Each week during the regular season and occasionally during the offseason, our AFC North writers tackle the pressing questions and biggest storylines around the division. This week, we discuss which teams made the right moves at the trade deadline, the biggest surprises at the midpoint and the coaches feeling the most heat…
The trade deadline is over. Did the team you cover make the right calls?
Mike DeFabo (Steelers): The Steelers made one necessary move when they acquired safety Kyle Dugger to fill the shoes of DeShon Elliott, who is likely out for the entire regular season. However, the 4 p.m. deadline passed without the Steelers adding a receiver. People in Pittsburgh seemed to either love or hate that decision.
On one side of the argument, the Steelers are projected to have 10-12 draft picks in 2026; it’s logical to save that stockpile to move up in the first round and potentially land the long-term answer behind center. On the flip side, the Steelers were very aggressive this offseason, loading the roster with aging veterans like 34-year-old Darius Slay, 31-year-old Jalen Ramsey, 27-year-old DK Metcalf, 30-year-old Jonnu Smith and 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers. They also re-signed a now-31-year-old T.J. Watt and added incentives to 36-year-old Cameron Heyward’s contract.
If Rodgers is playing well and the window doesn’t appear to be open for long, why not try to surround the veteran QB with as much talent as possible? I probably lean toward the latter and would have given up fourth- and sixth-round picks for a player like Jakobi Meyers, but I’m not going to totally bash the Steelers’ for their decision to stand pat. I can see the other point of view, and if the Steelers answer the QB question that has lingered since Ben Roethlisberger retired, I’m OK with them keeping the picks, giving Roman Wilson a chance to develop and continuing to highlight the dynamic tight end room.
Jeff Zrebiec (Ravens): I had no problem with any of the three moves the Ravens made. Odafe Oweh wasn’t playing well and wasn’t going to be re-signed, and Alohi Gilman has allowed the Ravens to deploy Kyle Hamilton in different ways. Jaire Alexander was two injuries away from playing and he deserved a chance to play elsewhere. Dre’Mont Jones is having a nice year and he adds some juice to a pass rush that’s been nonexistent.
Still, it felt like general manager Eric DeCosta could have done a little more to improve the Ravens in the offensive or defensive trenches. Baltimore’s defensive line is thin and underwhelming. In fairness to DeCosta, I don’t think there was a move out there that would have dramatically altered the team’s 2025 fortunes. At 3-5, I don’t think trading two first-round picks or a first and a second rounder is good business when you are a few losses away from starting to look forward to the draft. However, it’s hard to imagine there wasn’t a decent offensive guard or defensive tackle available somewhere who would have been a needed upgrade at a reasonable price.
Dehner Jr. (Bengals): The Bengals are so deep into a litany of bad decisions it’s hard to know what’s right and wrong anymore. The defense is historically bad, they are 3-6, and they’re about to face Aaron Rodgers, Drake Maye, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and Jackson again in consecutive weeks.
Is there hope for this season? Not really. That would suggest trading Trey Hendrickson now to save the money and get a better pick than the compensatory one coming their way (or whatever would come from a tag-and-trade situation in March). Sure, the pick would be nice, but they passed because they are holding out hope for this season.
They know that by EPA/play they have the No. 1 offense in the NFL since Joe Flacco’s arrival. The defense needs a closer; his absence in the fourth quarters the last month cost them games. Closing is what Hendrickson does best. They latched on to those facts and kept hope alive. They were never getting a first-round pick or anything in the stratosphere of Quinnen Williams.
The gains are minimal in every direction. In reality, Hendrickson should have been traded or extended back before free agency so they could have better filled out this defense before it fell apart.
Zac Jackson (Browns): The right calls? That’s hard to say — just like it’s hard to judge whether the folks in charge are completely embracing the team’s need to fully work for the future or continuing to try to exist with one foot in the present and the other pointed forward. The Browns’ lack of major activity was only slightly surprising; there just weren’t a lot of realistic trade options.
Teams likely weren’t interested in players the Browns would have quickly traded, like Jerome Ford and Shelby Harris. Keeping David Njoku offers a hint that Njoku will be heavily involved in the offense the rest of the way and maybe even next year, too.
In any case, there was no available quick-fix for this putrid Cleveland offense. And there won’t be a quick fix next spring and summer, either.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski handed over play-calling responsibilities to offensive coordinator Tommy Rees this week. Look at the team that you cover. Which coach (or coaches) face the most pressure to perform on the back half of the season?
DeFabo: Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin doesn’t have full autonomy on defense (coach Mike Tomlin has his fingerprints all over that group), but Austin certainly is the coach to keep an eye on over the second half of the season. The Steelers are spending the most on defense for the fourth consecutive season and have a roster loaded with Pro Bowl and All-Pro talent.
However, that Jekyll and Hyde unit has either been dominant or dismal. It seems like they’re either forcing five-plus turnovers (like they did against the Colts and Patriots) or giving up 30-plus points (like they did against the Packers, Bengals, Jets and Seahawks).
The real test is going to come in a four-week stretch in late November and early December, when the Steelers face three of the NFL’s top offenses from 2024 during a four-week gauntlet: Bills, Ravens and Lions. After that game in Detroit on Dec. 21, we’ll know where this defense stands — and maybe what Austin’s future will be in Pittsburgh.
Zrebiec: Take your pick. If the Ravens don’t dig themselves out of their hole, the calls for owner Steve Bisciotti to replace John Harbaugh will grow louder. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken has curiously caught as much heat, if not more, than defensive coordinator Zach Orr. While Monken has had a few tough weeks, the criticism has been over the top.
