AFC Playoff Situation Is Clearing Up

[Triumph]

CHIEFS - AFCW Champs - The league has figured out their gimmicky offense. The D has dinosaurs for LBs and difficulty stopping the run. Derrick Johnson who was drafted the same year as Vince W is hitting the wall. This wont look like the same team on opening night after a full season.

PITTSBURGH - AFCN CHAMPS - Will be NEs biggest challenge assuming both teams make the post season. Where do they find these WRs? This Ju Ju looks like he may be another star. Ive never seen a team draft WRs like the Steelers. They are the most balanced team in the AFC right now and Ben could be playing with a sense of urgency since he has contemplated retirement.

NASHVILLE - AFCS CHAMPS - Because somebody has to win that division. Actually, its been better this year for sure. At 5 - 3 the remaining schedule lines up pretty sweet. Pittsburgh and Los Angeles Rams are the true threats.

JACKSONVILLE - AFC WILDCARD - At 5 - 3 Cleveland, Indianapolis, Houston and SF remain on the schedule. 9 - 7 for sure. They are young and have a good defense, but I believe playoff pressure will do them in.

BUFFALO - AFC WILDCARD - The HC is doing a very good job. The defense is very real and they believe that they can win. The defense has allowed the 3rd fewest points in the AFC. 1 is Pitt and 2 is Jax. 10th ranked defense per Football Outsiders. The Bills are the biggest threat to NE in the AFCE.

LAS VEGAS - NO POSTSEASON - The Raiders are a sporadic 4 - 5 team. I dont see a good ball club at all. Remaining schedule includes: NE, PHILLY and Dallas. Plus they have to play KC away who they beat by 1 point. 8 - 8 team and quite possibly 7 - 9.

 

[mosi]

AFC East: Patriots will win, just because they do. Jets Suck. Miami sucks. Bills may pull it off but generally suck.

AFC North. Pittsburgh because all the other teams suck.

AFC South: No clue.

AFC west: No clue.

 

[Flash]

Not worried about most. When they come to Gillette in the Playoffs they are big underdogs and most likely will go home.

Worried about:

Steelers: If they get #1 seed they are going to be troublesome to deal with. Defense has improved compared to previous seasons, though Big Ben looks to have lost a step. Nonetheless they have AB and Bell to work with. Playing away could be very difficult for us. At home? We should win.

Chiefs: Defence isn't as dominating without Berry but still a very good football team. Smith is playing the best football of his career and he has a three-headed monster in Kelce/Hunt/Hill. Regardless of whether we play away or we play home in Gillette I would like to avoid this team.

Jaguars: Best D-line in NFL right now. I don't want another 2015 Broncos game happening. I don't care much about their offense but current Bortles is better than that dead version of Manning, just good enough.

The rest of the teams won't matter because if they get past the Wildcard round they play us at Gillette.

 

[Ring 6]

That is predicated one of JAX or TENN folding.

The season is only half over. They have a 2 game or less lead on 8 teams. That is hardly folding.

 

[Ring 6]

Possibly. Idk. I just look at them and I think that they're better than the Oakland's, Miami's, and Baltimore's that would be in the running for that spot. (Which honestly isn't even saying much.)

Essentially, I'm just calling them the best of the mediocre teams. Not an actual good team.

If they force a boatload of turnovers I agree but I don’t think they will continue that. Without them I don’t see the talent on either side of the ball.

 

[Ring 6]

I don’t understand

 

[ashley]

I just looked at the Steelers schedule and wow, it's easy. They have us at home and the rest of their schedule is a cake walk. They are going to win 13 games probably, and at worst 12.

 

[Joey007]

I just looked at the Steelers schedule and wow, it's easy. They have us at home and the rest of their schedule is a cake walk. They are going to win 13 games probably, and at worst 12.

Have faith in Pittsburgh laying an extra dud or two. They do it every year.

Games I'd watch would be Tennessee in a couple weeks on TNF, and their rematch vs. Cincy on the road.

