04-06-2016, 09:08 PM
(04-03-2016, 11:14 PM)THE Bigzoman Wrote: I know what you're thinking...just hear me out.
The AFC West is going to be RAW next year.
Oakland on the rise.
Wisenhunt returning to his old job + Travis Benjamin=a better performing Phillip Rivers. Once San Diego gets their defense back from injuries, they'll improve from last year by a large margin.
Chiefs and Broncos just have to keep doing them.
I anticipate at least one of these teams snagging a wild card berth. If not them, we'll see a surgeing team in the AFC South take it.
If one of the teams from either division surge and do as well as expected (I'm calling the Jags as the most likely) they could very take a wild card berth.
I predict that the Bengals get short-handed in the division race due to the Ravens' resurgence and the Steelers just doing what they've always done. An Afc West or South team could be the nail in the coffin that has us looking from the outside in for the first time in half a decade.
Thoughts?
Whatever happens in the AFC West I cannot see a major drop off in our playoff chances simply because of the talent we have.
That type of talent level has proven enough to get us to the playoffs consistently and I think we see maybe 10 wins and a wild card spot this year.
Every year its tempting to look at other teams and the strength of schedule based on the previous year and see losses on the horizon but the fact remains not every bad team can bounce back in one year - there's a reason these teams have not been as competitive and 'winning' free agency, or the draft does not always translate to regular season success.
Within our division I think the Steelers will win. Ravens won't be as bad last year but they don't have the talent level we do and I don't see them bouncing back to say 11 wins to squeeze us out. Browns are the Browns.
