So, you know that I’m a pretty avid football fan right? Being from the beautiful state of Ohio, one of my teams is the Cleveland Browns. As you may know, they are currently part of the NFL’s AFC North division, which is made up of the Browns, the Baltimore Ravens, the Steelers, and the Bengals. Of all the divisions in the NFL, the AFC North is the best in my opinion.
First of all, there’s a great rivalry between all the teams. Every time the Browns play the Steelers we get ready for a hard-fought battle. Steelers-Bengals is another rivalry that has been brewing for decades now. Ravens vs anyone is always an exciting game to watch. No matter who wins in these matchups, it’s sure to be an entertaining affair full of chaos and heart-stopping plays.
Another thing I love about the AFC North is the parity of the teams. All four teams have a winning tradition and have had successful seasons. The Bengals have been to the playoffs six times in the last decade, with two of the berths coming from the last two seasons. The Ravens have made playoff appearances eight times over that same span and won two Super Bowls. The Steelers and Browns, while not having quite as much success as the other teams, have still been competitive and fun to watch.
The coaches in the AFC North are some of the best in the league as well. The Ravens are coached by John Harbaugh who has led them to success ever since he took over in 2008. The Bengals are coached by Marvin Lewis who is one of the longest-tenured coaches in the league. The Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin has been with the team since 2007 and has helped to lead them to the playoffs several times. And the Browns? Well, they’re currently coached by Hue Jackson, who is trying to rebuild the team and revive the tradition.
Speaking of history, the AFC North has one of the most storied histories of any division in the NFL. The Bengals have been around since 1968 and have had cool players like Boomer Esiason and Chad Ochocinco. The Steelers are one of the most storied franchises in the league, with legends like Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, and Lynn Swann. The Ravens were once the Browns and have won numerous championships since their inception in 1996. And the Browns, they have had some of the NFL’s greatest players with Jim Brown, Otto Graham, and Jim Brown. All of this combined makes the AFC North one of the most revered divisions in the NFL.
The AFC North is not only a great division from a competitive standpoint but from a cultural one as well. The Steelers and Browns have a fierce rivalry but it’s a rivalry fueled by mutual respect and admiration. The same goes for the Ravens and Bengals. There is a deep sense of regional pride in the AFC North and it makes every game special.
So as you can see, there are many things that make the AFC North an entertaining division in the NFL and my favorite in the league. The rivalries are intense, the teams are competitive, the coaches are top-notch, and the history is vast. Yes, the AFC North is the best division in the NFL.