AFC North power rankings, QB edition: The one area Steelers don't have a decisive edge

The Pittsburgh Steelers sit atop the AFC North after three weeks, thanks to some solid quarterback play from Justin Fields and a dominant performance from their defense in each of the first three games.

The Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens are both 1-2 with the Ravens looking much better in their losses than Cleveland did.

The Cincinnati Bengals sit in the basement of the division for now, at a lowly 0-3. But people seem to forget just how good Joe Burrow really is. Where does Burrow line up with the rest of the quarterbacks in the AFC North?

Let's get into the AFC North power rankings, quarterback edition.

4. QB Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns (1-2)

Deshaun Watson would be lower on that list if it was even possible to do so. He has been horrifically bad this year. For his entire time with the Browns, the fans have screamed that Watson just needs to get healthy and then he can show that he's still the same quarterback that he was with the Houston Texans. I fear that the quarterback who played with the Texans died the day that the sexual battery allegations came out.

Watson has steadily improved over the last three weeks though. In Week 1, Watson looked terrible on just about every throw. Even his completed passes looked as if he was off target. He had two interceptions in a blowout loss to the Cowboys.

Watson earned a win in Week 2, despite not throwing a touchdown. He saw his QB rating jump from 51 to 78 in Week 2. Watson didn't go out and win the game for the Browns, but he did what he had to do and he let the defense do their thing. Week 3 saw Watson's best game of the year, throwing for two touchdowns and no interceptions against the Giants. One of the touchdown drives was handed to the Browns by a Giants fumble near the red zone.

Watson still has time to turn the season around, but as of now, he's by far the worst quarterback in the division.

3. QB Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0)

Half of football fans will argue that Justin Fields is one of the worst quarterbacks in the league. They will tell you that he can't read defenses and he goes through his progressions way too slowly. The other half of football fans will tell you that Fields has a chance to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league. They will tell you that his arm talent paired with his speed and elusiveness is generation.

The truth about Fields lies somewhere in the middle of those two extremes.

So far in 2024, he seems to be more like the good quarterback than the bust. Though he doesn't always show out on the stat sheet, he's made some incredibly impressive throws through three weeks. He's using his legs enough to make plays and extend drives, but he's not putting his health at risk.

He's looked better and better with each week, putting up his best performance against a top Los Angeles Chargers defense.

Fields has a boatload of potential and the Steelers are just beginning to tap into it. He could lead the Steelers to their best season since Ben Roethlisberger, which would completely rid the bad taste left in the Steel City following the short-lived Kenny Pickett era.

As of now, Fields is much better than Watson, but firmly behind the top two quarterbacks in the division.

2. QB Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals (0-3)

I'm not sure if it has to do with his injury last year or what, but I feel like Joe Burrow is being completely overlooked and underrated at this point in time. I'll admit it, he had a bad Week 1 against the Patriots, throwing for well under 200 yards and no touchdowns. But he was missing Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase was limited in the game. You can't place all the blame on him.

Burrow has followed that lowly Week 1 performance with 258 yards and two touchdowns in Week 2 against the Chiefs, followed by 324 yards and three touchdowns against the Commanders in Week 3. Burrow hasn't led the Bengals to any wins in 2024, but it's not like the team around him is a superteam or anything like that.

Burrow is missing Joe Mixon and Tyler Boyd from last season and he's really feeling these losses, as seen in the Patriots game. Week 3 Burrow is much closer to what we could expect when both Chase and Higgins take the field.

There was legitimate though for me to place him atop the list here and in a few divisions, I would have. But the Bengals are 0-3 and the AFC North has the reigning MVP in it.

1. QB Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (1-2)

Who else could be at number one on this list except the reigning NFL MVP, Lamar Jackson?

Jackson has led the Ravens to a 1-2 start, though each game has been a one-score game. With a few key plays going their way, the Ravens could easily be 3-0 right now. But that's not how football works, so obviously we can't really play into those hypotheticals.

It seems as though adding Derrick Henry to the team has opened the running game up even more for Jackson. Through three games, he's carried the ball 35 times for 254 yards and a score. He sits eighth in the league in rushing, just under 30 yards behind his teammate Derrick Henry for fifth.

Jackson also ranks in the top ten in passing yards, sitting in tenth with 702 yards through the air.

Jackson would rank, almost unanimously, in the top two or three quarterbacks in the league if you were to poll the players and coaches in the NFL. Of course, he's going to sit atop the quarterback power rankings in the AFC North until he either completely falls off or another signal caller consistently outplays him over a season.