Finally! The long offseason is over and the excitement of a new NFL season is kicking into high gear. More international games, Thanksgiving Eve Football, plus 3 Saturday games in Week 18 (Knowing my logic, Ravens vs Steelers no matter what their records are will get one of those slots) plus a potential MLK Day Playoff Doubleheader like in 2023. Now let’s take a look at the AFC. It’s chaos. Honestly speaking there are so many outcomes that could play out and few would be surprised by it. Alright lets get right into this thing, I’ve waited too long for this preview!
Buffalo Bills (All New Everything): Like most years for BillsMafia during the Josh Allen Era last year was a golden opportunity wasted despite serious flaws on the roster. (This time it wasn’t enough for Sean McDermott to keep his job) Now with a new stadium and Joe Brady getting promoted to head coach they’re hoping that this year at long last will be different. They’ve tried countless times to finally get over the hump but it won’t stop them from continuing to keep going for it. As long as Allen and James Cook are healthy they’ve got a solid chance at winning the AFC. But in order to do so they can’t overly rely on those two and YAC plays on offense. Which is why they brought in DJ Moore in an offseason trade with the Bears who hopefully will be the WR1 they’ve been missing since Stefon Diggs (2020-2021 Diggs that is) Once again their biggest questions lie on defense. Bringing in Jim Leonard as the DC and overhauling the secondary with CJ Gardiner Johnson and bolstering the pass rush with Bradley Chubb could help but they are relying on a bunch of their younger players to have breakouts this year. (That and the health of Ed Oliver who was sorely missed last year) It’s a bold move but given Leonard’s resume with both the Broncos and Wisconsin in College Football I think they’ll be alright. Word of advice, if you get off to a slow start given that early season don’t panic, because the Bills probably will reawaken down the stretch. Or maybe it’s the other way around?
Miami Dolphins (The Rumba Of Tanks): Stop me when you’ve heard this story before. Miami is seen as a strong contender in the AFC by most of the media, then gets destroyed by Baltimore in the playoffs or a crucial game in December and then completely implodes over the next couple of years to the point where they must trot out the tanks. (This is punishment from the Football Gods for Miami not hiring Brian Billick in 2008) This has now happened four times since the turn of the millennium. To the surprise of no one the Dolphins got rid of all of their best players after Mike McDaniel got fired and now are back in the same spot they were in in 2007, 2011, and 2019. Completely irrelevant. But hey they brought in Malik Willis yet completely forget that he had one good game against a Zach Orr defense and stunk in Tennessee. (The modern day Rob Johnson) The only question I have for this season is how long until Zach Sieler gets traded? Probably at midseason. Hopefully this tank brigade doesn’t result in another fringe contender that gets destroyed by the Damn Ravens to the point where they never recover from it.
New England Patriots (The Rising First Order): If you wanted to find another reason to hate the Patriots look no further than last year. In a year that was wacky and wild to the point where people were accusing the league’s scriptwriters of being drunk, New England took advantage of a paper soft schedule and stomped the entire AFC into pieces. (It’s as if we’re back in 2016 and 2017 again) Yes they lost to the Dark Side in the Super Bowl but from the way I see it, this is only the beginning of the Patriots re-embracing their Star Wars Villain Arc. And better yet all of the shenanigans and conspiracies from the Belichick years are back. There was RussiniGate where pictures of Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini both past and present pretending to be a lovely couple despite both of them being married (And like SpyGate and DeflateGate the conspiracy theorists were those rotten New Yorkers) and not to mention New England made one of the biggest moves of the offseason by nabbing an unhappy AJ Brown from the Eagles for a king’s ransom. If he turns out to be 2007 Randy Moss with Drake Maye and in a Josh McDaniels offense the rest of the NFL especially the entire AFC East will never hear the end of it. Especially considering that the Patriots defense led by a generational talent in Christian Gonzalez is also in prime form and they’re only going to get stronger. “BUT THEY SUCCEEDED BECAUSE OF AN EASY SCHEDULE LAST YEAR!” You do realize that this is basically the exact same formula they used during the dynasty years minus Brady and Belichick. New England is going to be a top contender whether you like it or not.
