Normally I would do a Weekly Recap of the Highlights and Football Follies of the week, but since we are at the midway point of the season, we need to discuss some things about how teams have fared this year. Lets see how the AFC is doing?
Buffalo Bills (The Insufferable Mafia): Just like last year I’m not as high on the Bills so far unlike most of America. I get that they have the highest point differential in the league, and have playmakers on both sides but like last year they have severe flaws. They have issues on special teams, the running game is hit or miss, and they have had one of the easiest schedules in the league. Josh Allen is an MVP caliber QB yes but how much of his success is due to himself or the weapons around him? It will be a hard question to answer since they still have yet to play the Patriots or the Buccaneers. Those 3 games will determine if this team can win the AFC East and make a deep run again. To be honest if they can’t run the football in January unlike last year teams will do what they can to knock them out early. YOU LOST TO THE JAGS! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! (Have fun trying winning a playoff game this year with the flaws you have)
Miami Dolphins (2017 New York Giants): What is going on? I thought the Dolphins had the pieces and momentum to make noise this year. An elite defense on paper, a strong receiver core, and Tua looking to build off a decent rookie year. The thing that Miami forgot to address this offseason was the run game on Offensive Line. That’s why they have had a massive losing streak following their Opening Day win against the Patriots. (If Damien Harris doesn’t fumble the Fins are 1-8) Yes I get that they should have traded for Deshawn Watson but would he have done better behind that O-Line? NO! Thank goodness the 49ers have struggled so far this year because you already know that your 1st Round pick is in the hands of the Eagles. (They have San Fran’s pick because of the Trey Lance trade) The Rebuild is only getting worse.
New England Patriots (Mac Jones = 2001 Tom Brady): It appears that the Patriots went from having no chance of winning the division after the OT loss to Dallas from being only a half game back of the Bills in about a month. This season is similar to their Super Bowl year in 2001. A 1-3 start, a young QB, and then they bust out by dominating in the 2nd Half of the season. New England does have the talent on defense to pull it off. With the boogeymen being reunited with the return of Jamie Collins and Kyle Van Noy. It also helps that Matt Judon has been a major boost to that deadly linebacker core and JC Jackson is becoming perhaps the most underrated corner in the game. Despite a slow start Mac Jones is starting to pick up the slack. He hasn’t been a world beater but he has played well during their recent win streak. I could easily see them at the top of the AFC East at the end of the year if this continues. The last thing their rivals from Buffalo want is for them to regain the empire. The rest of the NFL is with them.
New York Jets (Property of Robert Kraft): Anytime that there is hope for the New York Jets there always is a setback. Yes it has been a brutal start for them, as Zach Wilson has struggled to adapt to the Jets system. But you want to know what is the biggest issue that Wilson has this year? THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS! No team has beaten up more Jets QBs than the Patriots, and Wilson looks like another victim and injured him in the 2nd half of their Week 7 loss in Foxboro. The Jets may have a QB controversy as Mike White threw for over 400 yards against a 5-2 Bengals team in his 1st NFL start, leading them to an epic win. Even though they won’t make the playoffs, they have promise but who will be the guy going forward. That’s all you can hope for.
Baltimore Ravens (How the hell is this team still a Contender): The way the Ravens have started the season reminds me of how they started their Super Bowl season in 2012. Injuries, close games against bad teams, and having to rely on the talent of their QB and offense. When they are playing well on both sides at the same time, there isn’t a team in the AFC that can stop them. When they aren’t it’s frustrating to watch. This year Baltimore has expanded their offense with Lamar Jackson having more 300 yard passing games this year than he has had in his whole career coming into the season. The only thing holding them back is defensive tackling and communication. If Don Martindale can fix these small mental problems, this team could finally make it to the Super Bowl. To be honest when you end the season with 5 out of 7 against division rivals plus the Rams and Packers sandwiched in, you better have the #1 seed going into those games. At 6-2 they are certainly on track to do so. It will be a tough ask but knowing John Harbaugh’s career record in December they are getting the Top Seed in the AFC if they have to die trying!
