Patriots Cake Schedule / NFL Decline in Quality

[Deus Irae]

The quality of the AFC really declined this year somehow. A lot of the top teams simply isn't very good this year. It's funny because even with a stripped first round pick handicap, we are still the cream of the crop while the rest of the AFC kind of just rolled over. Any given Sunday ofc, but I expect to see us in the Super Bowl.

• Injuries and suspensions weakened Pitt
• Anderson going down, and a terrible offensive line, killed Denver
• Rex being Rex, combined with some injury (and talent) issues, killed Buffalo
• Age, and Flacco reverting to the mean, killed Baltimore
• Injuries killed San Diego
• A godawful GM continues to kill Indy
• Lousy QB play, and the injury to Watt, is killing Houston
• Tennessee seems to be a season away
• Carr's injury killed the Raiders
• Age, injury and QB incompetence killed the Jets
• Just being Cleveland killed Cleveland
• Injuries, talent let downs, and general incompetence killed Cincy

A lot of those are fixable, but many aren't, and many either won't be fixed or will be fixed as another problem develops for the team in question. Unless Brady turns into a pumpkin during the offseason, we could very well be looking at the same sort of situation come week 17 next season.

 

[SlowGettingUp]

One issue people don't talk about much is mid-level veterans getting priced out of the market by the terms of the CBA. So teams tend to consist of some high-priced stars and a bunch of young, inexperienced guys.

Also more injuries as players get bigger, heavier and faster, while bones, ligaments and joints stay the same strength.