AFC Power Rankings

tims4wins

PN23's replacement
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
37,055
Hingham, MA
I mean, Pittsburgh isn't THAT good. It's amazing to me that we're having even a semi-serious conversation about them going 16-0. Their margins of victory in their nine wins:

10
5
7
9
31
3
4
5
26
AVG: +11.1

So in 5 of their 9 wins, the other team was within a score.

When the Pats went 16-0, here were their margins of victory:

24
24
31
21
17
21
21
45
4
46
3
3
21
10
21
3
AVG: +19.7

I mean, in 12 of the 16 games, the Pats won by 10 or more. In 10 of the 16, they won by 20 or more. That was UTTER dominance. The Steelers haven't come close to that. But still, covid and all...yeah it would be incredible if they did it.
Yeah they’re not going undefeated because they simply aren’t that good.
 

johnmd20

mad dog
Lifetime Member
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Dec 30, 2003
61,996
New York City
Yeah they’re not going undefeated because they simply aren’t that good.
His argument was to compare the Steelers to the greatest regular season team of all time. Compared to the 2007 Pats, everyone is, at best, not that good.

But the Steelers are great. Are they historically great? No sir. But it's a great team. As is KC.
 

tims4wins

PN23's replacement
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Jul 15, 2005
37,055
Hingham, MA
His argument was to compare the Steelers to the greatest regular season team of all time. Compared to the 2007 Pats, everyone is, at best, not that good.

But the Steelers are great. Are they historically great? No sir. But it's a great team. As is KC.
I get it. I was the one who originally said it would be even more impressive than the 07 Pats given Covid. I stand by that, if they run the table this season it is off the charts impressive.
 

Silverdude2167

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Oct 9, 2006
4,683
Amstredam
I get it. I was the one who originally said it would be even more impressive than the 07 Pats given Covid. I stand by that, if they run the table this season it is off the charts impressive.
This is a bad take...they ran back most of there team during COVID and have a very easy schedule...those are attributes that make going 16 and 0 less impressive not more. COVID favors the teams that changed little and they are one of them.
 

tims4wins

PN23's replacement
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Jul 15, 2005
37,055
Hingham, MA
This is a bad take...they ran back most of there team during COVID and have a very easy schedule...those are attributes that make going 16 and 0 less impressive not more. COVID favors the teams that changed little and they are one of them.
But the Ravens and Chiefs didn't? The Ravens killed the Brady Pats last year, they have 3 losses. Chiefs have a loss and could easily have 2-3 more. Again the Steelers will NOT go 16-0 because they are not that good. If they do go 16-0 though I think it is ridiculously impressive.
 

Silverdude2167

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Oct 9, 2006
4,683
Amstredam
But the Ravens and Chiefs didn't? The Ravens killed the Brady Pats last year, they have 3 losses. Chiefs have a loss and could easily have 2-3 more. Again the Steelers will NOT go 16-0 because they are not that good. If they do go 16-0 though I think it is ridiculously impressive.
That's football, the 2007 Pats should have lost to a terrible Baltimore team...all I'm saying is COVID makes this easier for Pitt since they are running it back. It is a massive advantage for them, not a detriment.
 

tims4wins

PN23's replacement
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
37,055
Hingham, MA
That's football, the 2007 Pats should have lost to a terrible Baltimore team...all I'm saying is COVID makes this easier for Pitt since they are running it back. It is a massive advantage for them, not a detriment.
They also had a game re-scheduled / bye week accelerated to week 4. Again, they're not going undefeated. But they've been impacted by this.
 

Silverdude2167

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Oct 9, 2006
4,683
Amstredam
They also had a game re-scheduled / bye week accelerated to week 4. Again, they're not going undefeated. But they've been impacted by this.
Far less than most teams, you have to look at the impact on the whole league and then ask have they been more or less impacted by limited practice time, etc than other teams.
 

NYCSox

chris hansen of goats
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May 19, 2004
10,446
Some fancy town in CT
They're not going 16-0 and frankly as a Steelers fan I don't want them to go 16-0. Get that inevitable loss out of the system before the playoffs.
 

j-man

Member
Dec 19, 2012
3,646
Arkansas
Yup, I've seen a lot of downs to go along with the ups. Wherever this team goes from this point forward, I will always be a fan. You have to stick with your team good or bad, thick or thin, am curious to see how many of the Patriots fans who started their fandom in 2001 will stick around if this team goes south.

Ownership here won't allow it, they have a lot to lose financially..........once this shitshow blows over, they don't want their team playing to a nearly empty stadium and have all the restaurants and shops in Patriots place be empty.

They still have the best coach in the business running the show and there are still 7 games left.