Cincinnati Bengals (A Video Game Squad): Let me be very clear. Your fans shouldn’t have climbed into the Ravens broadcast booth! Because the Bengals have not been the same team since. Following what should have been their establishment of being a contender they lost to the Jets and Mike White, as well as getting smacked at home by their brothers across the state. They are still a good team overall. Joe Burrow has become a Top 10 QB, and so far Ja’Marr Chase has looked like Randy Moss in 1998 as he is on pace to break his Rookie Record for TD’s in a season. The defense was playing up to expectations until the Jets game but there is still time to save the season. They have a tough road ahead especially since they have to play the Ravens and Steelers again. (Both games are at home but both fanbases travel well) If they are going to make the playoffs, Cincinnati is going to have to rely on not living and dying by big plays. They need to have long drives to win games especially in December. I don’t know their division is only getting stronger and they could be the one team that misses the postseason from the AFC North.
Cleveland Browns (OBJ = PK Subban): The Browns are a confusing team to watch. On paper this team should be much better than they are. Some of it is due to being unable to close out games or the cancer known as OBJ. (Now he is gone, good for them) Injuries have hit throughout the 1st Half including Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. (Both of them are close to 100%) Even if Baker Mayfield has had his struggles he bounced back nicely in a beatdown against Cincinnati. There is one major concern for the Browns? It’s the defense, most of the time they can’t do anything against legitimate talent in spite of Miles Garrett chasing the single season sack record. Getting Denzel Ward back is huge but they have a tough schedule coming up since they have to play the Ravens twice, the Patriots, and the Steelers. If they are finally going to win the division they are going to need every break to go their way. If that does happen, I will never hear the end of it. (For my sake they cannot win when I see them in Baltimore over Thanksgiving)
Pittsburgh Steelers (The Leader of Men won’t die): This team eh, this gutty team. When you saw them in the playoffs this squad was dead, and hopeless. Now tell me back then that they would thrive despite having no Offensive Line or an injured JuJu Smith Schuster. Even after a 1-3 start, the Steelers have been dialed in on defense as expected. TJ Watt is trying to win his 1st Defensive Player of the Year award, the secondary has been fixed and are locking down wideouts that come their way. As for the offense they have at least reestablished the running game. Najee Harris is starting to pound the ball with ease especially when they played Cleveland in Week 8. If there is any reason why Pittsburgh is still in the hunt it’s because of Mike Tomlin, Big Ben, and the Rooneys. Yes they did get bailed out by REFBALL against the Bears but other than that they have earned those wins. Their 2nd Half schedule is going to be brutal especially since they still have to play the Ravens twice. If they are going to make the playoffs I would take advantage of the easy games and not rely on doing the impossible. Will this team play down to their competition or will they play up to their potential. We’ll find out.
Houston Texans (Culley is a Dinosaur): The Salty Marylanders tried warning you about David Culley Houston. He is a guy that should be nowhere a Head Coaching job. Why am I saying this, they have arguably the worst point differential in the league by a good amount. Most of the problem is that Deshawn Watson hasn’t even played a down this season, and the defense is burnt toast. There will only be one sound that will endure Houston for the rest of the season. The TANKS! Its going to be a long time before the Texans are good again.
Indianapolis Colts (Rotten Luck): How do you feel about this season? It’s kind of what I expected out of Indy but I feel like the local fans should expect more out of them. I get that their schedule has been brutal and they have lost to playoff teams but there have been some bright spots. Carson Wentz has played up to expectations, Jonathan Taylor has emerged into one of the best Running Backs in the NFL, and they have won 4 of their last 6 after an 0-3 start. This is one of those teams that has played better than what their record tells us. There is still plenty of time to make the playoffs, and they are only 1 game back of the 7th spot in the AFC. Even if they end up sacrificing their 1st Round pick to the Eagles it will be worth it if the Colts get back to January football. How will the cards play out?
Jacksonville Jaguars (Urban being Urban): I can remember ESPN picking the Jaguars to make the playoffs over teams like the Ravens, Chiefs, and Titans. They thought that Trevor Lawrence was going to take the league by storm. What is the result of the 1st Half of the season for Duvall? BOOM! Another disaster. Urban Meyer has made more headlines off the field in Ohio than he has on the field in Jacksonville. Plus Lawrence has been getting crushed since he has no offensive line. Yes I get that college coaches have a rough transition into the NFL, but Meyer is falling into the same traps as Bobby Petrino. But the difference between the 2 of them is that Meyer is most likely going to stay and learn from his early mistakes. It’s going to be another tank year but something tells me they are going to be even more active for talent in the future.
