The Kansas City Chiefs have been focused their AFC West rivals, which is both appropriate and expected. The Denver Broncos defense is a force to be reckoned with that’s carried the Broncos to an 8-2 record, and the Los Angeles Chargers continue to hang around in the division despite losing stud tackle Joe Alt for the season to an ankle injury.
But there are other contenders to consider, and the bye is the right time to do that. The other division leaders in the AFC are an intriguing bunch, to say the least, and a couple of them would be fascinating matchups.
Indianapolis Colts. The Colts have been the big surprise in the AFC, racing out to a 6-1 record to take the lead in the AFC South, but they’re starting to look like a bit of a fraud team lately. They stumbled last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, losing 27-20 as Daniel Jones threw three interceptions.
Running back Jonathan Taylor is a genuine load, however. He rushed for over 200 yards and three touchdowns against the Atlanta Falcons in Germany today, and that’s not the first time he’s piled up those kinds of numbers.
Is Jones turning into a pumpkin? He’s showing signs for sure, committing silly mistakes and turning the ball over. Taylor saved his bacon today in overtime, and he’d be the issue if these teams ended up meeting in the playoffs.
New England Patriots. This one’s the real shocker. Quarterback Drake Maye showed plenty of promise as a rookie last year, but the consensus was that the Patriots roster needed another year of development before they could truly contend.
Guess again. New coach Mike Vrabel has restored order during his first round of roster upgrades, and the Patriots have taken advantage of a soft schedule to take the division lead. The most surprising aspect of this is that they’ve beaten the Buffalo Bills and are now a game ahead.
That lead may or may not hold up, but the Chiefs don’t have a lot to worry about here just yet. New England’s offensive line is still shaky, and the defense has also been problematic at times. Maye will eventually be a big problem, but the rest of the team isn’t quite there yet.
Pittsburgh Steelers. No one knows what the Steelers really are right now. The Aaron Rodgers experiment has worked, with the quarterback leading the Steelers to a 4-1 record. But the Steelers are showing signs of the same kind of second-half regression that’s plagued them in recent years, and while they might be a playoff team, they’re not a team the Chiefs should worry about, either.
The Baltimore Ravens are coming, however. Quarterback Lamar Jackson is back, and no one would be surprised to see the Ravens overtake Pittsburgh. Given that the Chiefs have already routed the Ravens, however, so they’re on solid ground if Baltimore become a playoff opponent.