Around the AFCN

[cincygrad]

The Steelers are playing for a seed at this point.... Unless the injury bug bites them, this division will be over before most of us start Christmas shopping.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

The Steelers are playing for a seed at this point.... Unless the injury bug bites them, this division will be over before most of us start Christmas shopping.

Steelers really need to come out of the next 3 games 9-2...then 2-2 over the next 4 would be acceptable to be 12-4 assuming they could close out CLE at home.

Assuming this doesn't all come crashing down somehow, to get the 1 they will need to beat NE week 15.

We'll see...nothing is in the bag yet.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

AFCN goes on the road at the same time

BAL @TEN... Still haven't figured out what the Titans are all about. Before the season I was predicting a sleeping giant of sorts. More like a troll under the bridge. They are better at home averaging 28.3pts, vs 18.3pts on the road. Should be a tightly contested game. Early reports indicate Flacco is feeling good and will progress through the 5-step protocol.

CIN @JAX... Should be a good game. Cincy has the better offense, but I don't know how it will do against that scary good JAX defense. Dalton will need to play a very clean game if they want to come away with a win in that one. Getting Mixon going should be a priority. Jags are on fire against the pass. I fear for Cincy's O-line though. It will be a tough game.

CLE @DET... Lions offense should shred this game. Cleveland has been stout against the run, and about average vs the pass. DC Gregg Williams is doing a decent job with the tools he has. As for their offense... yikes. Detroit shouldn't have any problems getting the job done.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Steelers really need to come out of the next 3 games 9-2...then 2-2 over the next 4 would be acceptable to be 12-4 assuming they could close out CLE at home.

Assuming this doesn't all come crashing down somehow, to get the 1 they will need to beat NE week 15.

We'll see...nothing is in the bag yet.

@IND... Trap game. Can they finally escape one with a win? They have 2 weeks to prepare so you should assume victory here, but we've learned that nothing is ever given with this team.
vTEN... Had this game circled when the schedule came out as a questionable game. But now I think its going to be a win.
vGB... Packers are banged up in a bad way and just can't seem to stay healthy. Being a home game I'm fairly confident.

3 potential trap games here lol. But on paper they should go 3-0 during this stretch.

@Cin... Not lookin forward to this game. Cincy is going to be fired up to put a damper on PIT's playoff aspirations.
vBAL...
vNE... After back to back AFCN bouts. We'll be lucky to get out of that stretch healthy and at full strength against NE. Will be the game of the season IMO, predicting a lot will be on the line for both teams' postseason.
@HOU... Hottest team in the AFC. Should be an exciting Xmas game. Bummed that JJ Watt won't be a part of it but should still feature a lot of firepower from both teams.

2-2 here is going to be tough. Very tough.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

@IND... Trap game. Can they finally escape one with a win? They have 2 weeks to prepare so you should assume victory here, but we've learned that nothing is ever given with this team.
vTEN... Had this game circled when the schedule came out as a questionable game. But now I think its going to be a win.
vGB... Packers are banged up in a bad way and just can't seem to stay healthy. Being a home game I'm fairly confident.

3 potential trap games here lol. But on paper they should go 3-0 during this stretch.

@Cin... Not lookin forward to this game. Cincy is going to be fired up to put a damper on PIT's playoff aspirations.
vBAL...
vNE... After back to back AFCN bouts. We'll be lucky to get out of that stretch healthy and at full strength against NE. Will be the game of the season IMO, predicting a lot will be on the line for both teams' postseason.
@HOU... Hottest team in the AFC. Should be an exciting Xmas game. Bummed that JJ Watt won't be a part of it but should still feature a lot of firepower from both teams.

2-2 here is going to be tough. Very tough.

It's good we're fans so we can do this stuff, but starting off with "any given Sunday"...we know this can be blown up in any week, but it's fun.

The Steelers will be probably 5 to 6 pt favorites in all 3 of the games coming out of the bye...I still do fear TN, because they like to do what the Steelers are not great at stopping...pound the rock with a big RB. At home I think they will rise to the occasion.

If they take care of business there, with BAL & NE at home, I like they're chances in both of those games to go 2-2. The Ravens are still fighting and will be a dangerous team...this is the yr to sweep them and I think they will. Right now I think the Steelers front 7 has the edge on CIN OL and make that a tough game win or lose.

HOU...I'm not getting a great feeling about that trip...Watson is clearly the best rookie QB in this class and from what I've seen...it looks like it's not a fluke. Agree it would be nice to have seen the Watt brothers on the field in the same game.

12-4 with a win over NE might be enough for a 1...11-5 is probably the 2 since they have the h-t-h over KC if they happen to tie. Anything less than 11-5 and we're talking about a collapse of some sort.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Nothing sweeter than being on bye week and BOTH Cincy & Baltimore lost...

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Nothing sweeter than being on bye week and BOTH Cincy & Baltimore lost...

