We’ve reached that point of the NFL season. The Midterms. The storylines surrounding the NFL have grown no matter what has been occurring. Now with 9 weeks down and 9 to go nothing will be taken for granted. Let’s go over the AFC so far.
Buffalo Bills (The J-Gun): When this team is firing on all cylinders, they are clearly Super Bowl favorites. When not, it’s Vintage Buffalo in big games. Having everything lined up perfectly only to either get blown out by stronger teams, or choke in dramatic fashion. (Examples: The games against the Jets and Vikings) The Bills so far have been a machine. Despite an 0-2 record in their own division plus many wins in close games they still have the best record in the AFC. Josh Allen and the offense are up to their old tricks. With Gabe Davis and Stefon Diggs playing as advertised they have reasons to be excited. The fate of Buffalo’s season will be on the shoulders of their defense. During the 1st 7 games they only gave up 24 points in the 2nd Half. An NFL Record. Most of that has to do with Von Miller joining forces with an emerging LB Core. (Why does ESPN call him THE Super Bowl Whisperer when there are 2 others in the AFC) And with Tre’Davious White returning soon that unit is only getting stronger. If the Bills can get a decent run game they should make it to the big game for the 1st time in 30 years. That is if they aren’t willing to allow Allen to throw 50 times a game. (They however are 0-2 in their division and still have to play the Patriots twice, OUCH!)
Miami Dolphins (The Tua Effect): What a difference does one particular player make for a team? That player just happens to be the rising star that is Tua. Whenever he goes down due to injury the team becomes predictable and easy pickings. Whenever Tagovailoa is on the field, the Dolphins are a very tough team to play against. (He has a higher win percentage than Burrow, and Herbert COMBINED. LET THAT SINK IN!) Their wins against 3 AFC Contenders to open the season including comebacks against the Ravens and Bills are evidence. That’s what happens when you have Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Mike Gesicki on your offense plus a creative mind in Mike McDaniel. This is the best team that Miami has boasted since the days of Marino and Don Shula. And they added to it by trading the remainder of their draft capital for Bradley Chubb. And then gave him the same contract as Von Miller got. The biggest question I have on the Dolphins is not only how they will survive with a banged up secondary? But how will they fare against elite teams outside of South Beach? A warm weather team like this usually gets exposed in cold weather. And Miami knows this well from getting exposed by Buffalo in the 1990s. What will their fate be this time?
New England Patriots (EXECUTE ORDER 66!): It was looking ugly for a while, but the Patriots have turned it around. Besides that dud on Monday Night Football against the Bears, they have regained old form. You can thank the defense for the resurgence. JC Jackson may be gone but don’t tell that to Jonathan Jones or the ageless Devin McCourty. The LB Core is weaker, well Matt Judon can munch QBs just like Willie McGinest and Andre Tippett did. As for the offense it’s more like the early Brady years. Ball controlled, RB by committee, and timely playmaking by the WR. At one point we had a QB controversy between Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe. We now realized that Jones despite a bad ankle has been the game manager that they thought he would be. Normally I would say a team like this isn’t good enough for the playoffs especially in a stacked AFC East. But this is Bill Belichick, and if there is anything he knows how to do, it’s crush the hopes of division rivals. Last year may have been a break for that, but he’s not gonna want that trend to continue. That and beating the tar out of the Jets, speaking of which.
New York Jets (Overcoming the Odds): We thought the run that the Bengals had last year wouldn’t come around often. Apparently all of North Jersey told the nerds on Social Media to eat their words. That’s what happens when you have an outstanding rookie class to go along with a young core that’s starting to emerge. It wasn’t looking good when they got smacked by Baltimore and Cincinnati with Joe Flacco as the starter thanks to Zach Wilson being punished by the Football Gods. Once Wilson returned things got way better for them. The formerly known ButtFumble (We think) has become a dark horse contender in the AFC thanks to wins over the Dolphins and Bills. Just like JaMarr Chase was for the Bengals last year, Sauce Gardiner has become the game changer that’s completely changed the way we view the Jets defense. I would say Breece Hall for the offense, but he got punished by the gods as well. (It’s ok, they got Michael Carter as a nice 2nd option) Their fate long term is still in the air, but this is a massive boost of emotions for their fanbase. A team that had no hope for a long time may have found it. Lets see how they’ll do with the spotlight on them late in the year?