The 2001 team was sputtering along similar to how this one is.

That season turned out pretty good last time I checked.
i feel the same way i dont care if denver is 0-16 i still will be there who knows if cam can not turn the ball over over these last 7 games who knows i mean can Pittsburgh win a big game against NE i doubt it my dad is a huge steeler fan and i love to needle him and u guys shouild won @ KC @ BUFF
 

54thMA

Member
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Aug 15, 2012
10,154
Westwood MA
i feel the same way i dont care if denver is 0-16 i still will be there who knows if cam can not turn the ball over over these last 7 games who knows i mean can Pittsburgh win a big game against NE i doubt it my dad is a huge steeler fan and i love to needle him and u guys shouild won @ KC @ BUFF
That's what a true fan is, there for the good and the bad.

I had season tickets the year the Patriots went 1-15 under Rod Cigar Store Indian/I'm proud of my men Rust............including 0-8 at home.

Football always will be my favorite sport, been so since I was 7 and went to a Patriots game at Fenway Park, will never forget them coming out of the dugout in those Pat Patriot helmets and red shirts..............they lost to the Houston Oilers 14-0, but I've been a fan ever since.

Will be one until the day I kick the stick.

Would love nothing better for Cam to get more comfortable in this offense, they run the ball down peoples throats, catch lightning in a bottle and win another Super Bowl.

Heads would explode in the AFC East and everywhere else for that matter.

It would be glorious.
 

djbayko

Member
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Jul 18, 2005
25,894
Los Angeles, CA
I get it. I was the one who originally said it would be even more impressive than the 07 Pats given Covid. I stand by that, if they run the table this season it is off the charts impressive.
Can you explain your rationale behind this? I'm not seeing why COVID-19 makes it more impressive.
 

54thMA

Member
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Aug 15, 2012
10,154
Westwood MA
They're not going 16-0 and frankly as a Steelers fan I don't want them to go 16-0. Get that inevitable loss out of the system before the playoffs.
It would be a great story; going 16-0 during this shitshow, winning the Super Bowl to take the lead in all time wins.

As a sports fan, it would be a great thing to see.

As I get older, I'm more into the stories vs rooting against opposing teams.

I hated seeing the Bruins lose to the Blues last year, but it was a great story, going from worst record to winning the cup after all those years of failures, the icing on the cake was how it made that little girl feel, it brought joy into her life during a time of personal crisis.

It doesn't get any better than that.
 

pdaj

Fantasy Maven
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Dec 15, 2002
3,385
From Springfield to Providence
At least 5 I see them winning. The ones I’m not sure on are Rams and Dolphins. But the rest I see them winning.
I was hesitant to drop the Pats out of the Top 6 in my rankings until their loss to the Bills (it was more about how they lost), followed by their unimpressive showing vs. the Jets. If we didn’t know any better, one would suspect that Gase was in on the Tank-for-Trevor plan. I never discount the BB effect, as I believe he’s the greatest coach of all time, but I’m suspect of a Cam-lead offense that’s light on weapons.

The Ravens win was impressive, but not all that surprising when you consider:

1) Bill had the benefit of more Lamar tape.
2) The Ravens have struggled offensively this season.
3) The weather was conducive to New England’s strengths, especially considering Baltimore’s injuries on the defensive front and Lamar’s “eh” arm.

All this said, for me, if NE wins the next 2 games, I’m back in on them being potential AFC players/spoilers and will consider potential “Cam brain fog/rust” theories.

Houston’s a bad team that no true playoff contender would lose to at this point in the NFL season, and the Cardinals are legit, boast a dynamic offense, and are coming off of a loss. At 6-5 with games @LAC, @LAR, @MIA, BUF, NYJ — is 4-1 crazy? Not at all.

I think the 3 consecutive road games portion of the schedule would be the true test.
At least 5 I see them winning. The ones I’m not sure on are Rams and Dolphins. But the rest I see them winning.
If the Steelers go 16-0 in this pandemic season I’d have to say it would be the most impressive regular season of all time. I don’t care what their schedule is.
I think 16-0 is impressive in any season. Pats fans saying, “Who have they played?” is exactly the game non-Pats fans played when NE rattled off win after win in the shitty AFC East. And the retort? Division games, especially on the road, are difficult every season, regardless of talent. And they’re even harder when those teams are legitimately in the playoff hunt, as is the case with Baltimore and Cleveland.

I am on the side, however, of the folks who believe that the teams who have HC-QB-offensive continuity this season benefit from a significant competitive advantage. If I was a Pats fan, I’d be especially disappointed that Bill and Tom couldn’t co-exist for 2 more seasons. I firmly believe that a Brady lead NE team this year would have had the Patriots in a similar situation to the Steelers. One loss, max.
 

j-man

Member
Dec 19, 2012
3,646
Arkansas
That's what a true fan is, there for the good and the bad.

