AFC North (Winner: Baltimore Ravens (10-6))
The locker room situation in Pittsburgh has been well-documented over the past couple of seasons. But did anyone really think that the Steelers would miss the playoffs this year, especially when they were riding high with a 7-2-1 record and a clear path for winning their division? How did they manage to lose to the Broncos (6-10) and the Raiders (4-12)?
All-star players such as RB LeVeon Bell, who sat out the entire season due to contract issues, and WR Antonio Brown likely will not return next season. Two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is only getting older and may retire at any time.
But, all things considered, the Steelers might be better off letting these players go since they have been some of the main sources of locker room drama. Young players like RB James Conner and WR JuJu Smith-Schuester are more than capable of filling the void left by Brown and Bell.
The Browns took a big step in the right direction. First-overall pick QB Baker Mayfield was great in his rookie season. Mayfield threw for 27 touchdowns and 14 interceptions on an up-and-coming Browns team. The former Oklahoma QB could turn out to be the franchise savior that Cleveland needs.
I really like what I’m seeing from other young Browns players. Rookie RB Nick Chubb, who eclipsed 1,000 yards in both rushes and receptions combined, looks like he can become one of the league’s best. Defensive end Myles Garret has been solid this season. Uncharacteristically for the Browns, they managed to draft well over the past couple of years. Mayfield, Chubb and Garret are all first-round picks from either 2017 or 2018. Cleveland is looking to have a bright future for once in a long, long time.
The Ravens won their division on the back of an incredible defense and a fantastic rookie QB in Lamar Jackson. The substitution of QB Joe Flacco for Jackson was an incredible move that has already been paying dividends, as I don’t see the Ravens making the playoffs this year without Jackson at the helm.
The Bengals’ future looks as bleak as their 2018 regular season, which at one point looked great when Cincinnati was 4-1.
Injuries took their toll on Cincinnati this year and I don’t think that the combo of QB Andy Dalton and WR A.J. Green will last much longer.
I see the Ravens and Browns duking it out for supremacy in the coming seasons, with Pittsburgh and Cincinnati on the outside looking in.
AFC East (New England Patriots (11-5))
I really don’t like how stale the AFC East has gotten. The only relevant team this division has had in nearly two decades are the Patriots, who have won this division 10 straight years and 16 times since 2000. The Jets, Dolphins and Bills have combined for three division titles since the turn of the century.
The Dolphins have won this division twice since the new millennium, with those years being 2000 and 2008. An asterisk should be next to that 2008 season since Tom Brady went down for almost the entirety of that campaign. The Jets won the division back in 2002 with a 9-7 record but haven’t done much since. The Bills have made the playoffs once since 2000, and that was 2018.
This year is the same story really. The Patriots, while being a relatively weak squad compared to prior years, still went 11-5. The Dolphins were looking capable of winning the division early on, but since have fallen flat and sit at 7-9 to end off the year.
The Bills made the playoffs last year but regressed to 6-10 this season while the lowly Jets occupy the division basement at 4-12, even with highly-touted rookie QB Sam Darnold.
Just like most seasons in the 21st century, the Patriots dominated the division while the Bills, Dolphins and Jets are all either mediocre or just downright terrible.
The Patriots, however, face competition from other, actually decent divisions in the AFC, so I don’t see them making another run to the Super Bowl this year.
AFC South (Winner: Houston Texans (11-5))
The Texans recovered from an injury-filled 2017 season. This year, with the combined efforts of QB Deshaun Watson, DE J.J. Watt and WR Deandre Hopkins, the Texans look like a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
In all honesty, Houston has had a stellar defense for some years now but the team overall was held back by sloppy QB play from the likes of Brock Osweiler and Tom Savage. The Texans made the right choice in drafting Watson as he has been a stud since his rookie season.
The Colts deserve the award for comeback team of the year, as they improved from a horrid 1-5 start to a 10-6 finish. It’s funny what an elite QB like Andrew Luck and some momentum can do to a team. If you would’ve asked me about the Colts at the start of the year, I would’ve suggested blowing the team up and starting from scratch, with the exception of Luck.