Baltimore Ravens (UNDER PRESSURE!): This is kinda where I expected them to be. At the top of the AFC North despite having to overcome another wave of injuries and being exposed late in games thanks to getting in their own way. This team in some people’s minds should still be undefeated but that’s not how the Ravens work. Every year in October no matter who is on the team, they get written off by the media, only to rattle off a nice win streak. We’re seeing that once again. But even then the Boys in Purple aren’t satisfied. They want it all. Look at the storylines. Lamar Jackson is trying to pull a 2012 Flacco, ESPN wants to see them fail once and for all, the return of longtime mascots Edgar and Allan, (Thank god Poe will be back from IR if they get a home playoff game) plenty of key players due for extensions including Marcus Peters, the potential swan song of Calais Campbell, and the ultimate prize. Another generational defensive player. ROQUAN (Censored) SMITH! I swear to god if you don’t make it to the Super Bowl this season, I’m going to the Under Armour Performance Center and never let you hear the end of it. (I’m just teasing) This is probably your last chance with this core before Cap Hell next spring. For the love of all things Old Bay PLEASE DON’T MESS THIS UP! (Remember in 2019 when Ravens Nation played Miami by Will Smith, this time it’s SOS Season)
Cincinnati Bengals (Rock and Roller Coaster): The Bengals are a confusing squad. This is a team that made the Super Bowl, and this is a team that has some of the finest North American Talents on offense. But something isn’t right this time around. It’s probably because more teams have footage on how to stop them. And with their offensive schemes being similar to Ohio State despite it being at the NFL level it’s not a good look. (I’m looking right at Zac Taylor) Luckily their defense went 7 games without allowing a 2nd TD. (Are you trying to be Buffalo?) That is the only reason why they aren’t back in the basement. The real reason why I’m concerned. Look at who their 5 wins have come against. 4 backup QBs and Marcus Mariota. They’ve played only one healthy starter all season. (Lamar Jackson in Week 5, in which they lost) With their schedule coming up and considering that they are 0-3 against their division plus have yet to play the Chiefs, Bills, and Titans, as well as a 2nd matchup against Baltimore the road will be rough. But if there is anything that Cincy has going for them it’s that Joe Burrow has all the confidence there is. That will be key to where they will end up at the end of the season.
Cleveland Browns (The Unlikable Figures): The team that everyone outside of Ohio wants to see fail. Especially the people of Maryland and Pennsylvania. This year for the Browns it’s been frustrating. Even without Watson they still have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball. It’s just that they can’t close out a game. The major examples have been Week 2 against the Jets, Week 4 against the Falcons, and Week 5 against the Chargers. If they win those 3 games, they may be ahead of big brother. But wait, Cleveland can’t have anything good because Haslam. Look at their situation next offseason. A: They are $65M over the cap. B: Their first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft isn’t until the 4th Round. Oh thats right they traded their 3rd Round pick for Deion Jones who has been good for what he is. This team is literally being carried by Nick Chubb and Myles Garrett. Those 2 are the only reasons why they aren’t in the basement of the AFC. But wait they beat the Bengals on Halloween, everything’s coming up, the Brownies will make a run to the playoffs. I have a counterargument. Their next 2 games are against the Bills, and Buccaneers, and they got smoked by Miami. That’ll send them back to reality.
