Around the AFCN

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

I know. Sad.

Ravens defense restored with six off COVID list

The Ravens received a big boost to the defense as six players who were identified as high-risk close contacts came off the reserve/COVID-19 list Saturday.

www.espn.com

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

C'mon INDY!!! Get that W!

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Wow, Takk got cut??? I didn't even hear that until I saw this...


Our former 1st Rd mock pick @SteelersPride

 

[Wamu]

Brutal loss for the Baltimore O-line


@blue_suns

How much money is a hus contract worth?

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

How much money is a hus contract worth?

Short for HUSTLE

Not sure if he's line 2 or 3.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Been a while.... Let's check in on the AFCN

AFCN recap...

1. PIT... 9-0, W 36-10 vsCIN. Routing their division opponent at home was a pleasant surprise for this team that has been squeaking by in recent weeks. Offense seems to be leaning toward a pass-heavy identity, but still some sloppy play to clean up. Ben is having a MVP caliber season, but he won't receive the credit for it with how good this defense is.

Next Week... @JAX... Another trap game on the docket. Steelers won their last meeting against them, but the stain of getting throttled by the Jags back in '17 & '18 still lingers. Jags have a great ground & pound game, but question marks at QB. Steelers should win this game, but nothing is ever a given. They have a big game looming on Thanksgiving that could cause them to overlook the Jags. But maybe not. Thanks to the Pats, the Steelers take a 3-game lead on the division. Division pressure is taking a backseat for now. Still, the Steelers need to keep finding a way to get in rhythm. Would love to see them devote more effort towards their run game.

2. BAL... 6-3, L 17-23 @NE... Gut punch game. Worst weather I've seen in a while. Absolute monsoon in the 2nd half. Still, the Ravens were the league leading rushing attack that got dismantled by NE. Credit to the Hoodie for making that happen, but the Ravens had no business losing this game. Jackson performed admirably considering the conditions.

Next Week... vsTEN. The schedule gets a lot tougher for the Ravens. Titans & Steelers back to back to close out November. They have a very real chance of slipping ot 6-5 heading into December. They've got to figure out a way to rebound against a strong Titans team. Still hold the head 2 head tie breaker with CLE, but they are in danger of losing this 2nd spot in the division in the coming weeks.

3. CLE... 6-3, W 10-7 vsHOU... Squeaked this game out, but look out... Brownies are stringing together wins and very much in the race for the postseason. They had 2 RBs that eclipsed 100yds in this game. Unreal. Baker still struggling to find his feet in the passing game sans OBJ.

Next Week... vsPHI... Browns have a great chance at leapfrogging BAL before December with games against the Iggles & Jags to close out November. If I were a betting man I'd put the Browns closing out the season at 10-6 and in WC contention. I see no reason why they shouldn't be in the postseason unless they suffer a landmine game or 2 against any of the following: PHI, JAX, NYG, or NYJ.

4. CIN... 2-6-1, L 10-36 @PIT... Bengals got another wake up call against a division opponent reminding them that they still have a ways to go before this roster is built to contend within the division. Their O-line continues to be a mess. Burrow got harassed all game long but never backed down. This kid is tough.

Next Week... @WFT. Bengals hit the road with a very winnable game in DC. Bengals need to start stringing together some wins. They need their O-line to rebound in a big way. Uphill climb to close out the season. Games against MIA, DAL, PIT, HOU, & BAL. Only 2 of those seem winnable right now.

 

[Superbelt]

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Fantastic. Putting this in the QB King thread on the general.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

Been a while.... Let's check in on the AFCN

AFCN recap...

1. PIT... 9-0, W 36-10 vsCIN. Routing their division opponent at home was a pleasant surprise for this team that has been squeaking by in recent weeks. Offense seems to be leaning toward a pass-heavy identity, but still some sloppy play to clean up. Ben is having a MVP caliber season, but he won't receive the credit for it with how good this defense is.

Next Week... @JAX... Another trap game on the docket. Steelers won their last meeting against them, but the stain of getting throttled by the Jags back in '17 & '18 still lingers. Jags have a great ground & pound game, but question marks at QB. Steelers should win this game, but nothing is ever a given. They have a big game looming on Thanksgiving that could cause them to overlook the Jags. But maybe not. Thanks to the Pats, the Steelers take a 3-game lead on the division. Division pressure is taking a backseat for now. Still, the Steelers need to keep finding a way to get in rhythm. Would love to see them devote more effort towards their run game.

2. BAL... 6-3, L 17-23 @NE... Gut punch game. Worst weather I've seen in a while. Absolute monsoon in the 2nd half. Still, the Ravens were the league leading rushing attack that got dismantled by NE. Credit to the Hoodie for making that happen, but the Ravens had no business losing this game. Jackson performed admirably considering the conditions.

