An Annual Tradition: The Biggest Threat

A few weeks ago, it was a foregone conclusion that Kansas City and their whooping fandom represented the greatest threat to the Patriots in the AFC.

After Kansas City's two game slide, however, do people feel another team has emerged as the biggest threat?

The Texans and Colts both made their cases marching into Kansas City and taking care of business. With the balance on offense with both of those squads, do either scare us more than the Chiefs?

Then there are the Buffalo Bills lurking in our own division threatening to teach Josh Allen to read coverages so he can compliment that fantastic defense.

Finally, there is the ultimate dark horse. The one no one saw coming -- the Raiders. At 3-2, are the Raiders going to sneak their way into the postseason and make noise? Derek Carr is completing 73.3 of his passes, up from a career average of 63.4. Only a few years ago, the Raiders were a major force in the conference. Could they be the hidden, ultimate threat?

The rest of the conference looks like crap. Nine teams with losing records in the AFC versus only five below .500 in the NFC.

Hmm, let's discuss who looks like the biggest AFC threat.

Let's wait until Thanksgiving, like coach bill says

Whoever is playing better in the playoffs

You mention the three most likely to join us in the final 4 in the AFC. We will likely have to play 2 of them. There is no way to predict who will play better on the day.

The outsiders with a chance as of now are OAK and BUF.

Injuries

There's no game but the next one. We're on to the Jete

I like their chances against anyone. The boogeymen are in everyones’s head and under their beds. If this offense catches fire when Wynn and Harry return it’s going to be glorious.

I guess I was impressed by the 49ers and their unbeaten start. I’ll be watching them closely. Really would be something if they did meeting up in February. I like the Pats chances if they do. Atleast for right now anyway.

Texans look legit.

Chiefs will get better if some of their guys come back and Mahommes gets his ankle right. That thing is held together by one ligament right now and nothing else.

Colts are scrappy, but I dont see their offense being able to move the ball on us well.

Bill's I dont think will make much noise, amazing D, but that offense isn't getting them anywhere.

Finally, I think the Pat's oline will click by the end of the year. Right now they are playing a simpler scheme and need to work in more complexity each week to get these guys acclimated into the system.

Until something different from the norm actually happens, not ready to proclaim anything for the Texans against the Pats. Chiefs still have the highest ceiling of the other AFC teams IMO. Ton of football left, so probably need a good 10-12 games before visiting this.

Attrition.

The team’s senile, misguided owner

To me its clearly injuries. There is no AFC team in sight right now that can consistently score on this defense.

And McDaniels/Brady will figure it out enough to score at least in the mid 20s against most teams.

But that is October. Lets revisit this in December.

The biggest threat for the Pats right now are injuries and their ability to fill those vacancies, without a lot of salary cap room...

This week, for example, how will they adapt to the loss of Develin and now Johnson??.. Johnson we really do not know that much about, but Develin was a blocking beast..

“We have met the enemy, and he is us.” Injuries, Ill prep and overconfidence are their strongest opponents at this time....

19 - 0

The conference imbalance is so extreme, maybe the most ever.