Pittsburgh Steelers (2017 Detroit Red Wings): As I said for the Dolphins what a difference does one player make for a team. In this case it’s TJ Watt. When he is healthy, the Steelers defense is one of the best in the NFL, and they are contenders for a playoff spot. When he is injured, they are a team that has lost its identity. Pittsburgh has suffered through a long season to this point. Life without Big Ben, Mitch Trubisky getting benched, injuries to Minkah Fitzpatrick and Cam Heyward, a brutal schedule to open the year, and Mike Tomlin experiencing something that he has never gone through. A potential losing season. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. It’s odd to see the Steelers this bad. As a fan of a rival it’s expected that they are contenders year in, year out. (I just hope that what’s happening in the Burgh doesn’t happen 4 hours down the road) Hopefully for the sake of Yinzers this is a fluke and they’ll be on their feet. They aren’t out of it yet though. And with TJ Watt returning they could shock a team or two. It depends on how Kenny Pickett plays in the 2nd Half. Good luck, Rooneys.
Houston Texans (Suck for Stroud): Once again the Texans are dealing with the reality of another lost season. Even if Brandin Cooks and Derek Stingley are the only things worth watching on this team, the tanks are once again rolling. Not even Lovie Smith and his experience can save them. (It says something when Davis Mills is the best QB in the 2021 class. THAT IS IMPRESSIVE) The only thing that would make this more insane is if they land both CJ Stroud and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. And with Cleveland having a brutal schedule to end the year it’s certainly possible.
Indianapolis Colts (The Muppet Show of Indiana): It’s time to play the music, it’s time to light the lights. It’s time to showcase a team that has no idea what they are doing both on and off the field. The media kept telling us they were a QB away from being Super Bowl Contenders. They forgot to realize that the Offensive Line was overrated, the defense has massive holes up front, and no legit top option at WR. Trading for Matt Ryan was a desperation move and it showed. He got benched because they didn’t want another Carson Wentz situation. Was it really his fault? Jonathan Taylor has fallen off hard. That’s because their line like I said is overrated. Even in the games they’ve won the Colts have tried desperately to lose them. Frank Reich just happened to be the scapegoat in all this. He was fired after the beatdown they took at the hands of their boogeyman in New England. Was he really the problem? The problem just happens to be the Irsays. Just like his father did in Baltimore, Jim Irsay is trying to show management who the real boss is. You’d think this situation is fixable, but it got worse. Why? Guess who they hired as the interim coach? JEFF SATURDAY!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! (He was an All Pro Center for the Colts in the Peyton Manning years, IT’S PERFECT! This team is full of muppets everywhere you look!)
Jacksonville Jaguars (Are You Out of Your Mind?): I think the Jaguars as an organization can’t stop getting in their own way. Whether it’s with draft decisions, or expectations, or acquisitions it never ends. The beginning of the year was promising for Jacksonville. Two wins in their 1st three games are enough to give a fledgling franchise hope. (Especially after what they did to the Chargers) They even had a 14-0 lead against the Eagles and were driving for the kill on the road in Doug Pederson’s return to the Linc. Once that goal line stand by Philly happened? BOOM! Well the Jags were sentenced back to reality. Ever since that loss it has been a downward trend. Close game losses, and being overcooked on offense again. I don’t know how to view Trevor Lawrence, people are calling him a bust but I see him as one of the few reasons why the Jaguars are even relevant. At least Travis Etienne has been a stud even if he was out for the year last season. And Christian Kirk has actually been solid despite the bad contract. They are still bad, but not the circus act they were a year ago. At least the front office hasn’t done anything stupid. (Yo-Yo Sound) You traded for Calvin Ridley? The man that was suspended for an entire season because of gambling during his leave of absence? (Or as some football fans call it: The Art Schlichter Rule) WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE!? That sounds like a move that clowns would make. It’s fitting that their fans dress as clowns as well. The ride never ends Duvall, where is that Uh-Oh Song from the 1999 season when you need it. That was the last time they were consistently good for more than just one season.
Tennessee Titans (The Class of the South): Just give these guys the division by default. What else needs to be said. The Titans this year in the words of Jack Dawson in Titanic are probably the luckiest bunch of SOBs in the World. If you look at their record you’d be like, they are a solid playoff contender. The reality is that most of their wins have been against bad teams. (Indy twice, Washington, Houston, and Vegas) At least Derrick Henry is healthy again and has overcome a minor slump. The real question isn’t at WR but in the health of Ryan Tannehill. He’s been injured the past few games and his impact in the passing game is felt. The reality to all this is that Malik Willis isn’t ready for the big time. He’s an excellent runner for a QB, but the lack of competition he faced at Liberty is starting to get the best of him. As I said, they have their playoff spot locked up, but can they overcome all the weaknesses to make a run in January. To be fair I just don’t know anymore.