Orr’s job security, meanwhile, has been a weekly topic of conversation around these parts. If I had to pick one, I’d say Orr, just because the defense had such a tough start and there’s a lot of accomplished veterans on that group. He probably wouldn’t be able to overcome a poor second half of the season.
Dehner Jr.: The same coach as it has been all year: defensive coordinator Al Golden. The Bengals put improvement of this defense on his shoulders at every step last offseason and now it could go down as the worst of all-time. They desperately need growth from the army of inexperienced, young players on that unit just to make a future defensive rebuild feel attainable. Zac Taylor, obviously, falls into this conversation as well as his seat heats up, but at least he can lean on what’s happening offensively to buoy his argument.
Jackson: Most notable about the play-caller change is that it’s the second consecutive year Stefanski has given up play-calling. That’s desperation of the highest degree and a reflection of just how badly the Browns need any kind of offensive spark. In the back half of their sixth year in their current jobs, both Stefanski and Browns general manager Andrew Berry should be feeling heat.
And though desperation doesn’t always need to reflect negativity, the arrow isn’t really pointing up on much in Cleveland at the moment. Based on Dillon Gabriel’s four starts, there’s zero evidence that he is the quarterback who will save the jobs of Stefanski and Berry, but let’s see where the offense goes from here before we fully write them off.
We’ve reached the mid-point of the season. Who is the biggest surprise from the team you cover?
DeFabo: The Steelers are right on pace for a 10-7 season, which is exactly what I expected. But it’s the way they’ve gotten here that’s surprising. After his worst statistical season in 2024, Rodgers has bounced back significantly in every meaningful statistical category. The Steelers have built an offense that highlights his quick release and outstanding football IQ. He’s been everything the team could have asked for through the first eight games of the season. He’s been two to three notches above what I expected. But on the flip side, the defense is probably two to three notches below what I anticipated.
Zrebiec: It’s pretty telling that the Ravens’ most improved player is probably their punter, Jordan Stout. As for a positive surprise, I can’t think of a single notable one. Instead, the surprises are that the Ravens have struggled mightily to stop the run, their edge rushers have been the least productive group in the league, Derrick Henry has had to work through a fumbling problem and that the Ravens haven’t been able to consistently run the ball.
Dehner Jr.: DJ Turner II. He’s the one young player that developed into a cornerstone piece. Turner was told he wasn’t starting opening day and his motivation from that moment elicited a rise to putting together one of the best seasons by a cornerback in the NFL. He leads the league in pass breakups, just held Rome Odunze without a reception, and if his second half remotely matches the first will be established as an extension-eligible lockdown CB1. Not bad for a third-year, former second-round pick who lost a position battle in training camp.
Jackson: In a negative way, Jerry Jeudy. A year and a half after the Browns gave Jeudy $41 million guaranteed, Jeudy is supposed to be the Browns’ No. 1 wide receiver but instead has been one of the NFL’s most disappointing players. In the 32-13 loss to New England on Oct. 26, Jeudy wasn’t even targeted until the game had been decided. Jeudy has seven dropped passes and also picked up two penalties during one particularly embarrassing loss to the Steelers. It’s not just that Jeudy has underperformed in a new role, it’s that he’s done almost nothing to contribute positively this season.
Time for some picks. Baltimore visits Minnesota in a meeting of two surging teams. The Browns face the New York Jets in a game that could determine draft position. And the Steelers play the L.A. Chargers on “Sunday Night Football.” Who you got?
DeFabo: Baltimore knows its margin for error is gone. I like Lamar Jackson and company to keep rolling to make the AFC North interesting in December. How can any member of the Jets remain bought into the process after seeing so many teammates leave? For that reason, I like the Browns to shut down a run-centric Justin Fields offense and win a low-scoring affair. I’ve been wrong the last several weeks on the Steelers and think “Sunday Night Football” is a coin flip. Given the Chargers’ injury issues at tackle, give me T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith to wreck the game and keep Pittsburgh in the win column.
Zrebiec: The Ravens look like a team gathering momentum, but I don’t like this matchup for them at all. Brian Flores blitzed Jackson and the Ravens off the field in their last meeting several years ago. The interior of the Ravens’ offensive line is suspect and Jackson is probably still not 100 percent. I don’t think the Ravens will be able to overcome their mistakes in a very tough place to play. Zac should get hazard pay for having to watch Browns-Jets. I’ll take the Browns because their defense is still intact. The Steelers have the tools to fully exploit all those Chargers offensive line injuries. Give me Pittsburgh on a late Rodgers scoring drive.
Dehner Jr.: Give me the Browns after the Jets fire sale, 12-11. Minnesota is a tough place to play, but I’m back riding the Lamar Jackson hype train again. I’m not on the Steelers bandwagon, but I do think their pass rush should obliterate the Chargers’ decimated offensive line; the Steelers use a defensive score to pull off a road win.
Jackson: I’ll take the Browns to win. Yes, I’m banking on the Jets being truly that bad. Cleveland 14, Jets 13 in a game that will propel the Jets to a top-two pick in April. I think the Ravens will jump out to an early lead and then hold on late in Minnesota, something like 27-26. Given the Chargers’ ongoing offensive line issues, I like the Pittsburgh pass rush to bully Justin Herbert and guide the Steelers to a potentially significant victory, 20-17.
