The way the 2019 NFL season is shaping up, all of the talk seems to be about how strong and deep the NFC is – you’re going to end up with six legitimate Super Bowl contenders in the playoffs from the San Francisco 49ers to the Minnesota Vikings. Hell, you might have Super Bowl contenders left out of the playoffs in the NFC. Meanwhile, in the AFC, it’s been the New England Patriots or bust for most of the season. But, folks – fret not – I am here to say….the last couple of weeks have proven that that is indeed not the case. The AFC has gotten much more competitive than people realize.
It starts with the Baltimore Ravens – the hottest team in the conference that just ended the Patriots undefeated streak. They’ve won five in a row now en route to 7-2. They’re second in the NFL in yards per game on offense, first in rushing yardage with a whopping 197.2 yards per game. Lamar Jackson is the most electrifying player in the NFL and a bona fide MVP candidate (just like we all drew it up in August…). They’ve proven they can handle the Patriots – so, is there an AFC team that scares you, Ravens fans? I doubt it.
But, behind the Ravens, the Houston Texans are also on a bit of a roll, winning two in a row. After a middling 2-2 start, the Texans went 4-1 behind their own MVP candidate Deshaun Watson and an underrated run game. Their only three losses on the season came at the hands of the Saints, Panthers, and Colts – those losses were by an average of just five points per game. This is a sneaky competitive team with an explosive offense.
I’m also not selling the Kansas City Chiefs just yet either. In his first game back from injury, Patrick Mahomes played as well as you could hope for. The defense not being able to slow down the Titans is much more concerning. But, this offense can kill you with its speed and the creativity of Andy Reid. I think they’re going to be just fine and make this year’s AFC Championship race one of the four-horse variety.
Then, you have a really interesting wild card race. The Buffalo Bills play a style conducive to success in the playoffs, but they have to be able to beat the good teams. They haven’t proven capable of that so far – their six wins have come against teams that have a combined record of 12-44. Their three losses have come against teams that have a combined record of 16-11. If they can take the next step, they could make some noise. But, I don’t think I’d count on it right now.
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders are red hot right now. After starting 1-4, the Steelers have won four in a row, gutting wins out with defense. The Raiders are 4-2 after a 1-2 start with one of the league’s most surprising offensive lines and running games. Josh Jacobs figures to be the Offensive Rookie of the Year at this point. Both of these teams seem to have the makeup to become one of those wild card road warrior type teams if they can keep this trend going. I’d include the Indianapolis Colts in this category too, but….Brian Hoyer. Even sitting at 5-5, on the outside looking in, the Tennessee Titans showed this week that they can potentially disrupt the order in the AFC, too.
And, of course – lest we forget – we do still have the Patriots. Full circle. They’re having difficulty running the ball, but it’s not stopping ’em for putting up the 2nd most points per game in the NFL on offense. On defense, they’re allowing the fewest points per game in the league (10.9). I think they’ll be alright. Something tells me they’ll still have something to say at the end of this season.
It may look like it’s all chalk right now, but there’s some potential for a combustible, and highly entertaining, playoff in the AFC this year.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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