AFC Playoff Picture: Simply a Mess

Photo courtesy of BallHype.com

Yesterday, I went over the NFC playoff picture. Today, it's the AFC's turn.

If the playoffs started today, the seeds would be:

1) Indianapolis Colts (14-1)
After their run for perfection ended Sunday against the Jets in one of the most disputed coaching calls in recent memory. The game on Sunday won't matter for them because they've locked up the first seed awhile back.

2) San Diego Chargers (12-3)
The Chargers are red-hot with ten straight wins and have locked up the 2 seed, so the game on Sunday is meaningless for them. Having a first round bye and hosting a playoff game in sunny Southern California doesn't sound too bad. Their likely opponents would be the NY Jets or the Cincinnati Bengals.


Photo courtesy of fantasy-info.com

3) New England Patriots (10-5)
The Patriots will get another AFC East title, but they've been shaky all year. Losses to the Colts and Saints underscore the fact that the Pats have lost to good teams and beaten up on the bad ones. I don't see the Patriots going past the second round.

4) Cincinnati Bengals (10-5)
The Bengals have struggled since the death of their teammate, wide receiver Chris Henry. They'll make the playoffs, but their success is predicated on how they handle the loss of Henry. They're 1-1 since his death. Of the teams hosting a playoff game, Cincinnati is the most vulnerable.


Photo courtesy of UPI.

5) Denver Broncos (8-7)
The Broncos may not even be here this time next week. In order for the Broncos to make the playoffs, a lot of things have to fall right for them. The simplest way is for a Broncos win, plus a NY Jets loss and Houston Texans win.

6) NY Jets (8-7)
If the Jets win against Cincinnati on Sunday, they're in the playoffs. The Jets have been a roller coaster ride this year and with an inexperienced rookie quarterback, I don't see them going deep into the playoffs.

On the outside looking in are the Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers, Miami Dolphins, and Jacksonville Jaguars. If the Ravens win, they're in the playoffs, likely knocking Denver out. The Texans and Steelers need a lot of help to get in while the Dolphins and Jaguars would need complete collapses of the teams in front of them in order to get in. I think the wild cards will be the Ravens and Jets.