1. Kansas City Chiefs– For the fifth straight year, they are champions of the AFC West. I had a problem with how they played in Miami last week because they did get up big, but they allowed the Dolphins to climb back into the game. As I said the other day, they are imposing, but not invincible. They need to get some things tightened up before the playoffs get here. Today, they will be in New Orleans for a huge showdown with the Saints.
2. Green Bay Packers– They just continue to roll. Aaron Rodgers continues to show why he’s the frontrunner for league MVP. The offense is balanced, the defense is surprisingly playing well and the coaching. Now, they are the top seed in the NFC if the playoffs were to start today. Could this be the year where they snap the playoff struggles? Only time will tell. They’ve already locked up the NFC North for the second straight year.
3. Buffalo Bills– The last time the Buffalo Bills won the AFC East, it was 1995 and Bill Clinton was president. Another fun fact about the last time they clinched the division, Josh Allen wasn’t even born yet. I’ve been liking what I’m seeing from them as of late. Josh spreads the ball out to the open receiver; their running game has picked up and their defense has improved as of late. This could be a scary team come January to face.
4. New Orleans Saints– The winning streak came to an end after nine straight wins. Last week was their first-time tasting defeat since September. The defense wasn’t punishing as it has been the last few months and they got away from running the football. Today, they will get their starting quarterback to the field. Drew Brees is expected to start after missing four games with injured ribs and a collapsed lung. Perfect timing for such a big game.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers– After winning their first 11 games, they have dropped their last two. With the loss last week and the Chiefs winning, the Steelers have now dropped to the two seed in the AFC which isn’t bad but having the top seed come playoff time does indeed make a difference. For the Steelers to succeed, that running game must get going. To get themselves back on track, they will play the Bengals on Monday night.
