A Midseason AFC Update
Written By: Tyler McCarthy
Staff Writer
As we reach the midpoint to a gruesome season in the NFL, we find out which teams are “for real” and teams who aren’t. Many teams who have had early season success have come to a screeching halt. On the other hand, teams who have had early issues have started to see success. Then, there is another category for organizations that haven’t lost a step. Since the NFL has only 16 games per season, every week matters.
There is a lot of pressure for these organizations to perform at such an elite level every week. The first half of the season has showed that every team is competitive. In both the AFC and NFC, there are legitimate contenders that are seeking a playoff berth. The AFC, however, have many surprises in filtering out the elite contenders, but there are many contenders that could go far in the playoffs.
In the AFC, the competition level has been extremely high and the divisional standings have started to filter out the contenders and pretenders. Some of the contenders include the New England Patriots, Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens, and an unexpected underdog, the Cincinnati Bengals. We also, can’t forget about the opponents from last season’s AFC Championship game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets. Both stand second in their respective divisions and are standing at sixth and seventh in the conference standings.
Cinncinati Bengals: The Bengals have been the biggest surprise so far this year. Currently, the Bengals have been quiet successful so far this season. Despite a statistically easy season so far, the young and revived Bengals still have divisional games against defending AFC champion, Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. These games will reveal how good rookie quarterback Andrew Dalton really is. This will also show how far this young team can go in the playoffs.
New England Patriots: Although the New England Patriots are atop of the AFC East Division, their team is beginning to ware. The New England passing defense is ranked an embarrassing last in the league. On the other side of the ball, Tom Brady and company had early success in the passing game, but defenses have begun to figure them out. Many defensives have been able to contain Brady and his offensive line. It’ll be interesting to see what head coach Bill Belechick has up his sleeves to rally his troops to return to the Super Bowl.
Baltimore Ravens: The Baltimore Ravens have shown that they could be a great candidate to represent the AFC in this season’s Super Bowl. Some of their weaknesses they need to work on is playing down to their competition. They have had success against the teams they have struggled with in the past. However, they need to beat the teams they are ‘supposed’ to beat. The team’s confidence is boosting each week, which helped them to defeat their arch nemesis, the Pittsburgh Steelers, twice this season.
Houston Texans: Despite an injury to Pro Bowl wide receiver Andre Johnson, the Texans stand atop of the AFC South Division. Led by running back Arian Foster and defensive end Mario Williams, the Texans look to continue their season and go far in the playoffs.
Photo By NFLJoint.com
