Chiefs: Threats in the AFC Top Ten

Laddie Morse

While the Kansas City Chiefs are getting ready to head to Denver to play the Broncos this Sunday, what they have accomplished in the first seven game of the season has already placed them in the driver’s seat in the entire AFC. Take a look at the Top Ten in the AFC Conference:

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The Dolphins appear to be the biggest threat to the Chiefs so far this year. With a game against them coming up in two weeks in Germany, the Dolphins will likely be gunning for the top dog position in the AFC. There’s a good chance they can over take the Chiefs, being one game back, That’s not problem for them if they can beat the Chiefs next week. Then, they’ll not only be tied with K.C. but have the advantage in head-to-head competition. With a 70 point game they got everyone’s attention… but to fail the very next week and give up 48 points, was telling.

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The Ravens are coming along and getting better and better as the year progresses. Their 5-and-2 record puts them one game back of K.C. as well and their QB, Lamar Jackson is playing at a rate that reminds me of his MVP season in 2019. TheRinger.com has Jackson rated as the 3rd best QB in the NFL with a rating of 94.5. Only Patrick Mahomes (97.0) and Josh Allen (95.1) rank higher. As goes Jackson… so goes the Ravens.

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The Jags QB, Trevor Lawrence is having a ver ygood season. As mentioned above, TheRinger.com has Lawrence rated as the 5th best QB with a 94.5 rating. They play the Steelers, the 49ers, the Titans, and the Texans in the next month so we’ll know much more about them after that run.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers success looks like it was dependent upon having a great QB in the pocket and their current QB, Kenny PIckett isn’t one of them. They have loaded the roster with plenty of other ver ygood players but nothing can make up for having a great QB. Tommy Jaggi wrote a recent pice for the StillCurtain.com called, “Steelers are still luckier than they are good” and I would agree.

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TheRinger.com has Browns QB Deshaun Watson ranked as the 21st best in the NFL with a grade of 79.0. Watson took a hard hit and went into the Concussion protocol but he als has a bad shoulder and is considered day-to-day. As with many of these teams, their fate is tied to their quarterback and with Watson on the sidelines, it doesn’t look good for the Browns.

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With QB Josh Allen getting second billing from TheRigner.com, and now that they are two game behind the Chiefs, I’m not so sure they have a chance to make up three games because that’s what it would take for them to host the Conference Championships. The Bills are ranked: #10 by ESPN, #11 bu Sportsnaut, #10 by ProFootballNetwork, #8 by USAToday, #10 by SportingNews, #13 by CBSSports, #10 by Yahoo, and #12 by ProFootballTalk. Of course these rankings include both the AFC and the NFC teams, but they obviously aren’t ranked in the top 5… by any of them.

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The Texans are the surprise team of the year in my book. However, they just don’t have enough horses to finsh this race. However, they have big victories over the Jags (37-to-17), the Steelers (30-to-6), and the Saints (20-to-13). The win over the Saints may not have been by a big score, but it was a big win for them, none the less. Still they have the Bucs, Bengals, Jags and Jets yet to be faced and I just don’t see them as legitimate threats in the AFC.

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With Aaron Rodgers down and out for the year, the best the Jets can do this season is to break even or go 9-8, which isn’t going to be enough to win the AFC outright. They may make the playoffs, but I’m not so sure thet’s even a possibility. Right now they are third in the AFC East so they’d have to make it in as a Wildcard.

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I began the year believing the Bengals would be a competitive team along with the Chiefs. Not any more. Joe Burrow — their QB — is a good one and although he’s been injured and playing with that injury this year, he may yet lead them to the playoffs. striphype.com has an article called, “6 Bengals players that we already know will be gone in 2024” in which they says the Bengals will not be asking these players and these positions back in 2024: a Defensive Lineman (DJ Reader), a Wide receiver (Tyler Boyd), a Right Tackle (Jonah Williams), a CB (Chidobe Awuzie), a Running Back (Joe Mixon), and a Tight End (Irv Smith Jr.). Looks like the Bengals will have more cap issues than the Chiefs next year. With the next four games including: the 49ers, the Bills, the Texans and the Ravens… it looks like the Bengals will have their hands full.

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Both the Colts and the Raiders are 3-4 and still have a mathematical shot. I just don’t see it, and both teams have too many issues to mention.

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Both the Chargers and the Broncos are 4+ loss teams with less than half the year gone. They have no real chance of winning the AFC West, much less the AFC.

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Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne

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