Texans, Chiefs are AFC wild cards
The New England Patriots are the NFL’s gold standard. Hell, they are certainly the standard in the AFC, where they have played in the last seven conference championship games.
New England has been bolstered for almost two decades by the play of Tom Brady and the coaching of Bill Belichick, leading to eight Super Bowl appearances and five titles over that span.
Incredibly, as the years have gone on, the conference has gotten weaker. Looking ahead to 2018 (a dangerous proposition without the draft being concluded), the Pittsburgh Steelers appear the only team capable of actually challenging the Patriots. One could argue the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the case that they will regress is overwhelming. After going 10-6 against a last-place schedule, Jacksonville now draws a first-place docket with a target on its back.
Of course, teams always jump out to surprise folks come September, and there could be a trio that are ripe for that role.
The Houston Texans are going to be a force in the AFC, but only if health allows for it. The Texans have enjoyed a fruitful free agency period, re-signing Johnathan Joseph while adding corner Aaron Colvin, guard Zach Fulton and safety Tyrann Mathieu. Mathieu was the latest addition, coming over on a one-year, $7 million deal.
Yet the question of durability remains. Mathieu has sustained enough injuries to keep him out o 14 games over his five-year career. There are also questions about J.J Watt, who has suffered season-ending injuries to his back and knee over each of the past two seasons. If they can’t play at the level we’re used to seeing, is Houston a legitimate contender?
In Kansas City, the Chiefs appear to have built an offensive juggernaut. All the early returns are glowing surrounding quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and no player has more to work with across the NFL. Kansas City has the league’s rushing champion in Kareem Hunt, receivers Sammy Watkins and Tyreek Hill on the outside, and All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce working the middle. The offense is a real candidate for the best in football.
However, the defense has real issues. The team traded Marcus Peters, and while Eric Berry is returning, does he come back strong after a torn Achilles at 29 years old? The acquisitions of Kendall Fuller, David Amerson and Anthony Hitchens all help, but there are holes on the defensive line alongside Chris Jones. If the Chiefs can get even an average performance out of the defense, they are very dangerous, but will that happen?
In essence, the Patriots remain the favorites, while the Steelers are still their biggest threat. After that, pick Jacksonville if you’d like, but Houston and Kansas City are the real teams to watch with young quarterbacks and good rosters.
