AFC Team Rankings, 1 Week Out
My AFC rankings are based upon how they will finish the regular season, with the team I project to get the #1 seed ranked at #1, etc.
Let me get this straight, Pittsburgh Steelers' running back Le'Veon Bell, you make a rap song about how you think you deserve $15 million per year, and then you are stupid enough to go fail yet another drug test? Is this accurate? Plus, we can't even forget about your injury history, and I know it's not your fault, but damn, you better lead this Steelers' team to a Super Bowl, and not ride the arm of Ben Roethlisberger when you get back if you truly think you deserve that much. I believe in you, but I think all of the offensive injuries and suspensions cause your team to have to stay on the road in the AFC playoffs, if you make it that far. That said, I still think your team is capable, with a still-great offense, an improving and dynamic defense, and a coach who has two Super Bowl appearances. But, it's on you, Le'Veon, to make the difference.
16) CLEVELAND BROWNS: I don't know if I like the direction they are going. So many young players on this team, a starting quarterback who was a former #2 selection that his former team traded the WORLD for to get him, was ousted by a guy they got in the fourth round that same season, and a new head coach, who insists on playing starters week 4 of the preseason. There is a time Cleveland will be relevant again, but it's not this season.
15) TENNESSEE TITANS: I was surprised by the Dorial Green-Beckham trade, until I watched film of WR Tajae Sharpe, and noticed that they actually have a solid amount of wide receiver depth, unlike the depth they had the past few seasons. Did you know Andre Johnson is on this team? Will he go to Jacksonville next? Anyways, Marcus Mariota looks good, the offense looks solid, and they probably can win some games, but 5-11 doesn't cut it. At least they won't be the number one pick in the draft, since that shows progress, right?
14) BUFFALO BILLS: This is not the season Bills' fans have been waiting for. The Bills lost LB Reggie Ragland for the season, DT Marcell Dareus has a suspension again, and the offense is an injury away from being terrible. RB LeSean McCoy and WR Sammy Watkins are both injury prone, and there is no telling if QB Tyrod Taylor was a fluke last season or not. I'm tired of people bringing up the Bills like they are about to have a great season, then disappoint them when they go 6-10, 7-9 or 8-8. They deserve better, they've been through a lot.
13) JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: I keep hearing Jacksonville will make the playoffs, but they won't. First of all, the AFC is too crowded (although that is a reason they can sneak by), and second, they just aren't ready yet. It feels like all eleven players on the defense have been shipped in this offseason from a different location, trying to form the next Justice League, and even if they do become that, it won't happen overnight. At least the offense will be fun to watch. Wait one more year, please!
12) MIAMI DOLPHINS: Like their North Florida counterpart, the Dolphins are a team to overspend and find out that money doesn't fix all of your problems. The front seven could be dangerous, with Mario Williams now in the fold with Ndamokung Suh and Cameron Wake already there, and the passing game should be fine. But, the run game, and the fact that they aren't as talented as people believe makes me feel like this is a 7-9 season. Plus, a first year head coach usually results in growing pains.
11) SAN DIEGO CHARGERS: The Chargers are not as bad as people think, and with Joey Bosa finally in the fold, this defense could be pretty stellar by week 3, or whenever he shows up. They have underrated defenders across the board, like Jeremiah Attachou, Jason Verrett, and Brandon Mebane. The addition of WR Travis Benjamin on offense should provide Philip Rivers with even more weapons, and RB Melvin Gordon might actually score a touchdown this season. Still, they are most likely to finish last in the west, which is where I believe they will be.
10) NEW YORK JETS: Year in and year out, the Jets always seem like the most equipped team to overtake New England, and yet, this year the AFC East is kind of shady in general. The Jets' roster is full of aging players expected to contribute combined with extremely young players to fill out the roster. At least they got their contract situations figured out, but that's about the only good news New York will see this season. This defensive line is scary as well, but it's not enough to beat out the Patriots.
9) DENVER BRONCOS: The Super Bowl champions are the ninth best team in the AFC? Probably, and it's not just due to the loss of QB Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler. The defense took a few hits, the offensive line did as well, and the Broncos failed to find a solid replacement for Manning. They now have to turn to 2015 7th round pick Trevor Siemian, and it wouldn't be surprising if this offense was the worst in the NFL. I don't care how good the defense is, but you need some semblance of offense to win in football.
8) HOUSTON TEXANS: If JJ Watt was fully healthy heading into the regular season, I would easily put Houston ahead of the Colts. But, in a tight AFC South race, Houston might start out having some catching up to do, and every game matters in this sport. Newcomers QB Brock Osweiler, RB Lamar Miller and WR Will Fuller should make this offense more than DeAndre Hopkins this season, but they need a healthy JJ Watt to be a playoff team. He is the biggest, non-QB difference maker in the NFL, and him being out could cost them a playoff berth.
7) INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: Notice, this is how I project teams to finish based on record, not on seeding. I think the Colts will win the south after a bounce-back season from QB Andrew Luck (even though he only has TY Hilton to throw to), and that's pretty much all I am basing this on. This team is not very good outside of Luck, and would probably be the worst in the division if not for him. That said, Luck makes them better than a low Watt-age version of Houston, so they win the division at this stage.
6) OAKLAND RAIDERS: It's tough being a fan of a consistently losing team, and although I think Oakland will be a winning team, I don't believe they will be among the playoff picture. I think the top five teams in this list are better than Oakland, and they should be a dynamic force, but ultimately they still need a bit of seasoning. Plus, the running game is bound to take a step back, and there is no telling if WR Amari Cooper will have a season more like Odell Beckham Jr. or Mike Evans this season. They should sniff the playoffs, but they are likely to lose on the tiebreaker with Baltimore.
5) BALTIMORE RAVENS: I don't know why people forgot about this team, maybe it's because they lost half of their team to injury last season, maybe it's because the Bengals and Steelers are in the division. I really don't know, but I do know that they have a Super Bowl champion quarterback in Joe Flacco, a great AND un-obnoxious Harbaugh on the sidelines, and great leadership across the board (including but not limited to WR Steve Smith and OLB Terrell Suggs). They are going into the season hungry, and if you don't pay attention to them, this team will sneak up on you.
4) NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: The Tom Brady suspension is why they are not higher. That's it. It's not an overly-tough four game schedule, but the week 1 matchup in Glendale would not have been easy with Brady, and it should be an "L" without him. Look for them to still easily win the AFC East, make the playoffs, but start off by playing in the Wild Card Round, something they are not accustomed to.
3) PITTSBURGH STEELERS: See above
2) KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: I like this Chiefs' team, and although they don't have a great quarterback, they have a good game manager, and he should be capable of leading them to a first-round bye. Plus, the Chiefs always, always, always seem to get on a hot-streak at some point in the season, and with Denver down and Oakland still on the rise, the time is now for the Chiefs. It is just a matter of getting everybody healthy, especially RB Jamaal Charles. The defense is stacked, the offense actually has weapons, and they have been there before. So why not?
1) CINCINNATI BENGALS: There was a point last season where it looked like the Bengals actually could have been the number one seed, but that ended up eventually going to the Denver Broncos, and the Bengals got the third seed, and lost in the first round. The Bengals lost a bit, but they gained even more than they lost, and maybe this is the time Marvin Lewis leads the Bengals past the first playoff game. The Steelers and Patriots also helped the Bengals get to this spot, with the suspensions of key players, and with all of their regular season success, they should be able to do what needs to be done. It is all about the postseason now in Paul Brown stadium.
