We made it! After five long months, this is our last non-NFL Sunday until February (with the XFL to keep those of you who'll actually be interested occupied for a few weeks after that). So, I guess it's time to start looking ahead at what's in store for us during the NFL's landmark 100th season.
And, frankly, in the AFC, I don't think much will be that different in 2019 than it was in 2018. The Patriots are "still here," even though nobody thought they went anywhere! But, we've learned better than to give them any reason to find a perceived slight, so most people are picking them to win the Super Bowl again just so they can't use it as motivation. The Chiefs and Chargers, meanwhile, are still the biggest threats to Bradicheck making its annual February appearance against the NFC champions.
Last year's sleeper team, the Cleveland Browns, isn't a sleeper anymore. For the first time in years, there are real playoff hopes, dare I say "expectations," in Cleveland. And the Browns certainly do look like a potential playoff team.
So who does that leave as this season's potential sleeper? I actually think it could be the New York Jets. Especially if LeVeon Bell has a big season. It could be the Titans, too. They've gone 9-7 three straight years and just missed the playoffs last season, so they're not your typical "sleeper," but if things to right, I can definitely see the Titans winning the AFC South.
AFC East: Who are we kidding? Nothing has changed in the AFC East. And it won't until Bradicheck finally retires. The Patriots will probably go 5-1 in the division, get their league-mandated first-round playoff bye, and make their required appearance in the AFC Championship Game. It's almost not even fair to compare them to the other three teams in the division. It's like UConn women's basketball and the American. Two completely different levels of competition.
As for the other three, I think the Jets and Bills have the best chance of finishing near .500. Is either one a playoff contender? Probably not. Is either going to challenge New England for the division title? That's funny! But .500 is a very realistic (and attainable) goal. I wish I could say that about the Dolphins, too, but they might be the worst team in the AFC. I'm not even sure I understand what Miami is doing with its player moves. It's not making them better. That's for sure.
Projected Standings: Patriots (12-4), Jets (7-9), Bills (6-10), Dolphins (5-11)
AFC North: Here's the question about the AFC North: Are the Steelers a better team now that the massive distractions known as LeVeon Bell and Antonio Brown are gone? I think they are in that they won't have to deal with all the drama those two caused and can get back to just playing football. My concern, though, is that while he's a great R2, I'm not sure JuJu Smith-Schuster is an R1. And, let's face it, when they were happy and behaving themselves, Bell and Brown's talent outweighed everything else.
Cleveland, meanwhile, only got better. And that's why I'm picking the Browns not just to make the playoffs. I think they win the division. Although, I do have two small concerns about the Browns. They aren't gonna sneak up on anybody this year, and they know they have expectations for the first time in a while. Another AFC North team that has expectations after a great 2018 is the Ravens. I'm not sure that success lasts, though. I see them coming back to Earth this season. The Bengals, meanwhile, finally begin a new era after letting Marvin Lewis go. It'll take a year or two for the new regime to get going, especially in a division with two really strong teams.
Projected Standings: Browns (10-6), Steelers (9-7), Bengals (6-10), Ravens (5-11)
AFC South: I'm sure glad I didn't make my AFC South projections before Andrew Luck shocked the league with his retirement announcement. Before that, I thought the Colts would likely win the division. Now, I'm not even sure they're a playoff team. And the biggest beneficiary of Luck's retirement might be the Houston Texans. Because now they're clearly the best team in this division. Even without Jadeveon Clowney, the Texans have more weapons than the other three teams.
Although, like I said before, look out for the Titans. Tennessee is that quietly good team that'll sneak up on you if you aren't careful. And, if the Texans have to deal with injuries like they did two years ago, a division title definitely seems possible. Then there's the Jaguars. After they came out of nowhere to randomly make the AFC Championship Game in 2017, they went right back to being a last-place team in 2018. Now they have a Super Bowl MVP at quarterback, though, so who knows what's going to happen? Can Foles and that defense bring Jacksonville back to the top? In a division as wide open as this one, it's entirely possible.
Projected Standings: Texans (11-5), Titans (9-7), Colts (8-8), Jaguars (5-11)
AFC West: If any team is going to dethrone New England in the AFC, it very well could be the Kansas City Chiefs. You could argue that the Chiefs were a better team than the Patriots last season, and Kansas City only got better. They're thinking Super Bowl. But they'll have to hold off the Chargers in the division first. Because the Chargers are still just as good as they were last year, too. This will once again be one of the tightest division races, and whoever finishes second will be an 11-5 wild card team.
The Broncos should be much improved, too. They're coming off back-to-back 10-loss seasons, which is simply unacceptable in Denver. So, they went out and got Joe Flacco while also making a really good coaching hire in Vic Fangio. While they might not challenge Kansas City or the Chargers, the Broncos are on their way back to respectability. The Raiders, on the other hand, are not. Their last year in Oakland will be a long one. Jon Gruden and Marc Davis have a plan. I'm just not sure what it is. For their sake, I hope their plan is to get good when they move to Las Vegas.
Projected Standings: Chiefs (12-4), Chargers (11-5), Broncos (7-9), Raiders (4-12)
My wild card teams are the Chargers and Steelers, so that gives us Wild Card Weekend matchups of Chargers at Browns and Steelers at Texans, with New England and Kansas City getting the byes (just like last year). I think the Chargers beat Cleveland, while Houston-Pittsburgh would be a very good matchup that the Texans ultimately take. The Patriots beat the Chargers in the Divisional Playoffs again, and the Chiefs beat the Texans to set up a rematch with New England in the AFC Championship Game.
Call me crazy, but I think last year's AFC Championship Game might've been good for Kansas City. It showed the Chiefs that they can't take anything for granted, as well as everything they need to do if they want to actually beat New England. And, frankly, I'm expecting the Chiefs to be even better this season. Which is why, even if the AFC Championship Game is in Foxboro, I really think they can win it. So, I'm going to go out on a limb and NOT pick New England. I'm taking the Kansas City Chiefs to represent the AFC in Miami.
No comments:
Post a Comment