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 much 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 in at 6-2 following an important 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 signify 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 troublesome to totally purchase right into a group that hasn’t really been examined, as 5 of their seven wins have come towards 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 exterior the convention’s interior circle.
4. Denver Broncos (8-2)
Thursday’s sport towards the Raiders was the right illustration of the Broncos expertise this yr. Their defensive entrance wreaked havoc on Raiders quarterback Geno Smith all night time, sacking him six occasions and holding them on tempo for the single-season file. Their offense, nevertheless, was a disjointed mess, struggling to maneuver the ball towards a bottom-10 protection and registering extra penalties (11) than first downs (10). Quarterback Bo Nix has actually had his moments this yr, however he at present ranks twenty seventh within the NFL in passer ranking 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’ll must be extra constant on offense in the event that they hope to carry on to the AFC’s prime seed.
