Rank the AFC Teams as of Now

[Big Blitz]

1. Chiefs (the champs)

2. Ravens 

3. Bills 

4. Steelers 

5. Broncos 

6. Titans

7. Texans

8. Patriots

9. Browns 

10. Colts 

11. Raiders

12. Jets

13. Dolphins 

14. Chargers 

15. Jaguars 

16. Bengals 

 

[atlbillsfan1975]

The only team I won’t feel great about playing is the Chiefs. 
I’m not saying the Bills beat everyone else, but there is literally not a team from the AFC or NFC that the Bills can’t beat. The Bills roster is as well put together as any other in the NFL.  Baltimore is not better than the Bills.  I think Lamar is going to look like he did in his last game of the year a lot in 2020. 
 

Also the Pats today have the worst QB room in the league. 

Edited April 26, 2020 by atlbillsfan1975

[GETTOTHE50]

Bills, Browns, and Colts should be higher on your list.

 

Ravens, Broncos, and Texans should be lower. I dont see the texans winning their division this year. I think it goes back to the Colts.

[Doc Brown]

I'm more of a tier guy.  I think the Browns are going to be better than people think.

 

Tier 1 - Chiefs, Ravens

Tier 2 - Bills, Colts, Steelers, Browns, Titans

Tier 3 - Texans, Broncos, Patriots, Raiders, Jets, Chargers

Tier 4 - Dolphins, Bengals, Jaguars

[GETTOTHE50]

35 minutes ago, Doc Brown said:

I'm more of a tier guy.  I think the Browns are going to be better than people think.

 

Tier 1 - Chiefs, Ravens

Tier 2 - Bills, Colts, Steelers, Browns, Titans

Tier 3 - Texans, Broncos, Patriots, Raiders, Jets, Chargers

Tier 4 - Dolphins, Bengals, Jaguars

i like this, but in mine, ravens belong in tier 2

[Kirby Jackson]

37 minutes ago, Doc Brown said:

I'm more of a tier guy.  I think the Browns are going to be better than people think.

 

Tier 1 - Chiefs, Ravens

Tier 2 - Bills, Colts, Steelers, Browns, Titans

Tier 3 - Texans, Broncos, Patriots, Raiders, Jets, Chargers

Tier 4 - Dolphins, Bengals, Jaguars

I like this too

 

tier 1 - Chiefs, Ravens

tier 2 - Bills, Steelers, Browns

tier 3 - Colts, Broncos, Titans, Texans 

tier 4 - Chargers, Dolphins, Raiders, Pats

tier 5 - Jets, Bengals, Jags

[Doc Brown]

16 minutes ago, GETTOTHE50 said:

i like this, but in mine, ravens belong in tier 2

They went 14-2 last year and kept their team largely intact.  Plus they added Campbell and had a very good draft.  Even though they laid an egg last year in the playoffs, I don't see them regressing from last year.

Edited April 26, 2020 by Doc Brown

[GETTOTHE50]

6 minutes ago, Doc Brown said:

They went 14-2 last year and kept their team largely intact.  Plus they added Campbell and had a very good draft.  Even though they laid an egg last year in the playoffs, I don't see them regressing from last year.

I think they will have more losses. Ol Ben will be back with that defense, and the browns got a lot better too. it’s tough for me to see LJ having another mvp year with all that slug fest going on in that division

[machine gun kelly]

1 hour ago, Doc Brown said:

I'm more of a tier guy.  I think the Browns are going to be better than people think.

 

Tier 1 - Chiefs, Ravens

Tier 2 - Bills, Colts, Steelers, Browns, Titans

Tier 3 - Texans, Broncos, Patriots, Raiders, Jets, Chargers

Tier 4 - Dolphins, Bengals, Jaguars

Doc, nice take, but the Browns haven’t proven anything, and last year in the off season, talking heads were placing 5em in the AFC Championship game.  I agree the Colts should ascend this year, and the Texans looks like they will go back down.  If the Titans play like they did at the end of the year, they will be a serious contender.

