AFC Rundown
We looked at the NFC division by division, but the AFC is a little different animal to go about it one at a time. So let’s get wild and crazy and take a look at the AFC as a whole.
The defending AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers have a good chance to repeat and win the AFC again this season. Don’t be surprised it the Steelers make a big run again as they have a dominant top five defensive unit in the NFL.
I like the Baltimore Ravens to compete in the division and in the playoffs, but the Steelers winning the AFC North again.
The Ravens look to get to a Super Bowl under Joe Flacco and Ray Rice, but the defense must remain healthy in order for that to happen. The Cleveland Browns look to improve and be competitive again in 2011, with Peyton Hillis and Colt McCoy leading the charge, but being in the division they are in, they may be a year or two a way yet, or perhaps an injury or two to one of the top teams in the AFC North.
In the AFC East, it again appears to be a two-horse race.
The New England Patriots went 14-2 and were then bounced in the Divisional Round to the second-place team in their same division, the New York Jets.
The Patriots made a big splash in the off-season by trading for Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth. They have not won a playoff game since winning the AFC Championship game in 2009, I like the Pats to win their first playoff game since then, but to come up a little bit short of their ultimate dream in winning the Super Bowl.
The Jets never lack confidence or swagger, but they still lack an explosive offense.
Mark Sanchez has improved in nearly every week a season ago for the Jets who have been up-ended in each of the past two AFC Championship games. Offensively the Jets will need to get a successful passing game which will allow them to pound the football between the tackles in the fourth quarters.
Jets make the playoffs with the Pats winning the division, Dolphins and Bills bring up the bottom end of the AFC East.
As we move south as the Indianapolis Colts look at what life is like without Peyton Manning for the first time since his rookie season. Kerry Collins gets the call and that could sound disaster season for the Colts. With no Peyton, no problem for the Houston Texans as the divisional winner for the first time in their franchise history.
If Manning remains out for a number of weeks, a veteran quarterback led Tennessee Titans to finish second and the Jacksonville Jaguars to sneak in, in front of the Colts for the division rankings.
Finally,out West where crazy and wild are not quite sufficient enough adjectives to describe what goes on. For example, in 2010, the Oakland Raiders went 6-0 against their divisional opponents and still did not make the playoffs.
The Kansas City Chiefs return with the top ranked rush offense from a year ago and the San Diego Chargers have Vincent Jackson for an entire season.
Philip Rivers is still searching for that first Super Bowl that appears eminent and I like that to happen soon. With that I’ll take the Chargers to finish first in the AFC West. For second place, it could go a number of different ways. The Denver Broncos will start with Kyle Orton as their opening day starter, but it is looking as if Tim Tebow will get another chance at the starting position soon.
I’ll take KC with a second place finish and just missing out on the playoffs. Denver finishing third and Oakland fourth.
San Diego, New England, Houston, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and the NY Jets reach the post season.
