Predicting the 2025 records and end of season rankings for the AFC North
The modern AFC North has existed for nearly 25 years, switching to the four-team division we all know and love in 2002 when the NFL expanded to 32 clubs. There has never been an AFC North team to win three consecutive division titles in the 23-year history of the division.Will 2025 finally be the year […]
The modern AFC North has existed for nearly 25 years, switching to the four-team division we all know and love in 2002 when the NFL expanded to 32 clubs. There has never been an AFC North team to win three consecutive division titles in the 23-year history of the division.
Will 2025 finally be the year it happens? The Baltimore Ravens have a chance to make it so coming off back-to-back AFC North titles. In their way are the Cincinnati Bengals, hungry to make the playoffs after a two-year hiatus, the Cleveland Browns and their quintet of quarterbacks, and the Pittsburgh Steelers with their newest veteran starter in Aaron Rodgers.
Let’s go around the division with our staff of beat writers to see how they think the AFC North hierarchy will look like at the conclusion of the upcoming season.
AFC North 2025 Record Predictions
1. Baltimore Ravens (13-4)
The Ravens draw the top dogs in the AFC both on the road this season, which is an unfortunate development amid Baltimore's hopes to own critical tiebreakers at the end of the regular season. However, with the matchup against Buffalo in the season opener, Baltimore will have a mitigated impact on their weekly routine. I do believe the Ravens will win at least one of the two heavyweight matchups in the AFC, and from there, they draw teams like Detroit and Los Angeles (Rams) at home.
The toughest matchups the rest of the way include a road test in Minnesota, a late-season contest in Green Bay on a short week, and road contests in Cincinnati & Pittsburgh in the final four weeks. The Ravens are well-built and well-balanced, meaning they'll be a tough out for anyone. If they set the tone in the first four weeks, they should be looking at a bid for the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
– Kyle Crabbs, A to Z Baltimore
2. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-6)
You ask people how the Steelers will do in 2025 and you get 10 different answers. And honestly, I can see the rationale behind a lot of them. Personally, I think they slightly overachieve. 8.5 wins is their expected total, and I’m hammering the over under one condition: Aaron Rodgers is healthy all year. Two years removed from his Achilles injury and a chip on the shoulder of one of the league’s best ever gives optimism for a Brett Favre like Vikings run.
The rest of the roster is set, and their main weaknesses will be addressed before the trade deadline. I would buy stock in the Steelers while it’s still low.
– Rob Gregson, A to Z Pittsburgh
3. Cincinnati Bengals (10-7)
A month has passed since I pinned this record next to the team's name, and I don't think enough has changed positively or negatively for me to switch things up. Cincinnati is banking on a new defensive approach to provide a positive regression on that side of the ball, while continuity on offense with Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins leading the way alongside Chase Brown, Mike Gesicki, and Andrei Iosivas.
Is the roster good enough to catapult back to the top of the conference, let alone the division? Maybe not, but improving by one game is entirely plausible. Finishing third in the North again, however, will undoubtedly create an interesting conversation.
– John Sheeran, A to Z Cincinnati
4. Cleveland Browns (5-12)
On paper, heading into last season, the Browns appeared to have a playoff-caliber roster once again. However, that didn’t materialize—they managed just three wins, hindered by poor quarterback play and a regressing defense. Unfortunately for Cleveland, they face one of the toughest schedules in the league this season, which doesn’t bode well for them.
The Browns’ start to the season is particularly rough, with early matchups against the Bengals, Ravens, Packers, Lions, and Vikings. With two rookie quarterbacks on the roster, it’s likely that one or both will get an opportunity to prove themselves. That said, growing pains are almost inevitable. This is a pivotal year for the current coaching staff, but they’ll need to deliver results before regaining any credibility after last season’s disappointment.
– Brandon Little, A to Z Cleveland
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