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Heading into Week 16 of the 2023 NFL season, the postseason race is heating up and there are sure to be exciting games full of playoff drama down the stretch. This late into the year, some teams are hitting their stride, while others are limping into the final three weeks of the 2023 campaign.
There are no official "rankings" in the NFL, so we'll examine recent hype and public perception of some of the potential AFC playoff teams after Week 15.
In this article, we'll take a deep dive into the dynamic landscape of the NFL and examine the overrated and underrated teams that have emerged as contenders or pretenders in the AFC ahead of Week 16 of the 2023 NFL season.
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Week 16's Most Overrated AFC Team
Denver Broncos
- Record: 7-7
- Current Division Standing: Second Place (AFC West)
Denver came into Week 15 winners of six of their last seven games. It looked like Sean Payton and Russell Wilson might be able to get hot at the right time and establish themselves as legitimate players in the AFC. However, the Broncos suffered an embarrassing 25-point loss in Detroit. The defense looked similar to the unit that allowed the Miami Dolphins to score 70 points, so clearly, that's still a big issue.
Wilson has been able to keep the Broncos afloat in tight contests, but he doesn't appear capable of winning shootouts anymore. Between the lackluster offense and low-floor defense, it'd be shocking to see Denver make it past the Wild Card round. They fell to the 11-seed after this loss, so there's a good chance they won't even be in the mix.
Sean Payton was livid and chewed out Russell Wilson on the sidelinepic.twitter.com/3NY1C8ptTP
— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) December 17, 2023
Other AFC Pretenders
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Jacksonville Jaguars
Mike Tomlin's Steelers squad is going nowhere fast. While hardly anyone believed this team could win a playoff game this year, it looked like they were sure to make the playoffs at the midway point of the season. Now, they've lost three straight games to the Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots, and Indianapolis Colts. Sure, Mitch Trubisky hasn't played well, but Kenny Pickett wasn't a big upgrade before his injury.
The Bengals are on a three-game winning streak without Joe Burrow. Jake Browning is playing outstanding football. Those two things cannot be taken away. However, it's hard to believe in their chances to make noise in the playoffs, especially since they're likely going to be on the road in the Wild Card Round if they qualify.
The Jaguars are playing poorly down the stretch, and the offense looks broken in Christian Kirk's absence.
Week 16's Most Underrated AFC Team
Buffalo Bills
- Record: 8-6
- Current Division Standing: Second Place (AFC East)
All of a sudden, no one wants to play the Bills in the playoffs. Buffalo crushed a red-hot Dallas Cowboys team in Week 15, despite Josh Allen passing for fewer than 100 yards. Sean McDermott has the defense back on track, and James Cook has emerged as a real game-changer as a runner and receiver.
Buffalo should be sitting at 10 wins entering Week 18, as they draw matchups with the Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots. If Miami loses to either the Cowboys or Baltimore Ravens over the next two weeks, the Bills could have a chance to win the AFC East.
After all the drama and claims that Buffalo is bottoming out in 2023, they could be right in the mix to represent the AFC in Super Bowl 58.
James Cook had more scrimmage yards than the Cowboys had net yards in Week 15
- most scrimmage yards by BUF player since Fred Jackson in 2009
- first BUF RB with 200+ yds, 2+ TDs since Thurman Thomas in 1991
- 4th BUF player with 200+ yds, 1 rec + 1 rush TD - 1st since the 80s— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) December 18, 2023
Other AFC Contenders
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Cleveland Browns
While Kansas City has been underwhelming this season, they're still well on track to win the AFC West. The Chiefs still have Patrick Mahomes and a top-10 stop unit in the NFL, meaning they have the chance to compete for a trip to the Super Bowl.
Cleveland keeps finding a way to win behind an elite defense and the resurgence of Joe Flacco. Although it's tough to think they can make a Super Bowl run with Flacco at the helm, they have a formula that can win an ugly, hard-fought playoff game.
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