Interstate 70 Sports Media

Week 7: AFC Playoff Prediction

Published by

Jay Marshall

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  1. Indianapolis Colts
    • Indy has easily taken the title of the “surprise team” of the season, and it looks like they’re here to stay. Daniel Jones has looked more like Josh Allen than Josh Allen, and Jonathan Taylor is reminding the world that he was, is, and will continue to be a top rushing talent in the league. Shane Steichen–whose seat had been heating up coming into the year–deserves a ton of credit for this turnaround in what’s been an improving AFC South division, and is on a path to contend for the #1 seed in the conference.
  2. Pittsburgh Steelers
    • The AFC North looked like Baltimore’s division until it very quickly wasn’t. The Ravens head into their BYE at 1-5–due in large part to Lamar’s injury –and seem like a far cry from a wildcard playoff spot (much less, the division). That in conjunction with a Burrow-less Bengals and a Browns team that’s riding with Dillon Gabriel makes it all too likely that a sneaky Steelers team will win the AFC North for the first time since 2016; the real question is whether or not this version of the team can transcend Wild Card weekend to find themselves in the divisional round for the first time since 2017.
  3. Buffalo Bills
    • The SNF miracle the Bills pulled off against the Ravens Week 1 might’ve fooled us into believing this team was different, but the reality is that they’re entering their BYE at 4-2 with wins against the Jets, Saints, Ravens, & Dolphins– but back-to-back losses against the Patriots & Falcons. I’m not ready to say the Patriots will take the division (which includes two of the worst teams in football) so I think it’s reasonable to believe the Bills will win their 6th-straight AFC East title, but they are going to have to make improvements and show that they can contend outside of a division (and conference) that so far, has left a lot to be desired.
  4. Los Angeles Chargers
    • A 3-0 start to the season against all of their AFC West opponents put the Chargers in a power-position otherwise foreign to a team that’s had to play second-fiddle to the Chiefs. While Denver and Kansas City are undeniably teams that can and will cause problems for the best of teams, the Chargers still have a path to winning the division even if they drop their remaining divisional matchups. The team has been ravaged by injuries (Joe Alt, Rashawn Slater, Trey Pipkins, Omarion Hampton, Najee Harris) which has led to some of the worst pass protection in Justin Herbert’s career, but with the hopeful returns of Alt, Pipkins, & Hampton, they should get some relief on the o-line and running game which both have hindered the Chargers’ ability to establish a consistent offensive presence that keeps Herbert on his feet.
  5. Kansas City Chiefs
    • I was a fool to succumb to yet another bout of Chiefs’ fatigue (and might be an even bigger fool for giving them a mere Wild Card spot), but the Chiefs are not avoiding the playoffs and the league will have to deal with that. With their SNF win over the Lions, the Chiefs improve to 3-3 following a start that had everyone celebrating the end of their tyranny– but alas, Rashee Rice will make his return this Sunday against the Raiders and we’re about to get a taste of this offense at full availability. They’ve been rumored to be a trade candidate for Breece Hall which would help layer a rushing game that’s been ultimately led by Mahomes, and the defense has improved in each contest.
  6. Jacksonville Jaguars
    • I expect the Jags to continue their ascent as the Texans come to terms with their descent; the Colts will be difficult to supplant at the top of the division, but a pretty thin AFC leaves more of an opening than we’ve seen in recent memory and I don’t expect the Texans to correct their abysmal offensive line that saw the offseason departure of Laremy Tunsil. Liam Coen has proven to be a gritty competitor that is getting the most out of Trevor Lawrence, and an improved defensive side of the ball is going to help keep them in games against even the heaviest of hitters.
  7. New England Patriots
    • The Broncos were the odd man out in these predictions, only because I’m not the biggest believer in the sustainability of Sean Payton’s “dink & dunk then try to catch them napping” offense. They’re in a tougher spot having to compete with 2 other teams from the division that have playoff trajectories, and I feel more confident in New England being able to take care of business within their measly division after already toppling the Bills. Drake Maye looks like a franchise QB and with some more consistency on defense, New England can easily find themselves in their first playoff appearance since 2022.

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