Indianapolis edged out Tennessee for the AFC’s last playoff spot in week 17 and they seem like they have the potential to make a deep playoff run.
The Colts and Texans look like the heavyweight favorites in the AFC South for years to come.
The Titans really should draft a QB in 2019. Mariota has had four years now to prove that he’s a reliable franchise QB. He has so much potential that’s just waiting to be shown. Sadly for him and the Titans, inconsistent play and injuries are becoming the norm for the 2015 second-overall pick. Mariota has never even played a full season and the Titans have suffered for it.
Tennessee’s defense is actually quite good, with Kevin Byard producing another great season at the free safety position. The addition of Malcolm Butler on the secondary was also a bonus.
However, the Titans have a frustratingly inconsistent offense with no real standout players, not even RB Derrick Henry. I say this because Henry didn’t start putting up big numbers until late into this season. Second-year WR Corey Davis has improved this year but has yet to show the football world that he’s a number one receiver.
Unlike last season, the Titans did not make another undeserving trip to the playoffs this year.
The Jaguars have fallen off of a cliff since their run to the AFC Championship game last season.
Their defense is still really strong and I don’t think that’s their issue. Similar to the Titans, the Jaguars suffer from a lack of offensive production. The Jaguars finished 27th in the league in total yards this season, only two spots lower than the Titans.
This season hopefully has taught Jacksonville that QB Blake Bortles is not an NFL starter. The Jags should look towards the 2019 draft for their offensive woes. The only thing Bortles was really good at was handing the ball off to RB Leonard Fournette, though Fournette missed considerable time this year due to injury.
With a good QB at the helm in Jacksonville, Fournette will have to be utilized less, which will increase the odds of him staying healthy. Only then will the Jags become contenders once more.
AFC West (Winner: Kansas City Chiefs (12-4))
QB Partick Mahomes has turned the Chiefs into an offensive powerhouse with the help of other elite caliber players such as tight end Travis Kelce, speed demon WR Tyreek Hill and former RB Kareem Hunt. Watching Mahomes use his cannon-of-an-arm to throw bombs down the field was one of my favorite parts of the season.
Altogether, the Chiefs racked up 6,810 yards and around 35 points a game. The only other team to score more than 30 points a game are the Los Angeles Rams, who scored around 33 points per game.
I’d love to see the Chiefs and Rams in the Super Bowl. We saw these two teams light each other up this season when they put up 105 points against each other back in November.
The Chiefs have done a fantastic job this season, but can they overcome KC’s past playoff curses?
The Chargers are also cruising into the playoffs. Long-time underrated QB Phillip Rivers is finally getting the recognition and praise that he deserves. While not known for throwing bombs like his divisional rival Mahomes, Rivers threw 32 touchdowns this season compared to 12 interceptions, and is a large factor in the Chargers’ success this season.
RB Melvin Gordon also eclipsed 1,000 yards in rushes and receptions combined. DE Joey Bosa is also a cornerstone of this defense. The Charger’s defense ranked ninth in the league in yards allowed.
There isn’t a whole lot to say about Denver and Oakland. The Raiders were downright terrible this season and the franchise itself is in dire straits with the city of Oakland and the move to Las Vegas. Not only are the Raiders stuck with Jon Gruden for the foreseeable future, but defensive beast Khalil Mack and flashy receiver Amari Cooper are also gone.
Denver did the right thing and fired head coach Vance Joseph. Case Keenum was brought in this season to help fill the void left at the QB position after the departure of Peyton Manning, but Keenum did not replicate his tremendous performance that he had last season with the Vikings.
The Broncos still have defensive anchor Von Miller on the team and a breakout RB in Phillip Lindsay. If the Broncos can acquire a starting-caliber QB soon, they may be able to compete with the Chargers and Chiefs in the coming years.
