The race to the playoffs is heating up with only the Baltimore Ravens have clinched a spot in the prestigious postseason. With just a few weeks left, the AFC Wild Card race is as close as ever with half of a dozen AFC teams vying for the three coveted spots.
The NFL season is full of ups and downs and a few teams who were counted out early on are ready to make a push to sneak on in and give themselves a shot. Getting these AFC teams in will make betting on NFL playoffs even more enticing for the common fan.
3 AFC Teams That Can Sneak Into the Playoffs
Cincinnati Bengals
No Joe Burrow has proved to be less of a worry than many anticipated. Jake Browning has stepped in admirably and has led the Bengals as one of the hottest AFC teams in the NFL. While he may not be on Burrow’s level in terms of talent and ability to process the field, Zac Taylor has done an impressive job at tailoring the offense to play to Browning’s strength.
With Browning, the Bengals’ run game has taken a step. Joe Mixon and rookie Chase Brown have shown to be a solid one-two punch with the latter providing a spark at the position the Bengals haven’t seen in a while. Even its biggest weakness, the offensive line, has played admirably of late.
The concern with this team is its injuries. D.J. Reader has been lost for the year. Ja’Marr Chase is going to miss time with a new shoulder injury. Oh, and they close the year facing T.J. Watt, Chris Jones, and Myles Garrett’s elite Browns defense.
Indianapolis Colts
Injuries at quarterback have been a common issue and the Colts were one to get hit with rookie Anthony Richardson going down early. Gardner Minshew stepped up and has led his team to a 6-4 record in 10 starts with 2,739 passing yards and 21 touchdowns. At tailback, Jonathan Taylor has only suited up for seven games.
Out wide, Minshew has a pair of solid receivers in Josh Downs and Michael Pittman with the latter already surpassing 1,000 yards receiving.
One of the strengths of this team is its defense. The secondary has forced 11 interceptions led by Julian Blackmon’s four and Kenny Moore’s three. Moore even returned a pair for touchdowns in the win over the Panthers. Up front, the Colts have forced the third-most sacks with 46, led by edge rusher Samson Ebukam’s 9.5.
It hasn’t been an easy for Indianapolis this year but they are well in the thick of both the Wild Card and AFC South races. With three games to go, the Colts sit in a three-way tie atop the division. The interesting part of it all is the fact that the Colts only have one divisional game remaining: Week 18 vs the Texans. The margin for error is razor-thin.
Buffalo Bills
Speaking of razor-thin margins for error, the Buffalo Bills are back in the thick of things. After dropping the first game of the year to the lowly Aaron Rogers-less Jets. Down the way, they even lost to the Patriots and helped kick off the Bengals’ playoff push. At the bye, they were 6-6 and facing down two of the best teams in the NFL.
Then, they beat both of those top teams. The latest being a beatdown of the Cowboys.
Josh Allen has this offense humming in ways not thought possible with all of the early-season struggles. And he’s done so without a massive performance by star receiver, Stefon Diggs. Running back James Cook has broken out and has proven himself a lethal weapon on this offense.
They may need a little help when it’s all said and done but they do have an opportunity to not only make the playoffs, they can win the AFC East. The Dolphins have faltered of late and their schedule doesn’t lighten up. If all things go according to plan, the Week 18 matchup between the Dolphins and Bills could decide the division with two AFC teams who already hate each other.