Next Week... vsTEN. The schedule gets a lot tougher for the Ravens. Titans & Steelers back to back to close out November. They have a very real chance of slipping ot 6-5 heading into December. They've got to figure out a way to rebound against a strong Titans team. Still hold the head 2 head tie breaker with CLE, but they are in danger of losing this 2nd spot in the division in the coming weeks.

3. CLE... 6-3, W 10-7 vsHOU... Squeaked this game out, but look out... Brownies are stringing together wins and very much in the race for the postseason. They had 2 RBs that eclipsed 100yds in this game. Unreal. Baker still struggling to find his feet in the passing game sans OBJ.

Next Week... vsPHI... Browns have a great chance at leapfrogging BAL before December with games against the Iggles & Jags to close out November. If I were a betting man I'd put the Browns closing out the season at 10-6 and in WC contention. I see no reason why they shouldn't be in the postseason unless they suffer a landmine game or 2 against any of the following: PHI, JAX, NYG, or NYJ.

4. CIN... 2-6-1, L 10-36 @PIT... Bengals got another wake up call against a division opponent reminding them that they still have a ways to go before this roster is built to contend within the division. Their O-line continues to be a mess. Burrow got harassed all game long but never backed down. This kid is tough.

Next Week... @WFT. Bengals hit the road with a very winnable game in DC. Bengals need to start stringing together some wins. They need their O-line to rebound in a big way. Uphill climb to close out the season. Games against MIA, DAL, PIT, HOU, & BAL. Only 2 of those seem winnable right now.

I am withholding judgement on Baker until he plays in a game with less than 50 mph winds.

He did well against cincy minus OBJ

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

AFCN recap...

1. PIT... 10-0, W 27-3 @JAX. Another routing, which felt really good for the team & the fans after grinding out the month of October. The team is avoiding the trap games and imposing their will even though the offense is still struggling to find consistency. They still were fortunate to be able to pull their starters with 5-6mins remaining in the 4th, which is a great thing heading into the short turnaround week. The defense was back to full strength, but Haden may have to sit out on Thanksgiving. Justin Layne & Cam Sutton could see a lot more work.

Next Week... vsBAL... Short week heading into TNF against the Ravens. Usually this game would be fireworks, but its looking like this Ravens team will be handicapped by COVID. They were banged up to begin with, so this will be interesting to see how the NFL handles this Thanksgiving game. A lot of money on the table for TV viewership. So far it looks like the NFL has no intentions of moving the game. But we've discussed this in the past, it doesn't matter what sort of BAL team they bring to these matchups, they could field a team of UDFAs and still give us a fight. Remember that 5-11 squad back in '15? Yea they still managed to sweep the Steelers that year. Make no mistake, this game will still be competitive. This Ravens team has their backs against the wall so they'll be dangerous.

3. CLE... 7-3, W 22-17 vsPHI... Squeaked out another one. But credit to the coaching staff for finding a way to win in crappy weather. They are grinding out wins on the back of their run game & a resurgent defense. And look out, they've leap-frogged BAL in the division. I was pretty amazed at how well their D-line performed sans Garrett. Arrow is pointed up for this squad.

Next Week... @JAX... Browns can keep the momentum going this week against a reeling 1-win JAX squad. JAX has no answers at QB, and they may look to throw Minshew back into the fold if he's healthy. Jags have a decent O-line so the Browns D-line should have a good test this week. Browns are hopeful to get some players back from the COVID list. And the thought of taking a 2-game lead on BAL in the division has to feel good. Even though the Steelers are looking at 11-0, barring an upset, the Browns still have an outside shot at taking the division crown. It will take winning out, but its not impossible. TEN & BAL in back to back weeks will be their biggest hurdle. That 12/14 game against the Ravens will be a huge one for the Browns. Then they get 2 easier matchups against the Giants & Jets before their final draw against a possible resting PIT squad that has their eyes on the postseason (prime for upset).

2. BAL... 6-4, L 24-30 vsTEN... This was major loss for them & it puts them in danger of slipping out of the playoff race & being forced to play catch up the rest of the year. Going into OT just to get uppercut by Derrick Henry had to be both exhausting & demoralizing. And it gets worse. COVID is running rampant on them again on a short week to TNF. 10 staff & personnel so far.

Next Week... @PIT. As I said before, this Ravens squad may be looking at 6-5 to enter the month of December. No practice on a short week heading into TNF game is brutal. They are practically begging for a reschedule, but the NFL isn't going to let their primetime viewership on Thanksgiving walk without a fight. John Harbaugh has got to find a way to get this team to pull off a W to give them momentum into their easy part of the schedule. Take a loss here and their confidence to close out the season will be low.

