AFC's Fourth Quarter

The playoffs are all set and you have to put the Patriots and Steelers among the favorites. A look at the final weeks in the AFC.

New England Patriots- Strange, once they got rid of Randy Moss the Patriots took off. Odds on favorite to win it all. It'll be tough but Brady and Co. have been through it all before.

Pittsburgh Steelers- The road to the Super Bowl goes through New England. Don't count out Pittsburgh. They have what it takes to win it all.

Baltimore Ravens- The Ravens are afraid of no one. That only means they'll be a tough out. Joe Flacco has to kick it up a notch to get them to another level.

New York Jets- The Jets seem to be all talk right about now. I won't be surprised to see them go out with a whimper. They have a bad draw against the Colts this weekend.

Indianapolis Colts- Are they getting a semblance of health? If they are look out. Another team that will be tough to get rid of.

Kansas City Chiefs- A pleasant surprise. I didn't think they would hold up and win the division. We'll se how much Matt Cassel learned while he was Tom Brady's understudy.

San Diego Chargers- How does Norv Turner still have a job? Also, A.J. Smith sabotaged the season with his hardcore negotiating.

Jacksonville Jaguars- Can't really figure them out. They folded down the stretch. The might have higher expectations next year.

Oakland Raiders- They got rid of the "Cable Guy". Bad move Mr. Davis. He was the only man that really wnted the job. Jim Harbaugh would be a fool to come here. The team's future is a little brighter though.

Miami Dolphins- Once again, a team in need of a quarterback. They haven't had one since Dan Marino retired.

Houston Texans- When will they finally get over the hump? They'll have a new defensive coordinator (Wade Phillips) so there will be no more excuses.

Tennessee Titans- Bud Adams needs to make the right choice and move on from Vince Young.

Cleveland Browns- The Eric Mangini firing might've been the start of some major housecleaning.

Cincinnati Bengals- One of the most underachieving teams in the AFC. Carson Palmer has regressed and may need a change of scenery.

Denver Broncos- A team in need of a total makeover. Get ready for some lean years Bronco fans.

Buffalo Bills- Not much to say about the Bills. Ryan Fitzpatrick made himself some money and the team somewhat entertaining at times.

AFC Third Quarter Breakdown

The Patriots are back to flexing their muscle

As the playoff season approaches it's starting to look like the usual suspects. New England, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore will be there like always. The New York Jets will join the party. We'll have to wait for the AFC West to shake out to see who emerges from that division.

New England Patriots- As evidenced by the 45-3 rout of the Jets, the Patriots are back in their rightful place in the AFC pecking order.

Pittsburgh Steelers- You have to be impressed with the win against Baltimore. They simply know how to win.

New York Jets- They need to stop all the talking and just play. Let's hope the Monday nighter, taught them a lesson.

Baltimore Ravens- The offense still has to catch up with the defense.

Kansas City Chiefs- Still holding tough in the AFC West. Will virtually lock up the division with a win over San Diego on Sunday.

Indianapolis Colts- The Colts are hanging tough, but the injuries are finally catching up to them. Missing the playoffs may actually help them.

Jacksonville Jaguars- This looks like when David Garrard first took over.

San Diego Chargers- The December magic has finally worn off. For all their gaudy stats they should be much better than 6-6. Being swept by the Raiders doesn't help them as far as staying in the hunt within the division.

Oakland Raiders- The Raiders are progressing nicely under Tom Cable. Only if the offense could be more consistent.

Miami Dolphins- Only if all their games were on the road.

Cleveland Browns- Despite the strides they've made recently, Eric Mangini may not be around to see the fruits of his labor.

Houston Texans- Gary Kubiak may not be the man to get them over the hump. The Texans just seem too soft.

Tennessee Titans- Will owner Bud Adams force out Jeff Fisher or just force him to play Vince Young.

Buffalo Bills- Lots of tough losses this year. Maybe they can "Luck" up into the top pick in the draft. Andrew Luck that is.

Cincinnati Bengals- Lots of talent. Lots of underacheivers. In my opinion this has to be the end of the Marvin Lewis era.

