GUEST POST: PREMATURE PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS AFC

Here is part 2 of our special guest post by Pablo Abeytia Jr. and Justin LaFoley.  This time they take a look at he AFC playoffs.

AFC Playoff Picture -

While being notorious for being the easier of the two conferences, the AFC playoff picture might actually be changing this season, with usual playoff contenders, the Pittsburgh Steelers, looking terrible in the early weeks. That being said, there are still the usual favorites of Patriots and Chiefs that will want to make sure to keep their dominant streak alive. We have gone through all 16 teams in the AFC and came up with the most-likely playoff candidates. Below, you can see the reasoning why.

AFC North: Baltimore Ravens

I see the Ravens running away with the division title and some for three simple reasons:

1. The Steelers and Bengals are free wins this season.
2. Lamar Jackson is more than a RB.
3. John Harbaugh is in his 12th year coaching (oh… and he already has a Super Bowl ring)

AFC East: New England Patriots

C’mon guys… it’s the AFC East. The New England Patriots have shown what it means to dominate a division, but this year is especially unfair. The Dolphins have already allowed 133 points in just 3 game - 39 more than any other team in the league! While it will be extremely difficult, the Bills could keep their impressive run going and perhaps pick up a surprise wild card place. All-in-all, the Patriots show no signs of letting go of their 1st place standing.

AFC South: Houston Texans

I have decided that this is the hardest division in the AFC this year. When it comes to teams who will put their bodies on the line for division rivalry games, the AFC South is no exception. The Colts with Brissett look exciting and the Jaguars are revamped with Gardner Minshew II (Mississippi Mustache). That being said, looking at all around talent, the Texans clearly have some extra power on their sides. With the likes of Deshaun Watson, JJ Watt, and Hopkins, the Texans should beat out the division on both offense and defense, hopefully with not too many casualties.

AFC West: Kansas City Chiefs

Andy Ried and Patrick Mahomes at Kansas City have shown us a new kind of football that can be played… and I don’t think they plan on stopping anytime soon. The Chiefs may be without some of their serious star power in WR Tyreek Hill and losing RB Kareem Hunt in the offseason, however this team has already shown that they are able to adapt quickly and efficiently. The Chargers look to be a secure wild card pick as well, but I do not see the Chiefs giving up the first round bye opportunity.

AFC Wild Card #1: San Diego Chargers

Continuing with the AFC West, the San Diego Chargers are strong favorites for the Wild Card race. As we have seen last year, Phillip Rivers and company are very capable of playing in high stakes games and, more importantly, keep the game competitive. I see the Chargers mimicking their previous season again and keep a low profile by breezing into the top Wild Card spot. I still think that Mahomes and the Chiefs are too much for the Chargers to handle, but it will definitely be a great game to watch.

AFC Wild Card #2: Indianapolis Colts

With Andrew Luck announcing retirement just days before NFL Kickoff, no one would’ve guessed that the Colts would be in the position they are in now. Their defense is still producing huge plays in crucial moments for them.  As well, Jacoby Brissett has shown to be quite capable of leading his team to victory, with back-to-back wins after the week 1 loss. This team definitely has the ability to make it to the playoffs, but it will be interesting to see how fatigue and injury affects this Indianapolis side.