Well these are 2 parts of this. The AFCE, the AFC..
AFCE - The inability of the AFCE to do much to challenge the Patriots is 2 fold. One is the dominance of the Patriots in and of itself. The other is the fact that after the Pats won 3 in 4 pretty much everyone in the AFCE knew what was up. This was not something that was going to go away. Brady is young, BB had probably at least 10 years left at that point if he chose to stay. More likely than not they would need to fight for a wild care while facing one of the best teams 2 times (if they lost those games they would likely need to go 10-4 the rest of the way). That is a daunting task. Very few GMs and HCs would gladly walk into that situation when there are usually 2-3 other divisions with openings without so talented a team to be in your way of the division championship year in and year out.
This caused a talent drain and has only gotten worse over time. Rex tried to "break the wheel". A talented coordinator and good motivator. However the NFL is about results not just for owners but for players. If players don't feel they can win they are more likely to go for max money and play more selfishly to increase their stats (which increases their money). It breaks down locker rooms and demotivates teams. A team fully buying in and building momentum is usually how winning is done (that and talent) and it can be fleeting. Rex had a few good years vs the Pats but then when the results stopped showing up it fed on itself and snowballed into the Jets we have today.
AFC - This too a much lesser extent happens in the AFC as a whole. Part of it is just bad ownership and part is just bad luck. I do think the fact the Patriots are in the AFC played a small role but not really. Maybe a few more coaches and GMs decide NFC over AFC in part due to the Patriots but not many. Teams if you want to win there is a chance you need to beat them and you might do it in the AFCCG or Superbowl but sooner or later you do. Also it is not like there are not teams just about as good as the Pats every year though they come as fast as they go usually.
A big part of the AFC dominance in recent years is due to luck and the last of good QB/coach tandems. Harbaugh had an old team and is trying to rebuild his Ravens. Roethlisberger has one of the worst coaches in the NFL and has an older body with all those hits. Rivers rarely had the team around him or coach. Luck has no help at all. Carr is a good QB but you wonder about Jack Del Rio. Still he has talent around him. That is not exactly planned but more coaches/QBs/GMs just happen to line up in the NFC. Carroll/Wilson, Garrett/Prescott (yes Garrett isn't great but he is okay), Rodgers/MacCarthy (same), Ryan/Quinn (questionable decisions but good scheme guy).
In the NFL only 1 QB really feels completely wasted on his team and that is Drew Brees. Also just less QB bust happened to happen in the NFC. IT ebs and flows a bit. So I would say the Pats dominance played a small part in the AFC as a whole but a large part in the AFCE. Also the fact it has played a large part in the AFCE helps them get a number 1 seed which gives them the edge over other AFC teams.
The Raiders need to play KC, Denver, Chargers in 6 of their 16 games. That is a pretty big disadvantage. Pitt has no excuse but their coach is just bad and Ben is not what he use to be particularly on the road.