I had season tickets the year the Patriots went 1-15 under Rod Cigar Store Indian/I'm proud of my men Rust............including 0-8 at home.

Football always will be my favorite sport, been so since I was 7 and went to a Patriots game at Fenway Park, will never forget them coming out of the dugout in those Pat Patriot helmets and red shirts..............they lost to the Houston Oilers 14-0, but I've been a fan ever since.

Will be one until the day I kick the stick.

Would love nothing better for Cam to get more comfortable in this offense, they run the ball down peoples throats, catch lightning in a bottle and win another Super Bowl.

Heads would explode in the AFC East and everywhere else for that matter.

It would be glorious.
that sounds great
 

j-man

Member
Dec 19, 2012
3,646
Arkansas
Tier 1
1 KC
2 PITT
3 Buff
4 LV

Tier 2
5 indy
6 tenn
7 cle

tier 3
8 balt
9 den
10 ne
11 mia

tier 4
12 lac
13 hou
14 ciny

tier 5
15 jax
16 jets
 

j-man

Member
Dec 19, 2012
3,646
Arkansas
Tier 1
1 KC
2 PITT
3 Buff
4 LV

Tier 2
5 indy
6 tenn
7 cle

tier 3
8 balt
9 den
10 ne
11 mia

tier 4
12 lac
13 hou
14 ciny

tier 5
15 jax
16 jets
notes
vegas is makeing a deep change up the board
so is indy
denver is really 11th but beating Mia and ne moves them up
LAC is a good coach away from being back to their 2007-10 level shouild be 5-5 or 6-4
 

j-man

Member
Dec 19, 2012
3,646
Arkansas
tier 1
1 KC
2 Pitt

tier 2
3 Buff
4 tenn
5 cle
6 indy

tier 3
7 mia
8 balt
9 ne
10 vegas

tier 4
11 hou
12 den
13 lac
14 ciny
15 jax
16 jets
 

j-man

Member
Dec 19, 2012
3,646
Arkansas
tier 1
1 kc
2 buff hot take
3 pitt

tier 2
4 cle
5 tenn
6 indy
7 vegas

tier 3
8 ne
9 mia
10 balt

tier 4
11 den
12 hou
13 lac
14 ciny

tier 5
15 jax
16 jets
 

luckiestman

Son of the Harpy
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
32,620
tier 1
1 kc
2 buff hot take
3 pitt

tier 2
4 cle
5 tenn
6 indy
7 vegas

tier 3
8 ne
9 mia
10 balt

tier 4
11 den
12 hou
13 lac
14 ciny

tier 5
15 jax
16 jets
We’re back to September.

Most are posting similar list and the only place I would zag is on Pit and Buf. I did not think Pitt looked that good and the Bills looked seriously fast. Sure the Jets suck but Buff could have won that game 50-0
 

pdaj

Fantasy Maven
SoSH Member
Dec 15, 2002
3,385
From Springfield to Providence
Tier 1:

Super Bowl Favorite

1. KC

Tier 2:

AFC Championship = Realistic Possibility

2. BUF
3. PIT
4. BAL
5. TEN

Tier 3:

Playoff Contenders

6. INDY
7. CLE
8. MIA
9. LV

Tier 4:

Not Good Enough

10. DEN
11. NE
12. HOU
13. LAC
14. JAX
15. CIN

Tier 5:

Tanking Without Media Scrutiny

16. NYJ
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2013
72,432
1. Kansas City










2. Pittsburgh
3. Cleveland
4. Buffalo
5. Baltimore
6. Tennessee
7. Miami
8. Indianapolis






9. Las Vegas





10. Denver (with a QB)
11. Houston
12. New England




13. LA Chargers (with Lynn)
14. Jacksonville
15. Cincinnati (without Burrow)











16. New York J-E-T-S
 

sodenj5

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
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Jul 14, 2005
6,619
CT
KC

BUF
CLE
PITT
INDY

TEN
BAL
MIA
LV

NE
DEN
LAC
HOU
JAX
CIN

NYJ
 

j-man

Member
Dec 19, 2012
3,646
Arkansas
tier 1
1 KC
2 BUFF
3 PITT

Tier 2
4 Indy
5 Cle
6 Tenn
7 Balt
8 mia
9 vegas
tier 3
10 den
11 ne
12 lac
13 hou

tier 4
14 ciny
15 jax

tier 5
16 jets
 

j-man

Member
Dec 19, 2012
3,646
Arkansas
tier 1
1 KC
2 BUFF

Tier 2
3 cle
4 indy
5 tenn
6 pitt

tier 3
7 balt
8 mia
9 vegas

tier 4
10 lac
11 den
12 ne
13 hou
14 ciny

tier 5
15 jets
16 jax
 

sodenj5

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Lifetime Member
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Jul 14, 2005
6,619
CT
KC