4. CIN... 2-7-1, L 9-20 @WFT... And just like that, all that optimism surrounding this team has vanished after Burrow went out with a gruesome knee injury. I feel really bad for the kid. Even though the team was losing a lot of games they still had a LOT to be excited about with Burrow & their emerging talent on both sides of the ball.

Next Week... vsNYG. Another clash with the NFC-least, but now they will have to face it with a backup QB at the helm. Outlook is looking very ugly for the remainder of the Bengals' 2020 season. At this point they have nothing to win for, and would only hurt their draft stock, which may be exactly why they are choosing to play Brandon Allen over Ryan Finley this week. Letting their backups battle it out to see what they have for the future with Burrow's early 2021 season in doubt. They need to set their eyes on the future.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[Stakesarehigh]

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Taking a page out of ATL's book...

AFC At Large!

SEEDING
1. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-1)
REMAINING: @BUF, @CIN, vs. IND, @CLE

• Team is in trouble and is at high risk of dropping 3 out of its next 4. Offense is inept, and the defense is banged up & dropping like flies. They are still in the drivers seat for the #1 seed, but lose to Buffalo and KC takes not only the overall conference record edge, but also the common games tiebreaker. Meaning the Steelers would likely be looking at the #2 seed at best in the playoff picture. All 4 remaining games are conference. And if PIT wants to keep the #1 seed, they will likely need to win ALL of them. PIT is 8-0 in conference. Chiefs overtake them with just 1 loss.

2. Kansas City Chiefs (11-1)
REMAINING: @MIA, @NO, vs. ATL, vs. LAC

• Already clinched a playoff berth. Nawlins poses its biggest threat right now. But being non-conference, its not necessarily detrimental to their seeding. I could see them possibly sleepwalking into the playoffs with ATL & LAC though, so maybe one of them catches them sleeping. They are 9-1 in conference.

3. Buffalo Bills (9-3)
REMAINING: vs. PIT, @DEN, @NE, vs. MIA

• Team on the rise and red hot. As it stands now, I think everyone expects the AFC to boil down to the Chiefs & Bills. Josh Allen is back to his MVP-style of play he was at earlier in the year. Their run game is deficient, and their O-line is weak, but they are making things happen. And their resurgent defense is sealing the deal. This game against PIT will do wonders for their seeding possibilities by the end of the year if PIT continues to falter.

4. Tennessee Titans (8-4)
REMAINING: @JAX, vs. DET, @GB, @HOU

• This team is reeling badly. Defense is awful on 3rd downs. Overall they are still fighting hard. O-line is still in shambles, but they aren't in bad shape. They need to beat JAX & HOU badly or they could slip out altogether. IND is nipping at their heels, while the Titans hold the better division record for now.

5. Cleveland Browns (9-3)
REMAINING: vs. BAL, @NYG, @NYJ. vs. PIT

• Another team on the rise. This game against BAL could make or break their season. Lose and BAL could very well steal the 5th seed by season's end. Fluff games against Giants & Jets should give them an absurd amount of momentum to week 17 against PIT. They could put a foot on PIT's face with that game.

6. Miami Dolphins (8-4)
REMAINING: vs. KC, vs. NE, @LV, @BUF

• Optimism surround the Phins is fading a touch. Shaky QB play and the inability to sustain an offense is an Achilles heel that may very well do them in as the Patriots are in decent position to overtake. Their next 4 games are brutal! Good luck to the Phins, but honestly I see them free-falling. They hold 1 game over the Colts in conference record.

7. Indianapolis Colts (8-4)
REMAINING: @LV, vs. HOU, @PIT, vs. JAX

• Not really sure what to make of this team. Lots of highs, and lots of lows. But the key to their success is having all hands in the pile. They've been winning by numerous different ways. And helps they have one of the best O-lines in the conference. Makes them very tough to defend. Their defense hasn't been playing as well, but they are still a formidable group. The Wild Card race is going to be very tight this year. Next 4 games will all be conference games, so they could rise or fall very easily.

IN THE HUNT
8. Las Vegas Raiders (7-5) - REMAINING: vs. IND, vs. LAC, vs, MIA, @DEN
9. Baltimore Ravens (7-5) - REMAINING: @CLE, vs. JAX, vs. NYG, @CIN
10. New England Patriots (6-6) - REMAINING: @LAR, @MIA, vs. BUF, vs. NYJ

Still lots to shake out in the conference and ALL these seeds are very much up for grabs.

 

[Yo Tee]

The Kings have taken their rightful spot back on top.