New York Jets (A Long Youth Movement): I don’t know how the people who have stayed loyal to this derelict franchise have been able to put up with this. You tantalize your fans for years that a new era is coming and then it’s been the same old crap ever since THAT PLAY on Thanksgiving 2012. Now the Jets are back to square one. They still have a long way to go before being competitive but at least the nice haul of draft picks they have this year look promising, especially David Bailey and Kenyon Sadiq. Now who’s going to be running the offense this year? Really Geno Smith? You saw how cooked he was in Seattle? Are you just trying to undo past failures? I feel like you are. Let me guess? This franchise’s entire gameplan this year will be tank for Arch Manning and even then the Mannings won’t want him to suffer in North Jersey like Eli almost did in San Diego. If you’re lucky you’ll get Dante Moore who I think is a better overall prospect than Arch. Also if anyone is under pressure in the organization it’s Aaron Glenn. He needs to show at least some level of competitiveness or the narratives will come out on how he was carried to relevance by Aidan Hutchinson. But hey at least you have three 1st Rounders at next year’s draft in Washington. You’ll somehow mess that up too won’t you?
Baltimore Ravens (Minter Storm Alert): 1997 Broncos, 2020 Buccaneers, 2000 Ravens. (2021 Bengals came close but lost to the Rams) What do those teams have in common? They each won Super Bowls during their first season following a uniform change. That’s what this current Ravens team is trying to do, especially coming off the most agonizing year in Baltimore Sports History. For the Boys in Purple to have any kind of success this year it’s going to come down to two things. No it’s not the health of Lamar Jackson or Derrick Henry still beating Father Time or whether Jesse Minter can truly be the final piece to this puzzle. It’s the Offensive Line and the most expensive defense in football. Both phases were so poorly coached last year and the results on the field proved it. Major changes were made both on and off the field to fix this. Stealing Trey Hendrickson from the Bungles and drafting the best guard prospect in a decade in Vega Ioane were the biggest examples. (They had a deal for Maxx Crosby until they realized that they were about to break the Kyle Boller Rule) I can hear the naysayers outside of Charm City now. “THE RAVENS ARE NOTHING WITHOUT HARBAUGH! (They said this about Billick) THEY LOST TOO MUCH THIS OFFSEASON! (They say this every year) LAMAR AND ROQUAN ARE LEAVING AFTER THIS YEAR! (Said the same thing about Ray and Ed in 2008) THEY HAVE NO RECEIVERS! (JaKobi Lane is about to be the next Anquan Boldin) THEY WON’T MAKE THE PLAYOFFS CUZ THEY AREN’T CINCY! (Minter will coach circles around the entire division)” All I can say is that if this team takes advantage of a wide open AFC this year, the internet will shatter into a million pieces. Not to mention they’ll have the angel of OJ Brigance hovering over them all season long. COME ON RAVENS DON’T LET ME DOWN!!! (PLEASE NO MORE DOUBLE DIGIT BLOWN LEADS AND LET ME REVIVE CHARM CITY BEASTS FOR ONCE!)
Cincinnati Bengals (Desperation Mode): This is probably the most critical season that the Bengals have been faced with since 2010. Missing the playoffs for three straight years despite Burrow, Chase, and Higgins in their primes thanks to terrible coaching on both sides of the ball, a putrid defense, and an Offensive Line that is historically bad in run blocking. If everything falls apart again this time everyone is probably gone. (No one in Baltimore, Kansas City, or Pittsburgh will feel bad for them) And here’s the crazy part. This organization kept most of those things and blamed last year on Joe Burrow being injured. (Seriously, their offense still put up similar numbers with Joe Flacco) When will people learn that blaming one injury for why a team sucked during a season never works in the long run. Hell it was the exact same crap with Carson Palmer almost 20 years ago. Yes they made a big trade for Dexter Lawrence and signed Bryan Cook but they are one significant injury away on defense from being the worst in football especially without any ILB or corner depth. You know what I find ridiculous? The fact that the National Media has these boys as the favorite to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. (You really think Zac Taylor is outcoaching Reid, Minter, Vrabel, and Coen? You’re so delusional!) You know what I see? I smell a rat. This kind of arrogance in thinking that 3-5 players are going to solve all of their problems has cost them many times the past few years regardless of Burrow’s health or not and it’s going to cost them again. Honestly the only thing saving them at this point is that they have a pathetic schedule this year. If they mess that up they’ll be mocked in ways we’ve never seen. Please crash and burn this season Bungles I BEG YOU! (You will regret the day you let Trey Hendrickson walk for nothing)
Cleveland Browns (Browns Is The Browns): “HEEEEEEEEEEEY! HEY CLEVELAND! YOU SUCK! (This summer has all but confirmed that Jimmy Haslam is by far the worst owner in all of sports after trading Giannis and Myles Garrett) I WANNA KNOOOOOOOOOW WHY YOU SUCK SO BAD! (Word of advice; If you made Jim Schwartz the head coach, Myles probably stays) YOU SUCK EVERY NIGHT!!! (BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!) HEEEEEEEEEEEY! HEY CLEVELAND! YOU SUCK! (I don’t care if Cleveland had another great draft and they have the easiest schedule in the league, this team deserves to suck because of who they have at the top.) I WANNA KNOOOOOOOOOW WHY YOU SUCK SO BAD! (I don’t care if Cleveland had another great draft and they have the easiest schedule in the league, this team deserves to suck because of who they have at the top and at quarterback) YOU SUCK EVERY NIGHT!!! (BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!)” (The Cleveland Media wants Arch? Not happening because the Mannings will tell him where to go. HAVE FUN TODD MONKEN!)
