Laddie Morse
The Kansas City Chiefs should win-out the four remaining game of the 2023 season. Some have made a point of featuring the QBs the Chiefs will face, so… I thought it might be a good idea to take a look at the Top Five Opponents and the QBs they will face during th last four weeks of the season. First, let’s take a look at the AFC Playoff picture as offered by ESPN:
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Here’s a look at the top five and their Won/Lost Records:
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No Ties So far
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Starting with the Chiefs, here’s a further look:
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While the AFC West has not proven to be one of the league’s best — as was once projected by many an analyst prior to this season — for the moment, it looks like the two teams remaining on the K.C. schedule — the Raiders and the Chargers — will be their toughest tests. Of course, it’s never a good idea to count out the Bengals, even if they do have a backup starting a QB… let’s not forget that the Bengals have won their last two games with Jake Browning as their starting QB going up against Trevor Lawrence (Jags) and Gardner Minshew (Colts).
With the Top team in the AFC Conference — for now — being the Baltimore Ravens, here’s a look at their remaining schedule:
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Except for Mitch Trubisky, or Kenny Pickett or Mason Rudolph… this group of QBs looks like it will be a tough nut to crack. The Steelers don’t have a reliable QB at the moment. ESPN says that Kenny Pickett is their starter but is Questionable. Trubisky was thier starter but who knows why. Mason Rudolph could start but only because his last name is familiar to Santa… and it is that time of the year… and believe me when I say, that’s no gift to the Steelers fans.
If the Dolphins and the Chiefs end up with the same record, the Chiefs would gain the #1 seed because they won (in Germany) in head-to-head competition. The Dolphins would have to have a better record than K.C. to gain the #1 seed. Here’s the Dolphins final four games:
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The Bills are still in the runningat 7-and-6 (thanks in part to the Chiefs), but the Dolphins would have to beat both the Cowboys and the Ravens on the Road to win the #1 Seed. This week’s game vs the Jets looks like a walk-in win, especially since the Dolphins are playing at Home.
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Although the Panthers rookie QB is 1-and-12, that game is not a sure bet win for the Jags. The Panthers were founded by Jerry Richardson in 1993 and their 1st pick in the draft rookie QB, Bryce Young is already 11th in career team total passing yards with 2,192. So, while most will count this as an easy win for the Jags, I don’t. Obviously the Jags toughest game on this schedule will be the Ravens this coming weekend. If the Jags win that game, they will be moving up in the Conference, especially if K.C. loses it’s game to the Patriots… which is not likely because K.C. is already a 9.5 point favorite. Here’s the Cleveland Browns final four games and QBs they’ll have to face:
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While the Browns backup QB — Joe Flacco — is playing at a high level — as Peyton Manning says, “he never sweats” — they have also lost two primary defenders for the season in Safety Grant Delpit, Defensive End Ogbo Okoronkwo. Delpit is a 3rd year man and the Browns leading tackler with 6 INTs in his career and Ogbo Okoronkwo is a fifth year DE, originally drafted by the Rams, he has 4.5 sacks on the season.
Other teams that might make a difference in the final outcome of the playoff seeding include:
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While I seriously doubt any of these teams will make a run at it — the #1 seed — they may offer some resistance by beating a team that is in the chase. Let’s not forget that two of these teams will round out the seven who make the playoffs in the AFC.
While K.C. must stop it’s losing ways, it’s looking more and more like they have a great chance of finishing with the #1 seed. What do you think?
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Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
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