Steelers, Bills biggest challengers to Kansas City Chiefs, Ravens
The Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens are widely expected to dominate until the AFC Championship Game. Â Of course, best-laid plans and all that.
This time last year, most everyone looked forward to the Chiefs and New England Patriots getting to that stage for a rematch of their epic in 2018. Come the postseason, Baltimore was the overwhelming favorite with the Kansas City Chiefs the only potential foil.
In short, expect things to go awry.
So which teams can play the role of surprising spoiler to our matchup of Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson? Seems two squads are uniquely qualified to do so.
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The Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers.
In Buffalo, general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott have built a quality program through their first three years in western New York. The Bills now have one of the league’s best defenses led by All-Pro cornerback Tre’Davious White and linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano. Factor in a front of edge rushers Trent Murphy and Jerry Hughes, and tackle Ed Oliver, and Buffalo can stop most offenses cold.
The big difference with the Bills this seasons the weapons around third-year quarterback Josh Allen. Buffalo landed receiver Stefon Diggs in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings, putting him atop a depth chart including John Brown and Cole Beasley. There’s no excuse for Allen not to take the proverbial quantum leap.
However, Pittsburgh might be the most dangerous team to challenge the Ravens and Chiefs.
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While the Bills are hoping Allen becomes a star, the Steelers have a first-ballot Hall of Famer in Ben Roethlisberger. The big question is whether Roethlisberger is healthy after undergoing Tommy John surgery last year.
If Big Ben is right, Pittsburgh is going to be a major problem. The defense is — like Buffalo’s — one of the NFL’s best led by edge rushers T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree. In the secondary, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is an All-Pro talent, while Joe Haden and Steven Nelson are quality cornerbacks on the boundary.
The offensive weapons are the biggest question, with James Conner and JuJu Smith-Schuster needing to be stars after having middling campaigns in 2019.
Ultimately, Kansas City and Baltimore — in that order — are the teams to beat in the AFC. If both are healthy, taking down either come January is a Herculean task.
If anybody is capable of it, though, look no further than Buffalo and Pittsburgh.
