NFL Playoff Power Rankings: AFC Wild Card Teams
With the NFL playoff finally here, the AFC Wild Card looks to be an exciting one with plenty of teams with viable chances to go far in this postseason. Let’s examine the Wild Card field and rank the best of the bunch.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
There’s perhaps no hotter team heading into the playoffs than the AFC South champion Jacksonville Jaguars, who rattled off an impressive 8 straight wins to close out the regular season.
Much of that streak can be attributed to the outstanding play of Jaguars star QB Trevor Lawrence. The former Clemson Tiger finished with over 2,009 passing yards and 19 touchdowns during the Jaguars’ final 8 game stretch.
If Lawrence can continue his hot streak while limiting the back-breaking turnovers that he’s also cleaned up of late, there may not be a more dangerous team in the AFC than the Jaguars.
2. Houston Texans
Speaking of hot streaks, the Texans finished the year on a heater of their own, as Houston won 9 straight games to come within striking distance of stealing the AFC South from Jacksonville. While the Jaguars used their offense to carry them in their win streak, the Texans leaned on their defense during their streak.
Coming into the postseason, the Texans boast the number one-ranked overall defense and the number one-ranked pass rush in the league. The Texans’ stifling defense, combined with star players on offense such as QB C.J. Stroud and receiver Nico Collins having found their rhythm, the Texans will be a handful for anyone in their way.
3. New England Patriots
Whether or not you use the Patriots’ soft schedule to doubt their Super Bowl chances, the numbers tell an entirely different story. New England is one of only a handful of teams in the NFL with both a top 10-ranked defense and offense, ranking 8th on defense and 3rd on offense.
The biggest question mark surrounding the Patriots is whether their rushing attack will be strong enough against an AFC playoff field that’s filled with elite rush defenses. The Patriots’ rushing offense finished 30th overall during the season. If the Patriots can get their run game going, that’ll buy more than enough time for star QB and MVP frontrunner Drake Maye to lead the Patriots to their former glory.
4. Buffalo Bills
It feels a bit weird to rank Buffalo this low, given the fact that they possess the best QB in the entire AFC in Josh Allen, but there are quite a few question marks surrounding this team. The biggest being the Bills’ overall receiving corps, which by all measures, both stats and roster-wise, is the worst Buffalo has fielded in Allen’s prime.
The Bills finished without a 1,000-yard receiver, with wideout Khalil Shakir leading the Bills with just 719 yards on the season. The other problem is the Bills inability to stop the run on defense, as they ranked 28th overall in that department.
However, if Josh Allen can channel his usual playoff brilliance while star running back James Cook can give the Bills offense a huge boost on the ground, it could finally be the Bills’ year.
5. Los Angeles Chargers
In one of the more remarkable seasons by any team in some time, the injury-ridden Chargers were able to find a way to clinch their second straight postseason appearance. The only issue with that, every team in the AFC playoffs fields elite pass rushes that will more than feast on the Chargers’ depleted offensive line.
Although there is some reason to hope for Chargers fans, as the team has an elite defense of their own to counter with. The Chargers’ defense ranked 4th overall, with elite players like safety Derwin James Jr. leading the charge on that side of the ball.
If star QB Justin Herbert can gut it out behind a bad o-line like he has all season, and the defense can continue its elite play, the Chargers could be the surprise team that everyone is looking past.
6. Pittsburgh Steelers
While Aaron Rodgers has more playoff wins than all of the other AFC QBs in the playoffs combined, there are just too many holes throughout this Steelers team to really rank them higher on this list.
The biggest hole on the Steelers is the inconsistent play of the offense overall. While Pittsburgh has some nice weapons, with players like DK Metcalf, Calvin Austin III, and Pat Freiermuth, the poor playcalling and offensive scheme doesn’t seem to properly utilize their talents.
Now the Steelers could somehow surprise everyone and go from being a mediocre offense to a high-scoring and highly effective behemoth overnight. However, with the Texans and their number one-ranked defense rolling into town on Monday, that miracle is nothing more than wishful thinking.
Final Thoughts
I figured it’s important to note that every team on this list has the capabilities to compete for a title, given how wide open the AFC playoff field is this year. That level of open season in the AFC will, in all likelihood, lead to one of the more exciting playoffs in recent memory.