Tennessee Titans (Trying to Overcome the Fallen King): The Titans have indeed turned a corner. Its hard to believe this but it has happened. When they lost at the Meadowlands in Week 4 against the Jets, they thought it would rip their ambitions. Instead they have won 5 straight games and have beaten some good teams along the way. You know what I find fascinating, even if Derrick Henry is out for the rest of the regular season they still haven’t missed a beat. The reasons for their success have been on the shoulders of Ryan Tannehill, AJ Brown, and surprisingly the defense. Even if Julio Jones hasn’t been the game changer that they have been looking for, he is still another excellent weapon. So far the Titans have looked like the team to beat in the AFC but there is still a long way to go before they get the #1 seed. If they do get the top spot in the conference I wouldn’t recommend playing your arch rivals until the AFC Championship if you get there. (Nissan Stadium = Property of the Bisciotti Family)
Denver Broncos (The True Mystery Box of the AFC): I have no idea what to think of the Denver Broncos. They either look like a playoff team, or they look like they should be competing for top draft picks. There have been too many times where they play inconsistent football and it shows. Other than that beatdown they gave Dallas this is a squad that has had me puzzled. They got off to a fast start, going 3-0 and then getting beat back down by Baltimore in Week 4. Ever since that game Teddy Bridgewater has been mediocre but he is far from their issue. Have you ever noticed how the Broncos never have a good offensive line? Because it’s looking like one of those years for them. This has been an issue for them dating back to the Mike Shanahan era for goodness sake. They are going to need to rely on defense to get them to the playoffs. Even if Von Miller is gone they still have Bradley Chubb and depth in the secondary. How will they mess it up this time?
Kansas City Chiefs (2002 St Louis Rams): WHAT HAPPENED!? The Chiefs in 8 months time have gone from one of the most unstoppable offenses in NFL History to being a unit that has made too many bonehead mistakes. They looked like themselves when they beat the Browns in Week 1. Once they fumbled that game in Week 2 at M&T Bank Stadium they have not been the same team since. They have struggled against legitimate opponents all year and Patrick Mahomes is falling into the 2002 Kurt Warner stage of his career. He is one of the league leaders in interceptions and has failed to live up to being the Baby GOAT so far. Not to mention teams have the blueprint on how to contain Tyreek Hill. Yes they beat the Packers but Aaron Rodgers wasn’t playing. They are probably the most undeserved 5-4 team in the NFL. It’s going to take a miracle for them to regain the AFC West title but knowing that organization they will do whatever they can to get back to the playoffs. One more thing. Can you tell Jackson Mahomes and Brittany Matthews to stop being insufferable and leave “The Patrick Price” alone. That would be great for his confidence going forward.
Las Vegas Raiders (Kings of Controversy): Has there been a team that has suffered a more roller coaster start than the Raiders. This is a team that has a strong team that has an outside chance at a Wild Card berth on the field but the things that have been holding this squad back have been things out of their control. Jon Gruden being mind-controlled by Dan Snyder and Bruce Allen and eventually resigning because of racist comments from 2011, and Henry Ruggs getting arrested for DUI and probably never playing a down in the NFL again. There have been some bright spots for Vegas though this year. They started 3-0 which included an epic win over Baltimore in the public debut of their brand new stadium, and going into Mile High in the midst of Gruden’s departure and pulling out another statement win. Derek Carr has certainly been the driving force on offense, and the defense has certainly improved under Gus Bradley. My major concern with the Raiders is their tendency to play down to competition. The big example was losing to the Giants by means of 2 costly turnovers. There is still time for them to change the narrative, and all they have to do is beat the Chargers and suddenly they have a clear path to the division title. You can manage right?
Los Angeles Chargers (The San Diego Special): The Chargers have definitely played better than I expected them to. I didn’t expect them to overtake the Chiefs this quickly. Other than a beatdown they took in Baltimore and a crushing loss against the Patriots, the Bolts have definitely made believers this year out of people in the media. (They still won’t get a huge fanbase in LA because of the Rams, but they could get a bandwagon) Justin Herbert has been nowhere near the Sophomore Jinx and he has become one of the best young QB’s in the game. Mike Williams has become a machine at WR, and the O-Line in spite of injuries have been solid as well. Considering that the rest of the division is hit or miss they should get into the playoffs easily. But this is the Chargers and they never make it easy for the fans they have left. Its going to be a grind for that home playoff game but at least they aren’t underachieving. Thats a positive. PAUSE.
The AFC is literally anyones for the taking. Anything that happens over the next 9 weeks is going to determine who’s good or not.
AFC East: Patriots
AFC North: Ravens
AFC South: Titans
AFC West: Chargers
Wildcard #1: Bills
Wildcard #2: Browns
Wildcard #3: Steelers
Bragging Rights Sports 