Sports Time Radio

Depending on when your favorite NFL team has their bye week they’ve either player eight or nine games this season. That means we’re more or less at mid-season. At this point there is normally a team that might be standing out and what I’m wondering is; who is the best team in the AFC?

Now at the beginning of the season it seems as though everybody thought that the Kansas City Chiefs where far and away the best team in the conference, but it hasn’t exactly played out that way so far. Kansas City has had some struggles this season and they are currently one of nine teams in the AFC that has nine wins. In the Chiefs own division headed into this week games every team in the AFC West has five wins. When it’s all said and done Kansas City might end up being the best team in the AFC, but as of right now I don’t think you can say they are.

After the Chiefs the next pick in the AFC seemed to be the Buffalo Bills. The Bills are one of the teams that have played eight games this season. but they’re also in that group of teams that has five wins. Buffalo is also coming off a loss to the Jacksonville Jaquars where they only managed to score 6 points in that loss. Buffalo is leading the AFC East as they have a half game lead on the New England Patriots. There have been times this season where Buffalo has looked like a serious contender and with nine games left on their schedule if they can right the ship they might be there at the end of it.

Once most people got past Kansas City and Buffalo in the AFC there weren’t many other teams being mentioned unless you happened to have a rooting interest in that team, but with Kansas City and Buffalo not dominating like expected there are some other teams in this mix. Of course just like Kansas City and Buffalo these teams have issues too.

The Tennessee Titans currently have the best record in the AFC at 7-2. Of course the biggest question with Tennessee is how do they replace the the best running back in the NFL. Derrick Henry was lost to injury two weeks ago and it appears as though he’s done for the season. They signed veteran running back Adrian Petersen to help with Henry out, but it appears as if the Titans are going to do anything in the playoffs they’ll have to ride quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Can Tannehill be the type of quarterback to navigate a team through the playoffs?

After the Titans sit the Baltimore Ravens at 6-3, but the Ravens are coming off of a Thursday night loss to the Miami Dolphins where they just didn’t look like a serious contender. Of course it just takes one good game for everybody to forget about the bad one; so if they bounce back in Week 11 they might be back on track. The biggest question for the Ravens is will Lamar Jackson hold up? Jackson is not only Baltimore’s starting quarterback, but he’s their main rushing threat. Jackson leads the Ravens in rushing yards with 639 and rushing attempts with 106 that’s a lot of extra touches for a quarterback which leads to more opportunity for him to be hit by defenders. Can a quarterback led running game win the AFC?

When you look at the remainder of the AFC you have the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos all currently with five wins. Out of this group of teams; do you have a frontrunner?

I have heard quite a few people talk up the Patriots because they’re coach by Bill Belichick, but remember they’re also starting a rookie quarterback and in general that doesn’t bring playoff success.

The Raiders have played surprisingly well since Jon Gruden resigned after that e-mail situation he found himself in. Las Vegas is facing Kansas City this week and if they come away with a win maybe they can convince people that they might be the team in the AFC.

Ben Rothlisberger is in what he’s said will be the final season of his career. Is it possible that that might be enough to rally his Steelers teammates and push them into AFC contention? Pittsburgh also has a very good head coach in Mike Tomlin; so maybe that combination gets them going.

The Brown are finally done with the drama that surrounded Odell Beckham Jr. but they have plenty of other issues. Their quarterback Baker Mayfield is playing with an serious injury to his non-throwing shoulder, but if he lands on it wrong will he have to miss more time? Mayfield missed a game earlier this season because of that shoulder. Cleveland will also be missing multiple running backs due to them testing positive for Covid-19.

Cincinnati seems to have something in the Joe Burrow to JaMarr Chase connection and Joe Mixon is a under the radar good running back, but I’m not sure if there’s anybody out there that would pick the Bengals to win the AFC.

The Broncos are probably in that same boat as the Bengals; no one expected them to be here, but here they are. Denver has had an up and down season winning their first three games before losing four in a row and they have won their last two game. Denver is coming off an upset of the Dallas Cowboys; so maybe they can turn that win into another string of victories, but even if they do would anyone pick them to win the AFC?

That leaves the Chargers. San Diego has the best quarterback out of all the five win teams in Justin Herbert, but some how the Chargers always seem to find ways to beat themselves in big games. They’ll have to shake that stigma before anyone looks at them as a contender in the AFC.

So who do you have winning the AFC when the season ends? Do you se one of the favorites getting right and winning it? Or do you think there might be an upstart team that will find a way to win? I’ll be interested to see who you like.

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