Although the Denver Broncos climbed to the highest of the AFC with their 10-7 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night time, their lead on the convention’s prime seed is way from safe.
Each the upstart Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots sit simply behind the Broncos at 7-2, whereas the powerhouse Buffalo Bills are available at 6-2 following a vital win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Even the Broncos’ spot atop the AFC West is tenuous, with the Los Angeles Chargers proper behind them at 6-3 and the Chiefs lurking in third at 5-4.
With the playoff push about to kick into excessive gear, listed below are the highest 5 favorites to characterize the AFC in Tremendous Bowl LX.
5. New England Patriots (7-2)
The Patriots have been one of many feel-good tales within the NFL this season. They’ve already doubled their win whole from final season, thanks largely to new head coach Mike Vrabel and the ascension of second-year quarterback Drake Maye. Pretty much as good as Maye has been, the remainder of the roster nonetheless feels a yr away. The receiving core nonetheless lacks a real No. 1 receiver, and their protection ranks within the backside 10 in passing yards per try. It’s also tough to totally purchase right into a crew that hasn’t actually been examined, as 5 of their seven wins have come in opposition to groups with three wins or fewer. Maybe a win over the 6-2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday will change the equation, however as of proper now, they’re simply outdoors the convention’s interior circle.
4. Denver Broncos (8-2)
Thursday’s recreation in opposition to the Raiders was the proper illustration of the Broncos expertise this yr. Their defensive entrance wreaked havoc on Raiders quarterback Geno Smith all night time, sacking him six instances and conserving them on tempo for the single-season document. Their offense, nevertheless, was a disjointed mess, struggling to maneuver the ball in opposition to a bottom-10 protection and registering extra penalties (11) than first downs (10). Quarterback Bo Nix has definitely had his moments this yr, however he at the moment ranks twenty seventh within the NFL in passer score and is tied for the third-most interceptions. With 5 of their eight victories coming by one rating or fewer, it feels just like the Broncos are skating on skinny ice, and they’re going to should be extra constant on offense in the event that they hope to carry on to the AFC’s prime seed.
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