What may have been better was they sent the end of BAL @ TN to ATL for some reason...a real bad INT by Mariota put BAL back in the game. But he rebounded on the next drive and got a FG...entertaining game, but if BAL has to air it out to win, they're in trouble.

Funny seeing AJ go MMA on Ramsey...never seen him get that irate, but Ramsey has been trying to be a badass.

PIT needs to make sure they are ready for IND...this Brissett kid is showing he can play a little bit. Comig off a road win, they will be looking to slay a DIV leader.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

What may have been better was they sent the end of BAL @ TN to ATL for some reason...a real bad INT by Mariota put BAL back in the game. But he rebounded on the next drive and got a FG...entertaining game, but if BAL has to air it out to win, they're in trouble.

Funny seeing AJ go MMA on Ramsey...never seen him get that irate, but Ramsey has been trying to be a badass.

PIT needs to make sure they are ready for IND...this Brissett kid is showing he can play a little bit. Comig off a road win, they will be looking to slay a DIV leader.

AFC... Forgot to also mention the implications of KC losing as well. That makes PIT & NE the 1-2 seeds I think.

Green... Ramsey must have been in his head from the start. Like you said, never seen him get that heated before. Ramsey has been in this spotlight before with the Steve Smith Sr feud last year. Seems like he enjoys the banter & getting into his opponent's head. Hell if he's this good at it one could consider it an advantage. Green being an established vet should know better than that.

IND... They are definitely better than their record would suggest; particularly on offense. They’ve just played a lot of top defenses so far this year. Against middling or worse defenses they are scoring in the mid 20’s per game. The Steelers better be ready and not play down to the competition; because Indy has been playing up to competition all year. I hope this is the week that the offense puts it all together. Hopefully the team comes out focused for the 2nd half stretch run.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

AFC... Forgot to also mention the implications of KC losing as well. That makes PIT & NE the 1-2 seeds I think.

Green... Ramsey must have been in his head from the start. Like you said, never seen him get that heated before. Ramsey has been in this spotlight before with the Steve Smith Sr feud last year. Seems like he enjoys the banter & getting into his opponent's head. Hell if he's this good at it one could consider it an advantage. Green being an established vet should know better than that.

IND... They are definitely better than their record would suggest; particularly on offense. They’ve just played a lot of top defenses so far this year. Against middling or worse defenses they are scoring in the mid 20’s per game. The Steelers better be ready and not play down to the competition; because Indy has been playing up to competition all year. I hope this is the week that the offense puts it all together. Hopefully the team comes out focused for the 2nd half stretch run.

AFC...I guess it's never a bad time to be a 1 seed, but it'll feel a whole lot better wearing that tag late DEC. Like you said...it's games like this vs the Colts that plagued PIT under Tomlin...favorite on the road. The Colts probably are b-t-b winners if not for a great pick 6 by a DL Dunlap.

Just looking at the rest of KC's schedule...I'm guessing they lose 2 more and are 11-5 and probably the 3rd seed. I think you can make a 12-4 case for both NE & PIT...It could come down to week 15 most likely...Tomlin will have conquer his demons to get the 1 seed.

 

[cincygrad]

Shocking to see AJ Green lose it. As the Bengals beat writer said, if you asked him to line up the guys 1-53 and pick the player that would react that way, AJ would finish 53 every time (I'm assuming Burfict is the consensus favorite). Makes you wonder how frustrated he really is playing in this awful offense. I mean, I'm sure there is nothing Ramsey can say that AJ hasn't heard before. The guy has been playing since 2011.

Outside of Pittsburgh, this division is looking to be a dumpster fire. Marvin should be gone by the end of the season. It's looking like Hue isn't going to be around long (if you believe that there is friction with the FO) and I'm starting to wonder if Baltimore might try a reboot.

 

[cincygrad]

Maybe I spoke too soon about Baltimore. Looking at their schedule, it's entirely possible that they get to 9 wins and a playoff birth. They get to play the Texans who look lost without Watson, the Packers who are lost without Rogers, the Browns, the Bengals, and the Colts who are lost without Luck.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Maybe I spoke too soon about Baltimore. Looking at their schedule, it's entirely possible that they get to 9 wins and a playoff birth. They get to play the Texans who look lost without Watson, the Packers who are lost without Rogers, the Browns, the Bengals, and the Colts who are lost without Luck.

Steelers have a similar schedule... Chalked full of backup QBs. What was once a pretty intimidating schedule has definitely turned into one of the easier ones that we've seen in recent memory.

@IND
vTEN
vGB
@CIN
vBAL
vNE
@HOU
vCLE

Quite a shame really. I was looking forward to seeing how the Steelers could compare to the offenses of GB & HOU at full strength. Not to mention getting a better look at the defense & seeing if its for real or not. Looks like NE will be the biggest test the rest of the way.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Maybe I spoke too soon about Baltimore. Looking at their schedule, it's entirely possible that they get to 9 wins and a playoff birth. They get to play the Texans who look lost without Watson, the Packers who are lost without Rogers, the Browns, the Bengals, and the Colts who are lost without Luck.

