Best team in the AFC? There are ample choices
Going into the season, everybody believed the New England Patriots were the best team in the AFC, if not the entire NFL. It was a foregone conclusion (and still is) that the Patriots would win their division by December and roll into January with all the confidence in the world.
Then the season opener happened. The Kansas City Chiefs went into Gillette Stadium and buried the defending champions in a 42-27 rout that included 537 total yards and Alex Smith throwing for 368 yards and four touchdowns. Suddenly, everything we believed was turned on its ear.
Since that game, there have been other developments. The Pittsburgh Steelers are 2-0, although the offense still looks somewhat in neutral as Le’Veon Bell shakes off the rust. The Oakland Raiders are flying high at 2-0 as well, while the Denver Broncos remain undefeated after trouncing the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, 42-17. Without question, the AFC West is the best division in football, save for the 0-2 Los Angeles Chargers.
If there is an obvious weak point in this conversation, it’s the AFC South. The Tennessee Titans are likely the best team of that group, but at 1-1 they don’t belong in the same class as the aforementioned teams. Perhaps the only other consideration should be the Baltimore Ravens, who have 10 takeaways from their stellar defense on the way to a 2-0 mark as well.
Of course, somebody has to win the South, which means out of the Chiefs, Ravens, Raiders, Broncos, Steelers and Patriots, there will be a team missing out on the playoffs. In all likelihood, New England won’t be that unlucky one.
But which team is the best at the moment? For all intents and purposes, Kansas City has to hold that distinction. The Chiefs not only beat the Patriots, they did it in stunning fashion, on the road. In addition, they backed that victory up with a nice win over the Philadelphia Eagles in their home opener, scoring 21 second-half points in a 27-20 win.
Still, there are questions about Kansas City. Can Alex Smith continue to play at the MVP-level we’re currently seeing? Will Kareem Hunt wear down as the year goes on and does the loss of Eric Berry become too great to deal with? The guess here is that the Chiefs remain a force tone reckoned with, but those are legitimate concerns.
Ultimately, the best team in the AFC is likely the one that earns home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Again, Kansas City has the advantage here early with the win over New England, but the Steelers will have their say. Pittsburgh travels to Arrowhead Stadium in Week 6 and then hosts the Patriots in December. Meanwhile, the Chiefs, Raiders and Broncos will all see each other twice.
The Western teams have the disadvantage of beating each other up, another feather in the proverbial caps for the Patriots and Steelers in this regard.
It’s early, but the AFC has a litany of teams making a strong case for being the conference’s best team. Right now, though, Kansas City has the lead out of the gate.