Denver Broncos (HACKS): I knew that the Broncos were going to be a mess offensively this whole time. Getting Russell Wilson was a blockbuster move when it happened. All of Mile High viewed it as them becoming Super Bowl Contenders again. BOOM! But then we realized that they traded their future and thensome to get him, and didn’t give him help on the Offensive Line. Speaking of O-Line, now you understand why I think that’s the biggest flaw on the team. It’s been killing them for decades, and Elway has done nothing to fix it. Not to mention Nathaniel Hackett is turning into Vance Joseph 2.0 as we speak. Who knew that a guy who was carried by Aaron Rodgers would falter this badly. Even worse he hasn’t learned from his mistakes as an OC in Jacksonville from 2018. It’s going to take a miracle for this organization to clean up this mess even with new ownership. Sometimes I can only wonder how all this started going wrong.
Kansas City Chiefs (Andy Reid being a Man with a Plan): One of the main constants of the NFL for the last decade. Kansas City being contenders for an AFC Title no matter the personnel or talent. This year the Chiefs may be weaker than in the previous 4 years, but don’t let that convince you that they aren’t a solid unit. Patrick Mahomes is still at the top of his game. Travis Kelce, even in his mid-30s, is still a beast. The biggest difference has been adding a balanced approach on offense. Other than the Titans game where Mahomes threw 68 times, KC has a nice blend of run and pass. And even if they don’t have a legit #1 WR, they still find ways to hurt you. It could be JuJu one game, MVS another, or Mecole Hardman tearing the roof off of secondaries with his elite speed in another. They keep finding new ways to win. It may drive the rest of the AFC West crazy but they do it for the greater good. (Even better the social media influencers in the Mahomes Clan have been quiet this year)
Las Vegas Raiders (Why did you hire McDaniels?): Reputation. That’s how the Las Vegas Raiders can be described as. This offseason was full of it. Bringing in Josh McDaniels, Chandler Jones, and Davante Adams seemed like good ideas. The bad news, BOOM! None of them have lived up to the hype. Adams maybe but he has been upset with Derek Carr thanks to not getting enough targets. Carr certainly gets most of the blame, but you know who should get it. The defense. People thought the Falcons were the biggest chokers in the league, they aren’t looking at this exhibit. The Raiders have blown leads in every one of their losses. 3 of those games were by 17 or more. That explains one thing, their organization only cares about the reputation of players and coaches, not their strengths and weaknesses. Wonderful your 1st Round pick this year which will probably be in the Top 5 is going to be in the hands of the Packers. (Correction: Green Bay has their 1st Round pick in 2024, not 2023) Was firing Mike Mayock as GM really a good idea?
Los Angeles Chargers (The San Diego Special): The Chargers are so frustrating. They have these moments where they look like contenders, and then others just ouch! Considering all of the moves they made this offseason to improve the defense, the traditional San Diego luck betrayed them. JC Jackson their top acquisition is out for the year with a Torn ACL. Mike Williams and Keenan Allen have been oft-injured as well. Not to mention Justin Herbert. CRACK! Having to play through injury because this organization has improper development. They may be 5-3 but that’s mostly because of other teams’ self-destructions. They do have somewhat of a favorable schedule but the toughest part about all this is that the Chargers no matter who they have always find ways to break people’s hearts. We saw it last year and we probably will see it again. Also, why do they have the most primetime games in the league this year? (2 words, Herbert, LA) PAUSE.
The AFC is going to be an absolute slaughter over the 2nd Half of the year especially in the Wild Card hunt. You can make a case for plenty of teams to make it to the playoffs or miss it. Here’s how the seedings will play out:
Playoff Predictions:
- Ravens
- Chiefs
- Bills
- Titans
- Dolphins
- Jets
- Chargers
Bragging Rights Sports 