The NFL season is just two days away, with the much-anticipated Thursday night football matchup featuring the defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, squaring off against the Baltimore Ravens. In this episode of The Blitz Angle, hosts Ryan Linkletter and Brady Penn dive into a comprehensive breakdown of the AFC, analyzing each division to predict which teams will make the playoff field come January.
AFC West
Ryan – The AFC West is not as strong as it has been in the past. The Chiefs are looking to win their 9th straight division title, and they are the clear favorite to win their 10th in a row in 2024. Kansas City revamped their wide receiver room this offseason which means Patrick Mahomes is in for another big season. The other 3 teams in the division are rebuilding or retooling. The Raiders do not have a franchise quarterback but have a talented roster and good coach in Antonio Pierce. The Chargers and the Broncos both have their QB positions set for the next few seasons. Justin Herbert and Bo Nix will have to carry their team’s weak rosters if they want any chance at a playoff berth in 2024.
Standings:
Kansas City Chiefs 14-3
Las Vegas Raiders 7-10
Los Angeles Chargers 5-12
Denver Broncos 4-13
Brady – As has been the case since 2016, the AFC West is Kansas City’s to lose. Mahomes and his guys are gearing up for a shot at a three-peat, and the division is the least of their concerns, although still a goal. Behind them is unclear. The Chargers, with new Head Coach Jim Harbaugh, hope to be on the climb and getting to a point where they can contend with the juggernaut at the top of the division. The Broncos and Raiders, while in different capacities, both will have bad years. The Broncos will be evaluating their rookie signal caller Bo Nix while the Raiders will try to win games with Gardner Minshew, the journeyman, under center.
Standings:
Kansas City Chiefs 15-2
Las Angeles Chargers 8-9
Denver Broncos 3-14
Las Vegas Raiders 2-15
AFC North
Ryan – The AFC North is going to be another battle at the top of the division and could have three playoff teams come January. The Ravens are the favorite to repeat as division champs. The addition of Derrick Henry might make their running game unstoppable, but Lamar is going to have to beat teams with his arm if they want to win a super bowl. The Bengals are looking to return to full healthy last season after star QB Joe Burrow missed a majority of the season. If Burrow, Chase, and Higgins are all on the field together they will push the Ravens for a division title. The Browns are interesting. Their roster is one of the best in football, but QB Deshaun Watson’s play has been uninspiring the last few seasons. Finally, the Steelers have a great defense but that might not be enough. Their offense will struggle this season due to poor play calling, a bad offensive line, and a mess of a QB room.
Standings:
Baltimore Ravens 13-4
Cincinnati Bengals 12-5
Cleveland Browns 9-8
Pittsburgh Steelers 6-11
Brady – For the second year in a row, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens will be the team to beat in the North. With the addition of Derrick Henry and another year under the belt of Zay Flowers, the Ravens are once again Super Bowl contenders. With the Ja’Marr Chase story becoming more prominent, the Bengals will be in the mix if and only if he is good to go. The Browns will return an elite defense but will need Deshaun Watson to return to the form we have not seen since Houston. And for the first time ever, Mike Tomlin and the Steelers will have a losing season with the QB limbo between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
Standings:
Baltimore Ravens 14-3
Cincinnati Bengals 12-5
Cleveland Browns 10-7
Pittsburgh Steelers 6-11
AFC East
Ryan – The race to win the AFC East this season will be a fun one to watch. The Buffalo Bills have dominated this division for the last few years, but they lost key pieces on both sides of the ball. Can QB Josh Allen play enough hero ball to lead this team to another division title? The Jets are a hot pick to win the division with the return of future hall of fame QB Aaron Rodgers. The Jets had a top defense in the NFL last season and with average QB play they make the playoffs. Expect them to be a tough matchup for every team they face if healthy. The Dolphins lost key pieces in the trenches on both sides of the ball. They were the top offense in the NFL last season but struggled in outdoor stadiums. The Dolphins defense will need to step up if they want to make a deep postseason run.
Standings:
New York Jets 11-6
Miami Dolphins 10-7
Buffalo Bills 10-7
New England Patriots 3-14
Brady – For a division that has been taken by the Buffalo Bills for the last four years, a new favorite may have emerged. After an abysmal season offensively, Aaron Rodgers looks to give the Jets a jolt to pair with an elite defense. Expect Buffalo to be in the playoff mix even with a lack of weapons, because Josh Allen is Superman. A brutal end-of-season schedule will sink the Miami Dolphins, despite an electric, high-octane offense. The Patriots are rebuilding and will bring up the rear in the East.
Standings:
New York Jets 12-5
Buffalo Bills 11-6
Miami Dolphins 8-9
New England Patriots 3-14
AFC South
Ryan – The Houston Texans are the favorite to win the AFC South in 2024 due to their big offseason splashes. Adding Stefon Diggs, Joe Mixon, and Danielle Hunter have turned them into a playoff team to a super bowl team. It will be interesting to see how far 2nd year quarterback C.J. Stroud can take them. The Colts, Jaguars, and Titans all seem like they could finish 2nd or 4th in the division this year. The Colts are exciting with the return of QB Anthony Richardson but have some concerns defensively. No one trusts the Jaguars after their late season collapse at the end of last year. The Titans added many veteran pieces to figure out if QB Will Levis is their QB of the future.
Standings:
Houston Texans 11-6
Indianapolis Colts 9-8
Jacksonville Jaguars 7-10
Tennessee Titans 7-10
Brady – After the success came a year or two early for Houston, CJ Stroud and Co. look to take it a step further in 2024. With multiple big-name additions in Stefon Diggs, Joe Mixon, and Danielle Hunter, the Texans will be a force. After that, the division is wide open. Three teams with promise will compete amongst each other. Will Levis and the Titans made significant additions to Tony Pollard and Calvin Ridley, as well as Ernest Jones. The Colts will get a better chance to evaluate Anthony Richardson as the Jaguars look to rebound from last year with their own young franchise QB, who now has a few more weapons in Brian Thomas and Gabe Davis.
Standings:
Houston Texans 12-5
Tennessee Titans 10-7
Indianapolis Colts 6-11
Jacksonville Jaguars 4-13
Predicted Playoff Field
Ryan
- Kansas City Chiefs 14-3 (Bye)
- Baltimore Ravens 13-4
- New York Jets 11-6
- Houston Texans 11-6
- Cincinnati Bengals 12-5
- Buffalo Bills 10-7
- Miami Dolphins 10-7
Brady
- Kansas City Chiefs 15-2 (Bye)
- Baltimore Ravens 14-3
- New York Jets 12-5
- Houston Texans 12-5
- Cincinnati Bengals 12-5
- Buffalo Bills 11-6
- Tennessee Titans 10-7
Check out the NFC predictions with the link below!
Breaking Down the NFC Ahead of the 2024 Season
Listen to the full division by division breakdown on The Blitz Angle
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