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Watching the Cleveland Browns trample the Cincinnati Bengals proved without a shadow of a doubt that the AFC North is the most difficult division in the NFL. Each team holds a winning record, and the Browns victory Thursday night set into motion what will be a riveting final seven weeks of the season.

With the win, the Browns are now in first place in the division with a 6-3 record. It’s Cleveland’s best start to the season since going 7-2 in 1994, and snapped the Bengals’ 14-game home unbeaten streak.

The AFC North doesn’t have the best teams in the league, it doesn’t. But there is a common ingredient that exists in Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh, that was proven by the Browns on Thursday. All four teams are capable of beating anyone.

(USA TODAY Sports)

That doesn’t mean they will, or they should. But on any given Sunday (or Monday, or Thursday), the AFC North can knock down the best.

Of course, every team in the division has also proven that they can lose with the worst as well. The Ravens were trounced by the Steelers last week. The Steelers were run over by the Browns. The Browns were demolished by … Jacksonville? And we just saw Cincinnati get hammered.

What does it all mean, Basil?

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The AFC North is the perfect cross section of the NFL as a whole. There have been some unbelievable performances, but collectively, there is no great and dominant team this year. The Cardinals have the league’s best record at 7-1, but does anyone truly believe Arizona is going to hold up through games against Detroit, Seattle twice, Kansas City, and San Francisco to end the year? Probably not.

For as incredible as Peyton Manning is and improved the Broncos are, Denver’s flaws were deftly demonstrated by Tom Brady (again).

Meanwhile, the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks have snuck out wins against Carolina and 0-8 Oakland in consecutive weeks.

There are plenty of pretty good teams, but no great teams.

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The Browns are good but it is entirely possible that when they welcome Cincinnati to Cleveland in December, the Bengals return Thursday’s dismantling.

It’s just the nature of the division, and it makes for the most dramatic football to watch as we lurch towards the end of the regular season.