[Golden Goat]

1. Chiefs
2. Ravens 
3. Broncos {will be better than most think}
4. Patriots {until proven otherwise; just keeping it real}
5. Bills
6a. Titans 
6b. Texans
8. Colts 
9. Raiders
10. Chargers

[eball]

The only thing keeping the Bills from being ranked in the top tier with the Ravens and Chiefs is any remaining skepticism about Josh Allen's development.  That's it.  Otherwise, from top to bottom the roster matches up with anyone in the league.  If you're a Josh Allen believer you put the Bills right there with them; if you think he'll stay what he was last season then they are still a top 6 team in the conference.

[ComradeKayAdams]

1. Chiefs

2. Ravens

3. Bills

4. Titans

5. Patriots

6. Texans

7. Steelers

8. Browns

9. Broncos

10. Colts

11. Raiders

12. Chargers

13. Dolphins

14. Jets

15. Bengals

16. Jaguars

[GunnerBill]

Controversial but:

 

1. Ravens - top to bottom the best roster in the NFL and a top 3 coach. Lamar can take a small step back and still have this team win 12 games. If Lamar is as good again they are potentially frightening. 

 

2. Chiefs - the best Quarterback in the NFL, and a host of weapons for him. The one weakness is their lines are not as strong as they could be. 

 

3. Bills - very solid roster, very well coached and with three players (including the Quarterback) who could be poised to really breakout. 

 

4. Steelers - their defense was legit last year and now they get Big Ben back. Well coached, good in the trenches. Slight question about weapons. 

 

5. Broncos - Vic Fangio can coach defense. And their offensive weaponary is frightening. If Drew Lock is even "decent" in his first year starting then Denver is going to win a lot of football games. 

 

6. Browns - their coaching has been upgraded and their roster was already talented. An upgraded offensive line should allow their offense to flourish. 

 

7. Titans - made the AFCCG last year but had some major losses in free agency and trades and reliant on Tannehill repeating a career year. Him regressing to the mean is more likely. 

 

8. Colts - lots are higher than me on them but Rivers looked totally done to me last season. Like their draft have a solid team. Question mark at Quarterback.

 

9. Patriots - they have one of the best secondaries in the NFL, their offensive line is strong and they have the GOAT in the headset. Quarterback and skill position players a major question. 

 

10. Texans - their roster looks like the roster of a team without a GM. It is a mess. But the one area they have got better in the last 12 months is offensive line and while they keep Watson upright they stay competitive. 

 

11. Dolphins - would expect their offensive line to be better, they have weapons and they improved their defense. Probably a year early for them to really compete a lot of it comes down to Tua. 

 

12. Raiders - looked like an ascending team the first half of 2019 but Carr remains inconsistent and I haven't loved their offseason approach. 

 

13. Jets -  they have some talent but coaching is an issue and three of their first four draft picks are big, raw, talents who will need time to develop.

 

14. Bengals - in an easier division the Bengals could make progress quickly. They had a great draft and still have some pieces in Green, Boyd and Mixon. Defense and oline remain suspect.

 

15. Chargers - two good receivers, two good pass rushers, two good corners and a swiss army knife back. Holes around that though and who plays Quarterback?

 

16. Jaguars - are they trying to reset this year or tank for Trevor? Haven't replaced like for like with the talent they lost. 

[MJS]

4 hours ago, Big Blitz said:

1. Chiefs (the champs)

2. Ravens 

3. Bills 

4. Steelers 

5. Broncos 

6. Titans

7. Texans

8. Patriots

9. Browns 

10. Colts 

11. Raiders

12. Jets

13. Dolphins 

14. Chargers 

15. Jaguars 

16. Bengals 

 

 

I'd drop the Browns one slot and potentially the Dolphins one slot.

 

What do people see in the Broncos? I would put them at 10. They went 7-9 last year and why should we expect them to be better? Do people have a lot of confidence in Drew Lock?

[RobbRiddick]

I agree with the OP in that the only team I would be shocked to beat right now would be KC. Even the Ravens we played tough last season and gave the blue print for how the Titans beat them.