BUF
CLE
INDY
PIT

TEN
BAL
MIA
LV


LAC
NE
DEN
HOU
JAX
CIN

NYJ
 

mauf

Anderson Cooper × Mr. Rogers
Moderator
SoSH Member
KC

BUF
CLE
INDY
PIT

TEN
BAL
MIA
LV


LAC
NE
DEN
HOU
JAX
CIN

NYJ
That’s a good list. I might quibble with the order from 2 to 8, and would definitely not have a big break anywhere in that group. I’d also argue that Houston is better than the other also-rans (4-6 since firing BOB, 2-4 in one-score games).
 

sodenj5

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Jul 14, 2005
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CT
That’s a good list. I might quibble with the order from 2 to 8, and would definitely not have a big break anywhere in that group. I’d also argue that Houston is better than the other also-rans (4-6 since firing BOB, 2-4 in one-score games).
Houston might be move-uppable, and I think they have more talent on their roster than their record indicates, however they’re a bit directionless other than “we have Deshaun Watson.”

They’re going to be looking for a new head coach and GM, which is good, but they also do not have a first or second round pick in this upcoming draft, which is bad. They were also extremely lucky in one score games last season and are now regressing to the mean.

I might also agree that beyond KC and the also-rans, the teams 2-8 are a bit of a mixed bag. Oddly enough, I feel like the Browns might have a legitimate shot at giving KC a hard time. They have the ground game to grind the time of possession and the type of defense that can pressure Mahomes with their front while dropping everyone else in coverage.
 

mauf

Anderson Cooper × Mr. Rogers
Moderator
SoSH Member
Oddly enough, I feel like the Browns might have a legitimate shot at giving KC a hard time. They have the ground game to grind the time of possession and the type of defense that can pressure Mahomes with their front while dropping everyone else in coverage.
Among the 14 NFL teams with winning records, the Browns are dead last in points allowed. I totally see what you’re saying about their defense, but it’s just potential, not something that has been actualized on any sort of consistent basis. Obviously, everyone’s got a puncher’s chance in a single-elimination playoff, but I think the Steelers, the Ravens, the Titans, and even the Dolphins have a better chance of winning in Arrowhead in January than the Browns do.
 

Mystic Merlin

Member
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Sep 21, 2007
46,767
Hartford, CT
Houston might be move-uppable, and I think they have more talent on their roster than their record indicates, however they’re a bit directionless other than “we have Deshaun Watson.”

They’re going to be looking for a new head coach and GM, which is good, but they also do not have a first or second round pick in this upcoming draft, which is bad. They were also extremely lucky in one score games last season and are now regressing to the mean.

I might also agree that beyond KC and the also-rans, the teams 2-8 are a bit of a mixed bag. Oddly enough, I feel like the Browns might have a legitimate shot at giving KC a hard time. They have the ground game to grind the time of possession and the type of defense that can pressure Mahomes with their front while dropping everyone else in coverage.
yeah, these lists are hard because they’re insensitive to matchups.

I actually think that list slightly underrates Tennessee and Baltimore, who I’d stick in the same tranche as PIT. But definitely agree with most of it.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
SoSH Member
Oct 1, 2015
24,375
Baltimore is the kind of team that SHOULD be able to beat KC - solid defense, good coaching, and an absolutely punishing ground game that just eats up yards and clock.

And yet...KC owns them.

KC beat Bal 27-24 in 2018.
KC beat Bal 33-28 in 2019.
KC beat Bal 34-20 in 2020.

I don't know why KC has it over Baltimore, but if the Ravens play their game, they're the kind of team that ought to be able to give the Chiefs problems.

As for Cle....I also think they could beat KC. They most likely won't, because mauf is right - they're mostly unrealized potential. But it's the potential that is tantalizing. If they put it together, they have the talent to knock off even KC. I don't think the Steelers have a chance in hell of beating KC. Same with Miami (yes I know they played a close one already this year).
 

j-man

Member
Dec 19, 2012
3,646
Arkansas
tier 1
1 KC
2 BUFF

Tier 2
3 Pitt
4 Tenn
5 balt
6 cle
7 indy
8 mia

tier 3
9 vegas
10 den
11 ne
12 ciny
13 LAC

TIER 4
14 hou
15 jets
16 jax