The AFC North has long been one of the toughest divisions in football. From the Pittsburgh Steelers-Baltimore Ravens rivalry that heated up in the 2000s and has continued to today to the rise of Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals, it certainly hasn’t been an easy division for the Steelers to win. Even the Cleveland Browns have not looked quite as incompetent in recent years. It’s safe to say divisional games in the AFC North have never been easy, and that shouldn’t change this year.
The Steelers haven’t won the division since 2020, not all that long for most teams, but since the division was formed as we know it today in 2002, their longest winless streak has just been three years.