So much talk coming into the season focused on the NFC West being the top division in football.
But after the first two weeks, Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh thinks the AFC North should be in the middle of that discussion.
"We may be in the best division in football, obviously the way the season started," Harbaugh said during his Monday press conference. "We're not surprised by that."
Harbaugh has a strong case for that argument, especially after a weekend where the Cleveland Browns upset the New Orleans Saints and the Cincinnati Bengals delivered a convincing 24-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
The division looks like it could be in store for a bounceback season after the Ravens and Steelers both missed the playoffs last year for the first time since 1999.
A big part reason that for the division is to arguably be among the league's best is the parity within it. The Bengals have shown they are one of the NFL's best teams and the Browns look significantly better than the team that went 5-11 last year.
"We're not at all surprised by the challenge that faces us," Harbaugh said.
The Browns have historically been the basement dwellers of the AFC North. Cleveland has not won more than five games since 2007, and they have only made one playoff appearance since returning in 1999.
The Ravens have consistently taken care of business against Cleveland, losing to the Browns just once since Harbaugh arrived in 2008. That one loss came in Week 9 last season, when the Browns snapped the Ravens' 11-game winning streak.
Now the Ravens head back to Cleveland to face a team riding high after last week's victory, and Harbaugh isn't interested in hearing about the success his team has enjoyed against the Browns in previous years.
"There's no comparing them to the past," Harbaugh said. "It doesn't matter. Really the question is what we're facing now this week, and they are playing mistake-free football."
This season, the Browns haven't made the kind of miscues that plagued them in the past. Their offense has yet to turn over the football, and quarterback Brian Hoyer orchestrated a late game-winning drive Sunday to give them a victory over the Saints. The Browns also overcame a large deficit against the Steelers on opening weekend before ultimately falling in Pittsburgh 30-27.
"They could easily be 2-0," Harbaugh said. "They have not turned the ball over. They've played solid defense – haven't given up too many big plays since the first half of the first game."
The Ravens and Browns are both tied at 1-1 on the season and chasing a Cincinnati team that has looked impressive to start the year. Both teams have plenty on the line in a critical early-season division matchup.
"I'm sure they'll be fired up and ready to go – so will we," Harbaugh said. "We're looking forward to the challenge."