 

But at the same time I wouldn't be shocked if we lost to teams like the Browns, Steelers, even the Jets. The roster looks great right now with Diggs and potentially great 1-2 punch at RB, plus the extra experience for guys like Knox, but until we prove we can score points consistently I don't think we deserve to be one of the favourites in the AFC.

 

It's all down to Allen. If he can start hitting those deep balls and get going early in games consistently the sky is the limit. Not only will the Bills finally be considered a powerhouse in the AFC but I genuinely think Allen could put himself in the conversation for MVP. 

[Call_Of_Ktulu]

2 hours ago, GETTOTHE50 said:

i like this, but in mine, ravens belong in tier 2

I agree, the only team in tier 1 is KC. We almost beat the Ravens and I don't think we are a tier 1 team  just yet. Both the Bills and Ravens could be tier 1 but it all depends on both QB's improving their passing games.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

6 minutes ago, RobbRiddick said:

I agree with the OP in that the only team I would be shocked to beat right now would be KC. Even the Ravens we played tough last season and gave the blue print for how the Titans beat them.

 

But at the same time I wouldn't be shocked if we lost to teams like the Browns, Steelers, even the Jets. The roster looks great right now with Diggs and potentially great 1-2 punch at RB, plus the extra experience for guys like Knox, but until we prove we can score points consistently I don't think we deserve to be one of the favourites in the AFC.

 

It's all down to Allen. If he can start hitting those deep balls and get going early in games consistently the sky is the limit. Not only will the Bills finally be considered a powerhouse in the AFC but I genuinely think Allen could put himself in the conversation for MVP. 

 

Lol the Jets. 

[RobbRiddick]

1 hour ago, eball said:

The only thing keeping the Bills from being ranked in the top tier with the Ravens and Chiefs is any remaining skepticism about Josh Allen's development.  That's it.  Otherwise, from top to bottom the roster matches up with anyone in the league.  If you're a Josh Allen believer you put the Bills right there with them; if you think he'll stay what he was last season then they are still a top 6 team in the conference.

 

The general consensus with fans around the league is that he's the only thing holding us back. I really am shocked by the hate he gets on a national level. I guess people just don't have time to watch all the games and rely on headline cliches to form their opinions. To hear people talk you'd think Allen was terrible. I heard someone say the other day that "if they had a decent QB they would have beat the Texans", like that game was all his fault. It's true the pressure got to him in that game, but it's like people remember the crazy lateral to Knox and forget the fact that he had them in FG range in OT before the penalty. 

Just now, Joe in Winslow said:

 

Lol the Jets. 

Talent wise we're miles above them but the fact is they were leading us LATE in the first game last season. Would you be outright shocked if we played week 1 and the Jets won? I wouldn't. I'd be pissed and disappointed but not shocked.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

3 minutes ago, RobbRiddick said:

 

The general consensus with fans around the league is that he's the only thing holding us back. I really am shocked by the hate he gets on a national level. I guess people just don't have time to watch all the games and rely on headline cliches to form their opinions. To hear people talk you'd think Allen was terrible. I heard someone say the other day that "if they had a decent QB they would have beat the Texans", like that game was all his fault. It's true the pressure got to him in that game, but it's like people remember the crazy lateral to Knox and forget the fact that he had them in FG range in OT before the penalty. 

Talent wise we're miles above them but the fact is they were leading us LATE in the first game last season. Would you be outright shocked if we played week 1 and the Jets won? I wouldn't. I'd be pissed and disappointed but not shocked.

They BARELY beat our second and third string in the season closer.

[Call_Of_Ktulu]

Miami is in for such a crappy ride. I'm guessing they go through at least 3 HC's before they can get the talent level back to a competitive level.

[SoTier]

 

2 hours ago, GETTOTHE50 said:

I think they will have more losses. Ol Ben will be back with that defense, and the browns got a lot better too. it’s tough for me to see LJ having another mvp year with all that slug fest going on in that division

 

Likely having more losses than last year's 2 doesn't lessen the Ravens' dominance in the AFC.  The NFL is simply too competitive for any team to repeatedly lose only 2 games a season.   The Ravens and Chiefs are the class of the AFC by a significant margin.  They retained most of their outstanding talent from 2019 and have two of the best coaching staffs in the entire NFL.  Barring catastrophic injuries, those two teams are making the playing offs. 