Pittsburgh Steelers (New Coach, Same Expectations): If there’s one constant in YinzerLand it’s that the expectations of 9-10 wins a season will never go away. You thought the Steelers would do what they did with Cowher and Tomlin by hiring a talented young defensive mind. That’s what they would have done if Dan Rooney was still alive. What did Arte II do? Bring Mike McCarthy back to his hometown. Really McCarthy he’s literally Tomlin but instead of defense he’s more catered to the offense and he won’t have the young talent in Dallas or Green Bay to bail him out. Especially considering that most of Pittsburgh’s core is in their early-mid 30s. Speaking of Aaron Rodgers for as weird as it sounds he’s coming back for another year especially since their potential future savior in Drew Allar needs time to learn. But hey they have a WR room of giants now that they traded for Michael Pittman and Rico Dowdle will fill the Kenneth Gainwell role. This team lives and dies by the performance of TJ Watt. If he proves that last year’s injury prone season was a fluke, they’ll be AFC North Contenders. If not, well the same ole 9-8 nonsense. And with Joey Porter Jr being rumored in trades now, it could get a little dicey but I don’t think he’s going anywhere. In all honesty I don’t think they can count on the rest of the division shooting themselves in the foot once again. If that happens, we’re all in hell, especially the entire state of Ohio.
Houston Texans (The Almighty Swarm): Everything feels like it’s aligning for greatness in H-Town. An elite defense that is being compared to some of the best in recent history led by generational talents in Will Anderson and Derek Stingley. Plus gobs of talent and depth around them. They finally have an interior D-Line that isn’t full of mediocrity. (Plus Jadeveon Clowney is back plus they signed Blanken Coverage away from Philly) However there is a giant elephant in the room. I wouldn’t say it’s CJ Stroud because in fairness to him he and Nico Collins have been carrying that unit kicking and screaming. It’s their run game and their Offensive Line. David Montgomery coming from Detroit should help but if that line can’t open holes for Knuckles nor protect Stroud it may be another ugly ending for them. Hell, that’s not even the biggest question I have for Houston. You know what it really is? Can they finally beat the Ravens, Chiefs, or Patriots in a playoff game? Those three franchises have held the Texans back for their entire existence and all three of them probably will be in their way once again. Finally beating Pittsburgh after the pain they gave to the Luv Ya Blue teams of the 1970s was a start (I know it’s a different franchise but longtime Houston fans couldn’t wait to see them beat the Steelers in a playoff game) but can they can get past the three headed monster that has ruled the AFC since 2000? There lies the question.
