Judging AFC Overreactions and Facts from Sunday
By all expectations, the AFC would be a gauntlet coming into the NFL season. Through two weeks, it’s been nothing we expected. A ton of overreactions are being thrown out, but are all justified?
Here are our evaluations.
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- The Bengals are in Trouble
Overreaction or an accurate Reaction? Overreaction
What we’ve seen from the Cincinnati Bengals thus far has been nothing short of ug. There is no escaping that. To pour salt on the wound, there are re-surfaced concerns about Joe Burrow’s health, but let’s slow down the panic meter. In 2022, they started 0-2 and went to the AFC Championship, and in 2021, they started 1-1 and went to the Super Bowl. Their next four games are home against the Rams, at Tennessee, at Arizona, and home against Seattle, all games they should win. After Week 6, we’ll see a 4-2 squad hitting their stride.
- Baltimore is a Serious Threat to Come Out of AFC
Overreaction or an accurate Reaction? Accurate Reaction
As Kansas City, Buffalo, and Cincinnati look vulnerable, the Baltimore Ravens look to be building the foundation of a championship contender. To start, defensively, they can be elite and will only be better when Marlon Humphrey returns from injury. Lamar Jackson is doing his thing offensively, and we saw the revamped passing attack on display against the Bengals. To put this team in the championship conversation, they should be on the phone with the Colts trying to find a way to bring in Jonathan Taylor to replace JK Dobbins.
- Chiefs Don’t Have a Championship-Level Offense
Overreaction or an accurate Reaction? Accurate Reaction
Patrick Mahomes is Patrick Mahomes, I get it, but I find it hard to have confidence in this Kansas City Chiefs offense right now or for the foreseeable future. As Travis Kelce continues to ramp it up, he’ll help out, but these wide receivers are putrid. Horrible. They can’t catch, can’t create separation, and can’t make the necessary plays. What’s stopping opposing defenses from putting two or even three guys near Kelce and leaving every other Chiefs receiver on an island? Kansas City needs to bring someone in big time, maybe Mike Evans, once the Buccaneers return to Earth from their 2-0 start. An elite or competent receiver would do so much for this Chiefs offense that it isn’t funny.
- Dolphins Can Win it All
Overreaction or an accurate Reaction? Accurate Reaction
How about the Miami Dolphins? Back-to-back wins on the road against playoff hopefuls; that’s how you make a statement to start a season. Tua Tagovailoa may not have looked as sharp against New England compared to the Chargers, but he’s one of the better quarterbacks in this league. He’s also a few more statement performances away from being at the forefront of the MVP conversation. Around him, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are as good as it gets for a receiver duo, and this defense will only improve down the stretch when Jalen Ramsey returns.
- Buffalo Will Sustain Its Offensive Performance
Overreaction or an accurate Reaction? Overreaction
One game against a bad team isn’t enough to change a narrative in my eyes. The Las Vegas Raiders’ defense stinks, and while 38 points aren’t something to gloss over, we already saw what a good defense like the Jets can do to the Buffalo Bills’ offense. Josh Allen is easily rattled, so once the playoffs bring about consistently better opposition, there is nothing to tell us Allen will remain composed. The Bills should stay dominant in the regular season but come up short when it matters most.
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