It's been an exciting season of NFL football and we're coming down to the last five weeks of the regular season. As we look ahead to the remaining games we can start to get a gage of the 2011 AFC Playoff Picture.
Heres my projections for the AFC.
AFC North - Baltimore Ravens. Few questionable losses in my book this season for the Ravens and Flacco's performance has been generally mediocre this season. The defense is in my opinion the best in the league, after watching them against the 49ers on Thanksgiving Day they will definitely move up in my PR for next week. The thing that obviously stands out for the Ravens is their season sweep of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Ravens will win the AFC North.
AFC East - New England Patriots. I look for the Patriots to seemingly run the table the rest of the regular season. Lets face it, their Week 3 collapse in the game vs. Buffalo was a joke. Brady threw more picks in that game than he ever has in his career. They were in close games with the Steelers and Giants, just could not pull it out. They finish the year with three road games vs. Philadelphia, Washington and Denver. They face Indianapolis, Miami and Buffalo at home. Buffalo is falling off the map and look for Brady to seek revenge against the Bills. They win the AFC East and clinch home field.
AFC South - Houston is 7-3 and 3-0 in the division. I know they lost Matt Shaub but the AFC South is all but locked up for the Texans. They can ride Arian Foster to the playoffs but don't expect much after that. The rest of the AFC South outside of Houston has a combined 8-22 record. Jacksonville, Tennessee and winless Indy remain. Tennessee is 5-5 and has the best shot but even so, don't look for the south to have any the division winner make it out of the first round of the playoffs. Houston wins AFC South.
AFC West - What a mess. This is hard to call. A wide open division that could easily have a first place swing in two weeks. If McFadden comes back and Bush continues to produce I like Oakland to finish 9-6. Denver has been impressive as of late with their outstanding defensive effort. This just is not the year for the Broncos and with all the media surrounding Tim Tebow. They have a tough remaining schedule with games against New England, Chicago and San Diego who they will face this week. San Diego has been disappointing and thats all there is to it. The Chargers have favorable games the next three weeks against Denver, Jacksonville and Buffalo before heading to Baltimore, Detroit and Oakland. I would say its safe to say the AFC West winner will be determined Week 17 against the Raiders. I know the Chargers are 4-6 but they should be 5-5. It's tough, but I think that San Diego will turn it around and end up edging Oakland at the end of the year. San Diego wins Week 17 and clinches AFC West.
Wild Card - Pittsburgh Steelers. Cincinnati Bengals.
Steelers - Despite their loses to the Ravens. Hats off to them for their performance to this point with the amount of injuries they have had to deal with. So they lost twice to the Ravens, so what. Tomlin has his troops geared up and motivated every week to come out and play. They should not of lost the second game to the Ravens but their defensive collapse is going to make it hard for the Steelers to have a chance at the Division Title. This is not a bias pick with sending the Steelers to the Superbowl. Come play off time the Steelers are extremely hard to beat. You have a relentless QB, solid defense and a crew of young playmakers in Wallace, Mendenhall, Brown, Sanders and Cotchery.
Bengals - What a start for rookie QB Andy Dalton. This is what the Bengals needed out of Carson Palmer for years but they never got the production and their defense was quite stagnant. I think the Bengals are going to fight off the Jets for the final Wild Card spot. The Jets have three games coming up they should win which would put them at 8-5 and the Bengals still have to face the Steelers and Ravens again. This is going to be a tight race coming to the end. I am giving the edge to the Bengals. However, don't expect them to make it far because they are going to end up playing Tom Brady at Gillette first round and we all know how the Patriots play at home in the playoffs. Good comeback season though.
AFC Championship Game - Steelers vs. Baltimore. AFC Champion - Pittsburgh Steelers.
No way Pittsburgh loses to Baltimore three times in one year. The Steelers are likely going to have to go through New England to get to see the Ravens in the AFC Championship game but I don't see that being too much of a struggle. It will be a good game but I think that the Steelers run game will wear down that Pats defense who is yet to shine this season. Thats the downfall of the Patriots which is why, unless it improves, won't be making it to Indianapolis this February.
Steelers will beat Baltimore in this game for one reason; the QB Matchup. Flacco does not even compare to Ben and seemingly never will. The Steelers have way to many playmakers on offense and by Week 18 the veteran Ravens defense won't be able to hang with the young guns of Pittsburgh.
Look for the NFC Playoff Projections this coming week.
PJG
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