 

The Bills are in the second tier -- teams likely to make the playoffs -- along with the Patriots, Steelers, Browns, Titans, Colts and Texans.  I'm not writing off the Pats at this point because there are still veteran QBs like Cam Newton -- and possibly Andy Dalton -- to be had and Belichick is easily the GOAT of NFL HCs.

 

I think the Bronocs, Chargers, Raiders, and Dolphins are the third tier -- teams that could conceivably make the playoffs if things go right and one or more of the better teams falter for some reason.

 

The Bengals, Jets, and Jaguars are the bottom feeders.   The Jets probably have the talent to be in the third tier, especially if Darnold comes into his own, but I think that their coaching is suspect.

 

1 hour ago, eball said:

The only thing keeping the Bills from being ranked in the top tier with the Ravens and Chiefs is any remaining skepticism about Josh Allen's development.  That's it.  Otherwise, from top to bottom the roster matches up with anyone in the league.  If you're a Josh Allen believer you put the Bills right there with them; if you think he'll stay what he was last season then they are still a top 6 team in the conference.

 

Even if Josh Allen has a MVP worthy season in 2020, the Bills as a team aren't good enough to be included with the Chiefs and Ravens.  Especially on offense, the Bills simply don't have the depth of talent that the top two teams have.   They also don't have a coaching staff good enough to match wits with Reid and Harbaugh and their assistants.  That doesn't mean that they can't take the AFCE and make a real playoff run,  but I think they have a ways to go to run with the big dogs in the AFC even if Allen develops into a real stud QB in 2020.

 

 

[H2o]

51 minutes ago, Call_Of_Ktulu said:

Miami is in for such a crappy ride. I'm guessing they go through at least 3 HC's before they can get the talent level back to a competitive level.

I'm on the opposite end of that thought process. I think Miami has had a good offseason via FA and the draft. I like their coach, Flores. I like a Chan Gailey offense in place with the pieces they have. I honestly think we are heading back towards how it was in the late 80's through mid 90's of battling it out with the Phins for the AFC East. 

[MAJBobby]

Only team I am concerned at playing because I still think we don’t come close to matching up are the Chiefs. 

[eball]

22 minutes ago, SoTier said:

Even if Josh Allen has a MVP worthy season in 2020, the Bills as a team aren't good enough to be included with the Chiefs and Ravens.  Especially on offense, the Bills simply don't have the depth of talent that the top two teams have.   They also don't have a coaching staff good enough to match wits with Reid and Harbaugh and their assistants.  That doesn't mean that they can't take the AFCE and make a real playoff run,  but I think they have a ways to go to run with the big dogs in the AFC even if Allen develops into a real stud QB in 2020.

 

Strongly disagree.  The defense matches up with anyone and they now have multiple weapons on offense.  You criticize the coaching staff but the rest of the league doesn't; it is definitely top 10 in the league and likely higher.

 

If you and others want to continue to critique the Bills that's fine, but they are now one of the "big dogs" in the NFL.

[Process]

You have the colts wayyy to low. They will be competing for the #2 seed, they are loaded and we'll coached. 

 

Ravens will take a big step back imo. A lot of QBs regress in year three, I expect that to be the case for Lamar. Still not sold on him as a QB.

[Rock-A-Bye Beasley]

3 minutes ago, eball said:

 

Strongly disagree.  The defense matches up with anyone and they now have multiple weapons on offense.  You criticize the coaching staff but the rest of the league doesn't; it is definitely top 10 in the league and likely higher.

 

If you and others want to continue to critique the Bills that's fine, but they are now one of the "big dogs" in the NFL.

I disagree. Questions about Allen and the coaching staff are reasonable. 
 

what is their record against teams that end up making the playoffs? I’m not sure exactly but It’s very bad and the same issues keep arising despite keeping most of those games close. 

