeka Egbuka, CB Ayden Garnes, T Luke Goedeke, G Billy Schrauth, S Antoine Winfield Jr.
Panthers: TE Ja’Tavion Sanders, LB Jaelan Phillips, QB Haynes King, RB AJ Dillon, C Sam Hecht, OT Stone Forsythe, DT TeRah Edwards
Colts at Vikings
Colts: LB Bryce Boettcher, LB CJ Allen, CB Sauce Gardner, TE Tyler Warren, WR Anthony Gould, G Dalton Tucker, QB Riley Leonard
Vikings: S Jakobe Thomas, QB Max Brosmer, CB Chuck Demmings, RB Demond Claiborne, OT Caleb Tiernan, DL Elijah Williams
Browns at Titans
Browns: QB Taylen Green, LB Justin Jefferson, CB Noah Igbinoghene, RB Audric Estime, DT Mike Hall Jr., C Parker Brailsford
Titans: WR Calvin Ridley, RB Tyjae Spears, RB Nick Singleton, TE Kylen Granson, OT Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, DT Jackie Marshall, CB Jaylon Jones
There’s a very good reason for Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey not wanting to cover Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
Chase routinely eats Baltimore’s lunch. And dinner. And breakfast.
Via NBC Sports research, Chase averages 117.1 receiving yards per game against the Ravens. That’s the highest number for any player against an opponent in NFL history, based on a minimum of 10 games.
Chase would surely love to have one of his typical performances against Baltimore on Sunday. Chase has yet to generate a 100-yard game in 2026. The closest he came was against Pittsburgh in Week 3, when he had nine catches for 98 yards in a 30-27 loss.
The Ravens will turn to quarterback Tyler Huntley once again.
On Saturday, quarterback Lamar Jackson was downgraded to out with a lingering ankle issue. It will be the third game missed due to the ankle sprain.
The Ravens could have let the uncertainty ride until Sunday, since they’re playing at home. Players listed as questionable often aren’t downgraded on a Saturday unless they play for the road team and don’t travel with the team.
On Friday, Jackson expressed optimism that he’d be able to face the Bengals.
“Right now, I’m heading in the right direction,” Jackson said. He added that pain, not swelling, was the biggest lingering problem.
Jackson said it doesn’t hurt when he walks, but that the pain increases when he runs. He explained that trying to play through the pain would only hurt the team’s effort to win.
Jackson confirmed that he has a high-ankle sprain, contrary to some of the reporting that described it as something other than that. Typically, a high-ankle sprain requires more time to heal, and it does indeed create more intense and more persistent pain.
He also said that he could know on Saturday whether he’ll be able to play, and that he otherwise has a “grace period” until Sunday. The Ravens decided based on what they know as of Saturday to not wait another day before making it official that Jackson won’t play.
The team is 3-1 with Jackson starting, and 1-1 without him. Now at 4-2, they face the 3-2 Bengals on Sunday with Huntley getting his third straight start.
The Ravens face the Bills in Buffalo next Sunday, followed by a Thursday night home game against the Jaguars.
After a week of limited practices, Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson is officially questionable for Sunday’s game against Cincinnati.
The Ravens made the designation official with their final injury report of the week on Friday afternoon.
Jackson has been sidelined for the last two games by a sprained ankle. Though it’s been reported that Jackson did not have a high-ankle sprain, he said after practice that is, in fact, what he’s been dealing with.
“Ian Rapoport said that? [Is] he part of the training staff?” Jackson said, eliciting laughter, via transcript from the team. ”We can’t go off Ian Rapoport. He [is] just reporting. Somebody probably told him that too though, so [I] can’t blame him.
“But my staff told me it was a high ankle sprain, so we [are] going with what [head certified athletic trainer] Adrian [Dixon] told me. I’m going with what Adrian told me.”
Jackson also noted that he’s “heading in the right direction.”
“I can’t call it right now,” Jackson said. “I still [have] got a grace period, so we’ll see, but hopefully. I feel like I”m heading in the right direction right now.
“I don’t have a number, but I don’t feel like I have to be 100,” Jackson added. “If I can just be out there and tolerate the pain in my ankle, [then] that’s it. If I can just go out there and feel the pain a little bit, I can play. But [if] I’m restricted and I can’t do what I do, [then] I’m not helping [anybody]. If I can just go out there and just be a statue and be hit, that’s not helping my team at all. That’s just me. I feel like I’m being selfish, because it’s about me at that point, for me to go out there and be hurt.”
Tyler Huntley would start if Jackson is not available.
Elsewhere on the injury report, safety Jaylinn Hawkins (knee) and outside linebacker Tavius Robinson (pectoral) are out. Robinson’s pectoral injury will keep him out for the rest of the season.
Cornerback T.J. Tampa (knee) is doubtful after he was limited all week while in his 21-day practice window. Defensive tackle Broderick Washington (ankle) is questionable.
Tight end Mark Andrews (hand), receiver Rashod Bateman (shoulder), outside linebacker Trey Hendrickson (finger), tight end Matthew Hibner (hand), offensive lineman Vega Ioane (ankle), center Cam Jurgens (concussion), guard John Simpson (groin), offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley (toe/ankle), and guard Andrew Vorhees (foot) are all off the injury report and set to play.
Will Lamar Jackson play on Sunday?
Even after the quarterback returned to practice this week, the answer to that question is still unclear.
Jackson (ankle) was listed as a limited participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday. Via Jamison Hensley of ESPN, head coach Jesse Minter told reporters on Friday that Jackson got a “pretty good amount of work in” during the final session of the week.
But does that mean Jackson will play?
“We’re still working through that,” Minter said.
Minter did not say what game status the Ravens would give Jackson for this weekend.
Jackson has missed the last two games with an ankle injury. If he’s not able to play, then Tyler Huntley would make another start for Baltimore, having gone 1-1 over the last two weeks.
Baltimore’s full injury report with game statuses is due out later on Friday.