 

[Joey007]

The season is only half over. They have a 2 game or less lead on 8 teams. That is hardly folding.

Nah, if you look at their schedules, it is definitely folding if they can't get to 9 wins. Especially Jacksonville's sched.

 

[Joey007]

If they force a boatload of turnovers I agree but I don’t think they will continue that. Without them I don’t see the talent on either side of the ball.

Let me ask though, who would you think makes it instead? I see no other contenders that are very good either. If you say the Raiders due to Carr remember that Buffalo owns a tiebreaker.

 

[Ring 6]

Nah, if you look at their schedules, it is definitely folding if they can't get to 9 wins. Especially Jacksonville's sched.

Teams that win 7-9 games often lose to bad teams. Jax and the bills both lost to the Jete.

 

[Ring 6]

Let me ask though, who would you think makes it instead? I see no other contenders that are very good either. If you say the Raiders due to Carr remember that Buffalo owns a tiebreaker.

There are 8 teams within 2 games. Someone can get hot. Buffalo loses twice to the patriots and anny one of those 8 teams win thise 2 weeks and there you are.

 

[Joey007]

Teams that win 7-9 games often lose to bad teams. Jax and the bills both lost to the Jete.

Jets are bad, but not 49ers and Browns bad.

 

[Joey007]

There are 8 teams within 2 games. Someone can get hot. Buffalo loses twice to the patriots and anny one of those 8 teams win thise 2 weeks and there you are.

They can also beat Miami twice in that process.

I just don't see who looks like they're about to get hot unless Flacco goes on a hot streak, which I'm just not seeing.

I could maybe buy the Chargers, but they're pretty far behind as is. We'll see who wins when Buffalo faces them.

 

[Ring 6]

Jets are bad, but not 49ers and Browns bad.

Pretty close. But those teams don’t have browns and 49ers every week.

 

[Ring 6]

They can also beat Miami twice in that process.

People were chalking up a win against the jets too.

I just don't see who looks like they're about to get hot unless Flacco goes on a hot streak, which I'm just not seeing.

How does a team look like they are going to get hot?
The season is half over, drawing lines between overachieving 5-3 teams and 4-4, 3-5 etc teams rarely turns out correct. That said 1 vs 8 are bad odds.

I could maybe buy the Chargers, but they're pretty far behind as is. We'll see who wins when Buffalo faces them.

Talk to me when December starts. It may be clear then.

 

[Joey007]

Pretty close. But those teams don’t have browns and 49ers every week.

Lol Jacksonville nearly does. They get Cleveland, SF, Indy and a Watson-less Houston. That's half of their remaining schedule.

EDIT: oh and add a Cardinals team with Drew Stanton at QB.

 

[luuked]

Jets are bad, but not 49ers and Browns bad.

I would argue that the Jets are more or less the ideal dividing line between good and bad teams. They are playing sound and solid football on a roster that has close to no established talent and a couple of rookies with potential. As soon as you start shooting yourself into your own foot with penalties, turnovers or lazy tackling they will give you trouble because for the most part they appear to be disciplined and coached good enough.

 

[Joey007]

People were chalking up a win against the jets too.


How does a team look like they are going to get hot?
The season is half over, drawing lines between overachieving 5-3 teams and 4-4, 3-5 etc teams rarely turns out correct. That said 1 vs 8 are bad odds.


Talk to me when December starts. It may be clear then.

Fair enough, a good example though would be Green Bay last year. They were 4-6, but you at least knew they had Rodgers so there was a chance.

For a team to get hot, they normally need something that tells you "okay they have a chance."

The only teams that show me that are Oakland and LAC. But both have a long hill to climb.

 

[Joey007]

AFC East: Patriots will win, just because they do. Jets Suck. Miami sucks. Bill may pull it off but generally suck.

AFC North. Pittsburgh because all the other teams suck.

AFC South: No clue.

AFC west: No clue.

Now this is one interesting thing I haven't considered. Could the Chiefs possibly fall down to the point where they don't even win the division? They are 1-3 in their last four games, it definitely isn't impossible.