Indianapolis Colts (This Is Our… You Get The Point): This is a confusing bunch. One minute I look at the Colts and say that they are due for a bounce back year, the next I think that last year’s strong start was due to a paper soft schedule and opponents not being scared of Tyler Warren. (Also if you stop Jonathan Taylor you stop this team as a whole) Now Indy is facing a critical stage. One more bad season out of this bunch should be the end of Chris Ballard. I would say Steichen but how much can you say is really his fault. Losing Michael Pittman sucks but getting Keenan Allen as a stopgap is rather interesting. Especially since they drank the stupid juice and gave a massive contract to Alec Pierce. The health of Daniel Jones and Lou Anarumu’s defense will be the biggest wild cards possibly in the AFC South. If they pick up where they left off last year, the Colts will be deep in the hunt for the playoffs. If not they could be sentenced to the basement of their division. And fortunately for me I get to see this experiment in Week 1. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is to be determined. (If Minter’s coaching debut is ruined by the franchise that left Charm City in Mayflower trucks, THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY!)
Jacksonville Jaguars (Cautious Optimism): Don’t get your hopes up Duval. Don’t you dare. It’s almost as if we’re back in 2000, 2018, and 2023. A year after the Jaguars take the NFL by storm starts to raise questions on whether these boys can go from one hit wonder to consistent contender. With the way Liam Coen did in his first year in Jacksonville and how dominant they were during the season without Brian Thomas and Travis Hunter, signs point to the Jags continuing a new era of exciting football. Not to mention they aren’t leaving town because EverBank is getting renovated. We know what Trevor Lawrence brings to the table plus a defense that’s flown under the radar. Travon Walker got the big bucks this offseason which is much needed for their long term future after the loss of Devin Lloyd. But what about their running game? It doesn’t have a true headliner but with their balanced attack they kinda don’t need one. Also their Offensive Line is injured to hell and back. Especially on the inside. I wonder what their solution is to fix this mess. (DRAMATIC MUSIC!) DANIEL FAALELE FOR A 6TH ROUND PICK! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! (If they move him back to his natural position of tackle it could work. If not, LOL!)
Tennessee Titans (Wannabe Houston Oilers): Over the last two years no team in the NFL perhaps has failed more miserably than the Titans. Whether it being on the field or perhaps their recent rebrand. (Brian Billick was right about this organization all of those years ago) This time around they brought in two of the top coaching prospects from 2021 to try and fix this mess. Because as we all know that was the last time this team had any hope. (King Henry nor AJ Brown is walking through those doors) It’ll be interesting to see what Cam Ward does in Year 2 especially with an improved receiver room led by a potential generational player in Carnell Tate. (They better hope he wasn’t carried by Jeremiah Smith at Ohio State) With the new stadium opening to the dislike of Baltimore since Adelphia was their second home in January, Tennessee is entering a new era. And it’s one of controversy but not for the reasons you’d expect. For the last time, stop pretending you’re still the Oilers, THOSE DAYS ARE GONE! Gees they still haven’t learned from stomping on the Terrible Towel or the Ravens Midfield Shield. (It serves Amy Adams Strunk right)
Denver Broncos (The Uma Musume Factory): Is it blasphemy for me to say that I may be the only soul who knows ball that isn’t sold on the Broncos this year. Yes they upgraded their offense with a big acquisition in Jaylen Waddle. Yes most of their starters from last year’s run to the AFC Championship Game have returned but for some reason I am not buying their stock. Why? Look at how they won games last year. 10 of their 14 wins were by 7 points or fewer. Lady luck is a cruel mistress and after what happened with Washington and Tampa Bay in 2024, I feel like the gods won’t be so kind to Denver. (But they have the Uma Musume narratives on their side. It’s not Swiftie levels of insufferable but close enough) Not only that but I do have questions about Sean Payton. (Crazy that I’m not saying this about Bo Nix) Some of the decisions he made last year nearly cost them but that top notch defense of theirs and Deus Ex Machina kept bailing him out. Once again if they prove me wrong, I will accept a nice serving of humble pie. Although considering that a certain team will be out for blood I have my doubts. Speaking of whom…
Kansas City Chiefs (Those Awakening Swifties): Oh no, the Chiefs suffered a down year thanks to injuries, rotten luck, and three straight years of terrible drafting. How horrible! Fortunately for them they’ve decided to get the band back together to hopefully maintain what was once an insufferable dynasty. Eric Bienemy is back as the OC, and even if Trent McDuffie got thrown a king’s ransom by the Rams, L’Jarius Sneed will probably witness a massive revival after being wasted in Nashville. (We all know Tyreek Hill will be back in a Chiefs uniform by midseason) And they got the reigning Super Bowl MVP to bolster what has been a weak running game the last two years. Even with these additions there are several questions surrounding Kansas City. How much does Travis Kelce have left in the tank after last year’s falloff? (Maybe now that he’s married to SHE WHO SHALL NOT BE NAMED he’ll return to old form somehow) How will Patrick Mahomes’ knee hold up this time around? And whether or not the game is beginning to pass by on Andy Reid. (Also will Chris Jones avoid a brutal decline?) It happened to a couple of former assistants of his last year and he might be heading towards that fate himself this year. But as I know all too well as a diehard of the Golden State Warriors, just when you assume a former power is gone, they find new ways to thrive. 2022 will tell you all you need to know.
