NFL: Week 1 Takeaways From The AFC North

Steelers: Run defense can really be a problem

The Steelers take pride in their ability to stop the run and make it difficult for opponents. This was absolutely not the case in this game. There could be a few reasons for it: Cam Heyward had not practiced and was not game-ready, Derrick Harmon was out, and rookie Yahya Black took a lot of meaningful snaps. Only time will tell if the run defense will be a long-term issue or if it was just an off game where Justin Fields’ legs and Breece Hall were simply electric.

Bengals: Lucky to survive

The Bengals, playing a team without direction or the ability to even go punch for punch with them, looked bad. The Bengals’ offense, and specifically the run game, was extremely underwhelming after an offseason of the offensive line getting together and wanting to protect Joe Burrow while creating holes for Chase Brown. The defense looked better than many anticipated, but there are still glaring issues on this team and too many holes that will probably prevent them from going far.

Bengals: Run game looks bad

The offensive line is a huge issue on this team and will continue to be a problem until the Bengals go all-in on the trenches. Chase Brown averaged only 2.0 yards per carry. This was a fear of mine heading into the season: if they cannot get the run game going, they become one-dimensional. No team can be productive offensively as a one-trick pony. The Bengals need to be aware of this issue moving forward and try to come up with schemes that will open up the field more.

Browns: Defense may be better than we thought

The Browns’ defensive line looked special the entire game. They were in Chase Brown’s face the whole game and were constantly pressuring Joe Burrow. The secondary was a question mark heading into the season, but they proved themselves against the Bengals. Holding Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase to 59 total yards is completely unheard of.

Browns: Offense will always be an issue

While the defense looked great, football is not just one-dimensional. They need the offense to produce as well. The Browns looked sluggish against a bad Bengals defense. They had a great opportunity to get their offense going quickly and to have Joe Flacco perform well in his first game. However, the run game looked promising with Dylan Sampson as the lead back, and Quinshon Judkins should be back by Week 3.

Ravens: Derrick Henry is still the king

There is not much to say about Derrick Henry other than the fact that he will have a case to be the greatest running back of all time. He is now 31 years old and looks better than he ever has at a position that tends to deteriorate quickly. He averaged 9.1 yards per carry against a great defense. He looked stronger and faster than everybody on the field and is doing everything in his power to get the Ravens to the Super Bowl.

Ravens: Secondary lacks depth

Josh Allen was last season’s MVP and is easily a top 3 quarterback in the NFL. However, he does not have a plethora of weapons to utilize. The Bills have a good group of guys that can get the job done, but they should not be as open as they were against a great Ravens defense. There were open guys all over the field without any resistance, especially at the end of the game. The secondary completely broke down with receivers wide open everywhere.

Steelers: Aaron Rodgers’ arm is lively

Aaron Rodgers threw for 244 yards, 4 touchdowns, and no turnovers. He looked absolutely electric. He takes risks while also not putting the ball in harm’s way. Rodgers’ greatest strength is being able to play smart with the ball without being passive. His arm looked better than it has in the past two seasons, and he looked exactly like he did during his back-to-back MVP seasons in 2020–2021.

Steelers: Run defense can really be a problem

The Steelers take pride in their ability to stop the run and make it difficult for opponents. This was absolutely not the case in this game. There could be a few reasons for it: Cam Heyward had not practiced and was not game-ready, Derrick Harmon was out, and rookie Yahya Black took a lot of meaningful snaps. Only time will tell if the run defense will be a long-term issue or if it was just an off game where Justin Fields’ legs and Breece Hall were simply electric.