[eball]

Just now, Chemical said:

I disagree. Questions about Allen and the coaching staff are reasonable. 
 

what is their record against teams that end up making the playoffs? I’m not sure exactly but It’s very bad and the same issues keep arising despite keeping most of those games close. 

 

If Allen plays exactly as he did last year that's a middle of the road NFL starting QB.  Why would anyone think he will stay the same or regress, knowing the work he puts in?

 

Questioning the coaching staff?  Really?  I mean, go ahead and say McD needs to continue to improve on game day but aside from that what is there to question?  Are you on the Daboll hate train too?  Let's wait and see what they do with the weapons now at their disposal.

 

This "record against playoff teams" stuff always amuses me.  The primary reason teams don't make the playoffs is because they lose games.

[SoTier]

8 minutes ago, eball said:

 

Strongly disagree.  The defense matches up with anyone and they now have multiple weapons on offense.  You criticize the coaching staff but the rest of the league doesn't; it is definitely top 10 in the league and likely higher.

 

If you and others want to continue to critique the Bills that's fine, but they are now one of the "big dogs" in the NFL.

 

I'm not saying McDermott and company are something nasty you don't want to step in.  I'm saying they aren't as good as Reid and Harbaugh and their staffs, who are among the very best in the entire NFL.

[Ya Digg?]

This is not to say the Ravens won’t be good, I do think they will be very good, but I think that offense will regress by a good margin. The thing that will carry them is their defense. The Bills put out the blueprint to beat them, the Titans followed that blueprint. As great a seasonal Lamar had, he still hasn’t shown he can get the ball to his wide receivers. 
 

if Josh makes the jump we are hoping he makes, the Bills are just as good if not better than the Ravens 

[ALLEN1QB]

Looks good to me with the exception I would switch number 8 and number 16

[r00tabaga]

Who is going to throw the rock in Boston???

[Rock-A-Bye Beasley]

15 minutes ago, eball said:

 

If Allen plays exactly as he did last year that's a middle of the road NFL starting QB.  Why would anyone think he will stay the same or regress, knowing the work he puts in?

 

Questioning the coaching staff?  Really?  I mean, go ahead and say McD needs to continue to improve on game day but aside from that what is there to question?  Are you on the Daboll hate train too?  Let's wait and see what they do with the weapons now at their disposal.

 

This "record against playoff teams" stuff always amuses me.  The primary reason teams don't make the playoffs is because they lose games.

1) there’s no guarantee he will improve. I personally think he will, but plenty of QBs have regressed or plateaued at age 24 for various reasons. His stats should at least improve with Diggs. 
 

2) the game day stuff is THE gripe. It was all last season. Even dating back to the Colts overtime win in the snow. McDermott just wants the game to be over the second we get a lead even if it’s the first half.
 

Some posters called it out all last season even in wins, saying that kind of thinking will cost is games in the future. Those people were told to shut up and enjoy the wins, but what happened in the playoffs? You can blame the refs or take a critical look at your team. 
 

3) I’d be legitimately interested to compare the Bills’ record against playoff teams with other top teams to see if there’s a statistically significant difference. 

edit: having said all that I put the bills behind KC, BAL, IND, HOU, TEN

 

Edited April 26, 2020 by Chemical

[BillsFanSD]

6 hours ago, Big Blitz said:

1. Chiefs (the champs)

2. Ravens 

3. Bills 

4. Steelers 

5. Broncos 

6. Titans

7. Texans

 

I basically agree with this ranking, but unlike a bunch of other folks I think the Bills are closer to the Ravens than they are to the Steelers/Broncos.  

[Call_Of_Ktulu]

23 minutes ago, H2o said:

I'm on the opposite end of that thought process. I think Miami has had a good offseason via FA and the draft. I like their coach, Flores. I like a Chan Gailey offense in place with the pieces they have. I honestly think we are heading back towards how it was in the late 80's through mid 90's of battling it out with the Phins for the AFC East. 