Las Vegas Raiders (Cloning The 12th Man): The NFL’s answer to the New York Islanders during the 2000s. Despite everything they’ve tried to do to get themselves out of the basement, the Raiders still find ways to mess it up. Now they’re entering roughly their 5th rebuild since THAT GAME against New England in 2001. And once again they’ve chosen to skin Seattle alive. This time it’s bringing in Klint Kubiak fresh off of a Super Bowl win in the Emerald City. You thought Maxx Crosby was leaving, well he’s staying in Vegas because Baltimore wasn’t willing to break the dreaded Kyle Boller Rule and they would have looked idiotic if they did. (Fittingly the Raiders signed Boller after the Ravens drafted Joe Flacco) Speaking of QBs, they may have found their next savior in Fernando Mendoza who just captivated the College Football World in 2025. Right after he learns from Kirk Cousins. Seriously I thought Kirk was going right to CBS but hey for what Vegas is paying him its fine with me. Normally there shouldn’t be much expectations this year but considering how much money they threw in free agency because Tom Brady and Mark Davis are tired of being a laughing stock things could get dicey. You really gave Tyler Linderbaum $27M a year given his serious issues in pass blocking? (Yes there’s no Faalele or Vorhees here, but even in 2023 he got owned by Chris Jones) You better hope Jeanty stays healthy or else you’re toast.
Los Angeles Chargers (BeerFest): The Chargers are facing a critical season in every sense of the word. They haven’t won a playoff game in nearly a decade and haven’t won the AFC West since they were still in San Diego. (Which is where they should still be) But once again I can hear the narratives brewing about how this season is different and that the Bolts are legit contenders. When you have Justin Herbert in his prime plus the addition of Mike McDaniel calling the shots on offense, there’s a good chance that you can make plenty of noise. If the Offensive Line isn’t destroyed by injuries. (Luckily Steve Saunders and his conditioning woes are gone, THANK GOD!) But unlike last year where the defense kept bailing out this team on repeat, the questions have shifted to the opposite side of the ball now. Why do you ask? Remember what happened to John Harbaugh once Mike Macdonald left for Seattle? The same could happen to Jim Harbaugh now that Jesse Minter left for Baltimore. (And if it does, people will say that both Harbaugh Brothers are only as good as their coordinators take them) Especially since the Chargers haven’t really invested that much money on defense outside of Derwin James. Are they capable of making a run at the AFC Championship? Sure. But a lot of things need to go right for them. Although with that schedule of theirs especially in Weeks 3-10. Not liking their chances one bit. PAUSE.
Are we sure the AFC is not in a throwback to the late 1980s where other than a few teams the rest of the conference is a mess? That’s up for you to decide but honestly a lot of crazy things happened last year and I don’t expect them to carry over. But if they did, how horrible.
AFC East
- Patriots 11-6 #4
- Bills 11-6 #6
- Jets 2-15
- Dolphins 2-15
AFC North
- Ravens 13-4 #1
- Steelers 9-8
- Bengals 9-8
- Browns 4-13
AFC South
- Jaguars 12-5 #3
- Texans 11-6 #5
- Colts 7-10
- Titans 6-11
AFC West
- Chiefs 12-5 #2
- Chargers 10-7 #7
- Broncos 8-9
- Raiders 5-12
AFC Wild Card
#2 Chiefs over #7 Chargers
#3 Jaguars over #6 Bills
#4 Patriots over #5 Texans
AFC Divisional
#2 Chiefs over #3 Jaguars
#1 Ravens over #4 Patriots
AFC Championship
#1 Ravens over #2 Chiefs
Bragging Rights Sports 