AFC North Standings Tie Involves the Baltimore Ravens and Steelers

The 2024 NFL regular season has delivered no shortage of drama in the AFC North, and one of the most compelling storylines late in the year is a standings tie that has reshaped the division’s playoff race. With just three weeks remaining, the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves locked in a dead heat atop the AFC North, each boasting a 10-4 record. This isn’t a fleeting coincidence—their identical win-loss totals, combined with similar records against division opponents and common foes, have created a scenario where every remaining game could tip the scales. AFC North Standings Tie Involves the Baltimore Ravens and Steelers explores how this tie came to be, the NFL’s tiebreaking rules that will determine the division winner, and what it means for both teams as they push toward the playoffs.

AFC North Standings Tie Involves the Baltimore Ravens and Steelers first traces back to the critical Week 14 matchup between the two rivals—a game that ended in a 17-17 tie and directly contributed to their current deadlock. Played at Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium, the game was a defensive battle from start to finish. The Steelers jumped out to a 10-3 lead in the second quarter thanks to a 3-yard rushing touchdown from Najee Harris, but the Ravens responded in the third quarter with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Lamar Jackson to Mark Andrews, tying the score at 10-10. Both teams added field goals in the fourth quarter, and a last-second 52-yard field goal attempt by the Steelers’ Chris Boswell sailed wide left, sending the game to overtime. Neither team could find the end zone in the extra period—Jackson was sacked twice on the Ravens’ final drive, while Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett threw an interception in Ravens territory—resulting in the first tie between the two teams since 2018. “That game felt like a playoff battle,” said Ravens head coach John Harbaugh after the contest. “Both defenses played their hearts out, and neither team wanted to give an inch. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the win, but it’s a reminder of how tight this division is.” This tie not only kept both teams on equal footing but also set up a high-stakes finish to the season.

To understand the significance of this tie, it’s essential to break down the NFL’s tiebreaking rules for division standings—a framework that will decide which team claims the AFC North title if the tie persists through the end of the regular season. The first tiebreaker is head-to-head record, but since the Ravens and Steelers split their two meetings (each won one game and tied once, resulting in a 1-1-1 head-to-head mark), the NFL moves to the next criterion: division record. Entering Week 15, both teams have identical 4-1 records against AFC North opponents (Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns), so the third tiebreaker—record against common opponents—comes into play. The Ravens and Steelers share eight common opponents this season, and as of now, both have a 7-1 record against those teams. The fourth tiebreaker is strength of victory (the combined winning percentage of teams each has beaten), where the Ravens hold a slight edge (.583 to .575), but that could shift with remaining games. If the tie still isn’t broken, the NFL will look at strength of schedule, followed by net points in all games. “These tiebreakers aren’t just fine print—they’re going to be the difference between a division title and a wild-card spot,” said NFL analyst Mike Pereira. “Both teams know they can’t just win their remaining games; they need to win convincingly and hope their opponents lose to boost their tiebreaker chances.”

A key factor in how this tie plays out is the remaining schedule for both teams—and how the Baltimore Ravens’ upcoming matchups could give them an edge in breaking the deadlock. The Ravens have three games left: a home game against the Cleveland Browns (6-8), a road game against the Miami Dolphins (9-5), and a home game against the Cincinnati Bengals (5-9). The Steelers, meanwhile, face the Bengals (road), the Seattle Seahawks (home), and the Browns (road). The Ravens’ schedule is slightly more favorable: their home games against the Browns and Bengals are against teams already out of playoff contention, while the Dolphins game—though tough—will be played in Baltimore, where the Ravens have a 6-1 record this season. “Our focus is on winning every game left, but we know the schedule matters,” said Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. “Playing at home in two of the last three gives us a chance to feed off our fans and build momentum.” For the Baltimore Ravens, a strong finish could help them extend their strength of victory edge—if they beat the Dolphins, a team with a winning record, it would boost their tiebreaker standing more than a win over a losing team like the Bengals. Additionally, the Ravens’ defense, which ranks third in the NFL in points allowed, could limit opponents’ scoring in remaining games, improving their net points tiebreaker if needed.

Another layer of complexity in this tie is the impact of division rivals on the outcome—specifically how the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals, though out of playoff contention, could play spoiler for both the Ravens and the Baltimore Ravens’ title hopes. The Browns still have games against both the Ravens and Steelers, and while they’re not fighting for a playoff spot, they have a history of playing tough against division rivals. In Week 12, the Browns upset the Steelers 21-18, and they pushed the Ravens to the limit in a 24-20 loss in Week 8. “The Browns don’t have anything to lose, which makes them dangerous,” said Ravens tight end Mark Andrews. “They’ll come out firing, and we can’t take them lightly.” The Bengals, too, could play a role: they face the Ravens in Week 17 and the Steelers in Week 16, and with quarterback Joe Burrow returning from injury, they could be a tougher opponent than their 5-9 record suggests. For the Baltimore Ravens, a loss to either the Browns or Bengals would not only hurt their record but also hand the Steelers a chance to pull ahead in the tiebreaker. Conversely, if the Ravens can beat both division foes, they’ll likely secure the tiebreaker edge, even if they lose to the Dolphins. “Every game is a must-win from here on out,” said Harbaugh. “We can’t rely on other teams to do us favors—we have to control what we can control.”

Wrapping up AFC North Standings Tie Involves the Baltimore Ravens and Steelers is the broader implications of this tie for the AFC playoff picture—a scenario where the division winner could earn a first-round bye, while the loser may be forced to play in the wild-card round on the road. The Ravens and Steelers are both likely to make the playoffs, but a division title would give one team a critical advantage: home-field advantage in the first round and potentially a matchup against a lower-seeded wild-card team. For the Baltimore Ravens, a division title would be their third in four years, solidifying their status as the AFC North’s dominant team. For the Steelers, it would be their first division title since 2020, marking a return to prominence after a few rebuilding seasons. “This tie isn’t just about the division—it’s about playoff positioning,” said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. “A first-round bye can change everything in the playoffs, so we’re fighting for that every week.” Beyond the two teams, the tie also affects other AFC playoff contenders: if the Ravens or Steelers win the division, it could push teams like the Buffalo Bills or Kansas City Chiefs into different wild-card matchups. As the regular season winds down, all eyes will be on the AFC North, where a single play, a field goal, or a win by a division rival could decide which team walks away as division champions. Ultimately, AFC North Standings Tie Involves the Baltimore Ravens and Steelers is a testament to the competitiveness of the NFL—and a reminder that in football, every game, every play, and every tie matters.