The Patriots are not going to just fade away without Brady. I see the Jets and NE as the teams that we will be fighting with for the division. It is very hard to draft top 10 talent and Miami got rid of a ton of very good players. I don't know how you can say Flores will be a good coach, he was basically a scout for the Patriots. He was never given the title of DC when Matt P left, I know Belicheat was calling that defense. Flores is a complete question mark, it appears that he has very little to zero play calling experience. If the Bills signed a HC with that resume I would be pissed off. I will make judgment on Flores after his first year of coaching but I don't see this lasting more than 3 years tops. The Bills, Jets and NE have such a talent and coaching advantage, I just don't see Miami having a chance.

[frostbitmic]

1. Chiefs

2. Ravens

3. Bills

4. Titans

5. Texans

6. Browns

7. Colts

8. Steelers

9. patriots

10. Dolphins

11. Broncos

12. Raiders

13. Jests

14. Chargers

15. Bengals

16. Jaguars

[ganesh]

3 hours ago, eball said:

The only thing keeping the Bills from being ranked in the top tier with the Ravens and Chiefs is any remaining skepticism about Josh Allen's development.  That's it.  Otherwise, from top to bottom the roster matches up with anyone in the league.  If you're a Josh Allen believer you put the Bills right there with them; if you think he'll stay what he was last season then they are still a top 6 team in the conference.

The defense was still weak without a pass rush.  They had an average run game.  They have fixed both in the draft.

[CLTbills]

5 hours ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

The only team I won’t feel great about playing is the Chiefs. 
I’m not saying the Bills beat everyone else, but there is literally not a team from the AFC or NFC that the Bills can’t beat. The Bills roster is as well put together as any other in the NFL.  Baltimore is not better than the Bills.  I think Lamar is going to look like he did in his last game of the year a lot in 2020. 
 

Also the Pats today have the worst QB room in the league. 

I'm super surprised they didn't at least take ONE QB

6 hours ago, Big Blitz said:

1. Chiefs (the champs)

2. Ravens 

3. Bills 

4. Steelers 

5. Broncos 

6. Titans

7. Texans

8. Patriots

9. Browns 

10. Colts 

11. Raiders

12. Jets

13. Dolphins 

14. Chargers 

15. Jaguars 

16. Bengals 

 

I think that's pretty accurate, although I may move a couple teams near the bottom. Bengals probably aren't last. I'd put the Jags there. Top 8 are probably correct.

[BarleyNY]

The Steelers are such a wildcard IMO.  You could see the pride that team had last season.  They won several games they had no business winning without Roethlisberger.  That was just their pride.  Many teams would’ve quit at some point.  But word is that Roethlisberger is not in playing shape and hasn’t been in some time.  They should be good enough to make the expanded playoffs, but I don’t think they are any threat past the first round. 

Edited April 27, 2020 by BarleyNY

[Kirby Jackson]

3 hours ago, eball said:

The only thing keeping the Bills from being ranked in the top tier with the Ravens and Chiefs is any remaining skepticism about Josh Allen's development.  That's it.  Otherwise, from top to bottom the roster matches up with anyone in the league.  If you're a Josh Allen believer you put the Bills right there with them; if you think he'll stay what he was last season then they are still a top 6 team in the conference.

I was tempted to put the Bills in their own tier right after KC and Baltimore. For me the Bills are right there with them but the schedule this year is really tough. That’s what pushed them into tier 2 for me.

[Kirby Jackson]

1 hour ago, H2o said:

I'm on the opposite end of that thought process. I think Miami has had a good offseason via FA and the draft. I like their coach, Flores. I like a Chan Gailey offense in place with the pieces they have. I honestly think we are heading back towards how it was in the late 80's through mid 90's of battling it out with the Phins for the AFC East. 

I’m with you.
 

Miami finishes 2nd in the division IMO. New England is not good but everyone is scared to call them bad because they haven’t been bad in forever. They don’t have a QB and don’t have any offensive playmakers. They will win 6 games. The Jets are a total nightmare imo. They are the team that can’t get out of their own way. They will be one of the worst teams in the league. The Dolphins are moving in the right direction and appear to have strong leadership. Additionally their crossover games this year are Bengals and Jags. That’s a huge advantage. I think that Miami wins 7 or 8 games and is a playoff threat in 2021.