When it comes to the postseason, the Bengals’ game against the Browns on Sunday was essentially meaningless for both teams. The Browns had already clinched the fifth seed in the AFC and the Bengals had already been eliminated from playoff contention, which means there wasn’t much at stake in the game.
Although there wasn’t much on the line from a playoff standpoint, there was was some history made in Cincinnati. Thanks to their 31-14 win over the Browns, the Bengals will finish the season with a 9-8 record, which is notable, because it makes the AFC North the first division since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 to have EVERY single team finish above .500.
Here’s a look at the final AFC North standings for 2023:
1. Ravens: 13-4
2. Browns: 11-6
3. Steelers: 10-7
4. Bengals: 9-8
Over the past 53 years, we’ve seen several divisions come close to having every team finish over .500, but it’s never happened. Just last year, the NFC East had a chance to put every team over .500, but the Commanders lost three of their final four games to finish at 8-8-1.
Although no division has pulled off this feat since the merger, it has been done before. Thanks to Cincinnati’s win, the AFC North is now the first division in 88 YEARS to put every team over .500. The last time it happened came all the way back in 1935 in the much-vaunted NFL West.
Here’s a look at how that division finished:
1. Lions: 7-3-2
2. Packers: 8-4
3. Bears: 6-4-2
4. Cardinals: 6-4-2
This was so long ago that the Cardinals were playing in Chicago (They played in the Windy City until 1960 when they moved to St. Louis, and after that they eventually moved to Arizona in 1988).
The NFL West finished the season by producing the NFL champion that year when the Lions beat the Giants 26-7 in the title game. The last time a division put all of its teams over .500, the division champion won the the NFL title, which is something that could bode…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/afc-north-becomes-first-nfl-division-in-nearly-90-years-to-achieve-this-feat-after-bengals-thump-browns/
Author : John Breech
Publish date : 2024-01-07 21:34:37
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