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Pittsburgh's **2.5-game** divisional lead with Baltimore losing Jackson for two weeks gives Khan runway for a deadline move the front office hasn't had since 2019.
6-2
after beating Cleveland
27-14
in Week 8
2.5-game
lead over Baltimore in the AFC North
5-3
following their loss to Tampa Bay
The Pittsburgh Steelers moved to 6-2 after beating Cleveland 27-14 in Week 8, opening a 2.5-game lead over Baltimore in the AFC North. The Ravens dropped to 5-3 following their loss to Tampa Bay, then confirmed Lamar Jackson will miss two games with a knee sprain. Cincinnati sits 3-5. Cleveland is 2-6.
Pittsburgh has now won five straight divisional games dating to last season. The offense is averaging 24.3 points per game under coordinator Arthur Smith, up from 18.1 in 2023. Edge rusher T.J. Watt leads the league with 7.5 sacks. The defense allows 16.8 points per game, second in the conference. General manager Omar Khan spent $76 million guaranteed this offseason on linebacker Patrick Queen and tackle Broderick Jones's fifth-year option, betting the window was this year. The bet is paying.
Baltimore's problem is schedule architecture. The Ravens played five of their first eight games at home, including wins over Buffalo and Dallas. Their remaining nine games include six road trips, starting with a Thursday night game in Cincinnati where backup Josh Johnson will start. Jackson's knee injury occurred in the fourth quarter against Tampa Bay, a game Baltimore led by 10 points before allowing 17 unanswered. The team's strength-of-schedule advantage, which helped them start 5-1, reverses in November. Pittsburgh's remaining schedule ranks 22nd in opponent win percentage. Baltimore's ranks 8th.
The Steelers' front office now has runway to execute the kind of midseason trade that second-place teams can't justify. Khan has $8.3 million in cap space, enough to add a receiver or edge depth before the November 5th deadline. The team hasn't made a meaningful in-season trade since acquiring Minkah Fitzpatrick in 2019 for a first-round pick. That move came when Pittsburgh was 0-2. This time they're cruising. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, in his first year with the team, is mentioned in early head-coaching speculation for the Jets and Panthers jobs. The Steelers have three coordinators under contract through 2025 only.
Cincinnati is functionally eliminated at 3-5 despite Joe Burrow throwing for 2,244 yards and 20 touchdowns. Cleveland's rebuild accelerated when they benched Deshaun Watson, who is owed $92 million guaranteed over the next two seasons. The division's competitive structure collapsed faster than anyone forecasted in August, when Baltimore was the betting favorite at +175 and Pittsburgh sat at +400.
Watch whether Khan moves before the trade deadline Tuesday, particularly for a second-tier receiver after the market reset around Davante Adams (three-year, $66 million extension framework in New York) and Amari Cooper ($20 million annually in Buffalo). Pittsburgh's next three opponents—Giants, Commanders, Ravens—are a combined 12-11. Baltimore plays at Cincinnati, at Pittsburgh, and hosts the Chargers in that span. The division could be decided by Thanksgiving.
The Steelers are +650 to win the AFC, fourth behind Kansas City, Buffalo, and Baltimore. The odds haven't moved yet. They will.
The branded-identity layer Chiefs of Staff and heritage CMOs route through — your name imprinted on real authorized stock, your pick of 200+ brands and 70,000 products, shipped from one accountable house. Nine editorial desks publish the intelligence those operators read before they sign.
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1997one house, since
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