Denver Broncos- Another from the Bill Belichick tree that got the ax. Tim Tebow's sugar daddy is no longer around. When will coaches/GM's learn that they can't force others out (players) and expect to win big.

NFL At The Half: AFC Version

A breakdown of the AFC

New England Patriots- Right now I have to give them the nod in the AFC due to their impressive win in Pittsburgh.

New York Jets- Two escapes against less than competition doesn't look good for a team with Super Bowl thoughts.

Pittsburgh Steelers- Even though they were blazed by New England, they are poised to make a strong run and reclaim their status among the AFC elite.

Baltimore Ravens- The "formidable" defense is having trouble stopping the pass. This could be a problem.

Indianapolis Colts- No matter who gets hurt, they just keep clicking. Next man up.

Tennessee Titans- They better hope this Randy Moss situation works out for them. So far no immediate dividends.

Jacksonville Jaguars- To be a true contender, Jags need good David more than bad David.

San Diego Chargers- May be peaking at the right time. Looks like they're ready to go on a streak.

Kansas City Chiefs- Does the glass slipper still fit. They better hope the thumping by the Broncos isn't a harbinger of things to come.

Oakland Raiders- Look like the most improved team in the league right now.

Miami Dolphins- If they get the Kansas City Thigpen, the Fish might still have a chance.

Houston Texans- Looks like S.O.S. (same old story) for Texans. Just can't seem to break through.

Cleveland Browns- Colt might be the real McCoy. They've been playing a lot better in recent weeks.

Cincinnati Bengals- Their season is done. Just waiting for the in fighting to start.

Denver Broncos- Orton has done his part. Good and bad. Which team are they?  Raiders game or Chiefs game.

Buffalo Bills- They've played tough, but really have no hope in a rugged AFC.

AFC's First Quarter Breakdown

My divisional breakdown from the AFC's first quarter(first four games)

AFC East- Right now this looks like a race between the Jets and Patriots. The Jets seem to have the upper hand right now since they have beaten the Patriots already. They still have to face them on the road and Mark Sanchez must keep up his stellar play. You know Brady and Moss and co. will be there in the end. Depending on how everything shakes out in the AFC second place might not be good enough to get into the playoffs. Miami will be pesky, but a distant third. Until they get more offensive firepower, like they had in the 80's the Dolphins will be stuck behind the Jets and Patriots. The Buffalo Bills haven't been the same since Kelly and company left town. They look like they'll have a top 10 pick in the draft. It could be top 5 the way they're going.


AFC North- Until proven otherwise this division belongs to the Ravens and Steelers. The Ravens have the ups on Pittsburgh right now due to their win at Pittsburgh Sunday. With Big Ben coming back to lead the Steelers offense, things will get more interesting. They Steelers have held down the fort going 3-1 while Roethlisberger was suspended. For all the characters the Bengals bring in, I don't look for them to overtake Pittsburgh or Baltimore. You just don't know which team is going to show up. If they ever can get all cylinders clicking consistently, this could be a very dangerous team. i just don't know if that will ever happen. The Browns are the Browns. They did get their first win over an aimless Bengals team. They hang tough, but don't have enough. Mike Holmgren has a major job on his hands.

AFC West- Kansas City is off to a 3-0 start. We just don't know if it will hold up as the season goes along. The defense has played well and the running game has been strong. Let's see if Matt Cassel can lead the offense to greater heights as time goes on. San Diego is off to their typical start. Up and down. They still are the class of this division, but Kansas City has a win over the Chargers in hand. In their win over the Cardinals Sunday, everything seemed to go right for San Diego. That's the team you expect to see run roughshod over the rest of the division. The jury still is out on Denver. I just see their defense crumbling against the AFC's best offenses. Oakland hangs tough in games but just can't seem to finish or get over the hump.


 
AFC South- Is everyone finally catching up to the Colts? They have two division losses to Jacksonville and Houston. In the past those two teams have given Indy fits, so it's no surprise. Houston has looked good, save for that loss against Dallas and running back Arian Foster has been a pleasant surprise. Tennessee seems to have defense and Chris Johnson, but not much else. If David Garrard can stay consistent, Jacksonville could surprise. I expect Indy to take control by the second half of the season. You can't Peyton Manning down for long. They do need the defense to step up though.