The trade deadline has passed and the end of the regular season is 2 months away, so I think this is a good time to see where everyone stands in the AFC. Overall the AFC looks pretty weak, maybe not as weak as I figured, but still pretty weak with 2 maybe 3 teams that are legit contenders

Still the class of the AFC: Patriots (6-2)- Yep let's face it, they are still the class of the AFC, winners of 5 straight after their typical slow start. It is looking once again like this team will breeze to another AFC Championship while the rest of the conference collectively stumbles over themselves

Most likely to choke in the AFC Championship game against the Patriots: Chiefs (7-1)- Patrick Mahomes has turned out to be a wrecking ball of a QB thus far, and Andy Reid has done a great job of turning him into a star. With Mahomes, this team may actually win a home playoff game for once. Unfortunately Andy Reid is a playoff choker and the defense is a blackhole meaning they are likely cooked against the Pats if they even play them

Chargers(5-2): Jokes of opposing fans filling up chargers stadium has overshadowed the fact that this team is quietly making a case for the Super Bowl even with injuries. Phillip Rivers is a having a great year again and their odds should increase if Bosa returns to the field in pro bowl form. Of course it is likley that they will choke/run into bad injury luck and be unable to compete with the Cheats

Strong candidates for early playoff exits: Steelers (4-2-1)-This team has rebounded after a brutal Spetember, thanks to a talented offense that has been helped by James Conenr making Le'Veon Bell obsolete. However, the special teams is a mess and one simply cannot trust a Keith Butler led defense in the postseason. The defensive backfield and linebacking corp as a whole remain question marks against better offensive units

Texans (5-3): Everyone has managed to stay healthy so far this year which means a Bill O Brien team can reach it's full potential, that is winning an atrocious division by default before getting dominated by the first legitimate playoff team they face. They came back from an 0-3 start to win 5 in a row and take command of 1st in the division and looked thoroughly unimpressive doing it. The only question is which team stomps them in the playoffs.

Bengals (5-3): Did you think this team was legit when they 4-1, well another choke job against the Steelers, another Sunday night blowout loss, and even a near collapse against the Bucs proves their ceiling is another embarassing wildcard round exit

Can't figure them out: Ravens (4-4)- This team looks good in September with a steady offense and dominating defense, but since then they have regressed and look mediocre. It is possible they put it together and make some noise in a weak AFC, or they could continue to be mediocre, mingle around .500 and miss the playoffs again

Mediocre: Titans (3-4)- This defense is actually pretty good, unfortunately the offense may be a more effective cure for insomnia than Ambien, god is this offense boring to look at. It's like Jeff Fisher returned in spirit

Jaguars (3-5)- Wow, all that talking and what do you loud mouths have to show for it? A 4 game losing streak and tied for last in arguably the worst division in football. Next year spend more time preparing for the season and less time talking. Also get a real QB

Colts (3-5): Andrew Luck is elevating this team and they have a nice rookie LB in Darius Leonard. Unfortunately, Luck's supporting cast in general is piss poor. Intersting note though, they do have a +18 point differential

Broncos (3-5): Lost 5 of their last 6 after a 2-0 mirage of a start. Seriously, fire Vance Joseph. The most impressive thing this team has done this year is lose by 1 possession twice to the Chiefs.

Jets (3-5): Somehow this team has looked better than expected (at times). Rookie Sam Darnold has shown flashes at times, just needs to be more consistent before the Jets start winning.

Bad: Dolphins (4-4)- Don't be fooled by their record, this is a bad team. Their strength of victory (all by slim margins) is weak, and their poin differential is -45. Most of the time when they play with a team with a winning record they get dominated. Their 3-0 was a major fraud.

Browns (2-5-1): Congratulaions Browns, you managed to win 2 games this year in your first 5 weeks and managed to be a competitve team multiple other times. Next step is learning how to actually win games. Firing Hue and Haley are good starts.

Bottom of the barrel: Bills (2-6)- Don't be fooled by their fluke wins against the Vikings, this team is trash and their offense makes the Titans O look like the Rams O by comparison. Their biggest source of hope is Josh Allen playing well enough to make this team look semi-watchable

Raiders (1-7): Jon Gruden has basically sacrificed this season to build for the future. Khalil Mack is gone as is underachieving Amari Cooper. The remains of Beast Mode is also injured. This team has gone back to being the laughing stock they were earlier in the decade