Browns, Giants lead division while Ravens collapse against Bengals
Cleveland and New York top their respective divisions following unexpected victories, while Baltimore suffers its third loss after holding a double-digit lead.
By Anthony Shevchenko ·
The Cleveland Browns and New York Giants currently hold first place in their divisions after Week 7, marking a stark shift in the NFL standings for October. The Browns secured a 27-24 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, while the Giants defeated an opponent with J.J. McCarthy as the starting quarterback. These results place both franchises ahead of their divisional rivals, a position that was not widely expected earlier in the season.
The Browns' ascent relies heavily on the performance of quarterback Deshaun Watson. During the win over Tennessee, Watson led a fourth-quarter drive to secure the game-winning score. This marks his fifth game-winning drive of the season. Watson is now the third quarterback since 1970 to record a game-winning drive in each of his team's first five victories in a single season. The consistency of these late-game performances has propelled Cleveland to the top of the standings.
The New York Giants have also reached first place in the NFC East, achieving this milestone with a rotating cast of starters. The team has now won games with three different starting quarterbacks this season: J.J. McCarthy, Jameis Winston, and Jaxson Dart. This feat makes the Giants the first team since the 2016 New England Patriots to win at least three games with three different starters before the end of October. The flexibility of their offensive line has allowed New York to maintain a winning record despite personnel changes.
At the bottom of the league, the Baltimore Ravens find themselves in last place following a 35-13 defeat by the Cincinnati Bengals. The loss was particularly notable because Baltimore held a 13-0 lead at halftime. This margin represents the third-largest loss in NFL history for a team that led by at least 13 points at the break. Since 2020, the Ravens have lost 17 games in which they held a double-digit lead, the highest total in the league during that period. All three of their losses this year occurred after they established a double-digit advantage.
The pattern of collapse has continued for the second straight week for Baltimore. In both recent defeats, the Ravens shut out their opponents in the first half but failed to score in the second half while falling behind. The timing of the loss adds a layer of complexity to the standings, as the two teams currently ahead of them in the NFC East are coached by John Harbaugh and Todd Monken. Both coaches were released by the Ravens at the conclusion of the previous season.
In the NFC East, the Dallas Cowboys moved within one game of the Giants after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night. The Cowboys' victory keeps the division race close as the teams compete for playoff positioning. The current standings reflect a mix of historical anomalies and recent shifts in team performance.
The NFL season continues with these divergent trajectories. The Browns and Giants maintain their top spots in their divisions, while the Ravens seek to reverse their trend of second-half collapses. The next set of games will determine whether these current standings hold or if further upsets occur in the coming weeks.