9 wins will go a long way this season in the AFC.

 

[cincygrad]

Steelers have a similar schedule... Chalked full of backup QBs. What was once a pretty intimidating schedule has definitely turned into one of the easier ones that we've seen in recent memory.

@IND
vTEN
vGB
@CIN
vBAL
vNE
@HOU
vCLE

Quite a shame really. I was looking forward to seeing how the Steelers could compare to the offenses of GB & HOU at full strength. Not to mention getting a better look at the defense & seeing if its for real or not. Looks like NE will be the biggest test the rest of the way.

I was starting to like watching the Texans. Watson was fun to watch. And Pittsburgh vs. Green Bay would have been really entertaining. I agree - It's one of those years that the schedule doesn't end up living up to the hype. This year, it's due to injury.

 

[cincygrad]

9 wins will go a long way this season in the AFC.

The playoffs are going to be top-heavy in the AFC. I think we're going to see several playoff blowouts in week 1 of the postseason which is going to further hurt the NFL ratings.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

The playoffs are going to be top-heavy in the AFC. I think we're going to see several playoff blowouts in week 1 of the postseason which is going to further hurt the NFL ratings.

Maybe...as of today we'd have;

#6 BUF @ #3 KC

#5 JAX @ #4 TN

BUF would have a tough time getting out of KC with a win, but idk that they get blown out and I would favor TN, but I would lay any more than 3.

If BAL knocks out BUF or JAX for the 6...they have more experience in the playoffs...I'd give them a better shot to win in KC, but I would still take the Chiefs. WC round I'm not sure about too many blowouts.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Browns Allow Clock To Run Out With Ball On The 2-Yard Line Before Halftime (VIDEO)

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Week 10 Recap

PIT...7-2 W @ IND, 20-17...just an awful 1st half performance...fortunately they play two halves of football. Hanging on the #1 seed in the AFC for another week. This team just doesn't give me that warm and fuzzy feeling...I think the DEF is playing well enough to play deep into JAN but when you look at the OFC...nothing is in stone.

This week...home vs TN on TNF.

BAL...4-5...idle. The Raven hit their bye week. They're not the Ravens of old...more holes on this team than we've seen in the past, but you know you're going to get a gutsy effort every game...9-7 might be good enough in the AFC to grab a WC slot...looking at the schedule...this team could be at 9 wins at the end of the year.

This week...@ GB

CIN...3-6 L @ TN, 20-24. The Bengals are the most disappointing team in the DIV imo...the OFC has not sustained the brief uptick they had with the new OC. Without seeing all the games, it's hard to say what the problems are, but I didn't think their OL issues could be sorted out in one season. I'm thinking quietly the search has started for the new HC.

This week...@ DEN

CLE...0-9...L 24-38 @ DET. I think the burden might be too much for Hue Jackson. The day they announced Kizer as their starting QB really set the table for the record today. I'm seeing where fans are starting to turn on Hue. Being totally honest...idk what kind of HC Hue would be his 2nd time around, but he had to feel good about his status to go with a QB that many felt was not ready to play.

I would stay with Hue for the '18 season, but they've got to get him a QB. You have the OL, at this point they need to get more aggressive and buck up for a legit QB...this regime doesn't have time to develop Kizer. That makes me wonder...with Lewis probably on his way out in CIN...if CLE doesn't go after a Cousins, or Alex Smith does Hue bolt for the Queen City....the OH version.

This week...JAX...the Jags didn't look that great on the rd last week...maybe the Browns get off the goose egg this week.

 

[Superbelt]

Browns Allow Clock To Run Out With Ball On The 2-Yard Line Before Halftime (VIDEO)

I dunno about that. Bad idea to call a run play with 15 seconds and no time outs, but the Lions were clearly trying to delay that so the time ran out. I almost think they should have gotten an untimed down for what the guys on the bottom of that pile were doing.

 

[cincygrad]

The Bengals are a mess on the offensive line, and outside of AJ Green the receivers aren't getting any separation. This isn't helping. Obviously, a running game would help open things up, but that hasn't happened this season either.

On defense they have a number of good players, young and old, but can't seem to figure out third down. One of their best players (Burfict) is spending more time collecting fines and dodging suspension than playing football - He's also playing out of position as he's forced to the middle due to Minter's injury. He plays better as a weak side linebacker.

Marvin will quietly leave the team at the end of the year. His contract is up. The real question for Bengals fans and fans of the division is whether the Bengals are serious about improving under a new coach. They likely need to go outside the organization for some fresh blood and fresh ideas. A culture change could pay off almost instantly with some of the talent on the team. Unfortunately, I believe they will go the cheap route and hire Paul Guenther (the current DC) and spiral even further into the abyss.