AFC Postseason Preview: It's a Logjam at the Top

When the season started the only words coming out of prognosticators mouths were Denver, as in Broncos and Indianapolis and Baltimore, as in Colts and Ravens. These were the three teams that had more than a good chance of making noise in 2007, yet it hasn't turned out that way. After a solid two months of promise the Colts have basically done a Houdini and disappeared. In Baltimore though the defense is as good as advertised the offense has struggled and Jamal Lewis is beginning to show his age. Soon enough the hook will come calling and Lewis will be on his way to the stop for all players in the Golden Age, the Raiders. And Denver has bid adieu to Jake "The Snake" Plummer, who may also find his way to that most wonderous of stops, Oakland. Before you scoff, look what the "Raider Nation" did for Rich Gannon! Gannon was basically a water boy at various stops, including the Kansas City Chiefs, a team he virtually pummeled once he donned the Silver and black.

But the real reason for optimism is not proven veteran quarterbacks leading the charge on proven playoff contenders. The real reason for positivity in the AFC are the young leaders stepping up to lead their teams when it most matters, and that time for Vince Young and David Garrard is right now. Young may have scored a whopping seven points on the Wunderlich, the personality test all NFL Rookie Combine participants receive, however he's already playing like an All-Pro and making lots of detractors look stupid in their premature assessments. As for Garrard, the third-year man out of East Carolina, he had to wait for starter Byron Leftwich to come down with an injury before he was given the green light to take over the starting job. All both quarterbacks have done in the past several weeks is win and win big.

In the AFC East, Nobody-NOBODY-thought the New York Jets, apparently in the mood of stealing the spirit of Joe Willie, would be where they are; that's not the surprising part. The shocker is that the Jets are only two games out of first place, currently held by New England. At 8-6 the J-E-T-S are far from the best, but mentor to Belichick and coach Eric Mangini refused to believe that New England was the team to beat and not only beat the Pats but also refused to shake hands with his former boss in the postgame hoohah. Now Miami is even getting in on the Jets' act, punking the Patsies 21-0 at home last week and looking for more, possibly a playoff spot. Right now the Jets have the inside track, but the weird thing about this division-and the AFC in general-is that so many teams, including cellar leader Buffalo-still have a mathematical chance of making the big games.

New England (10-4)

After coach Bill Belichick punked his pupil, former Pats coach Eric Mangini--who is now at the Jets--Belichick got punked a few weeks ago and then got punked again, this time 21-0 by Miami, which tells you New England is going to have all kinds of problems in the playoffs, though they are destined to get there barring a total meltdown. That breakdown is possible, however, since their last two games consist of Jacksonville and Tennessee. While New England started out the season at 6-1--including the afore-mentioned defeat of Mangini and the Jets, they have been 4-6 since--and that won't cut it in the big games.

New York Jets (8-6)

J-E-T-S, jets, jets, jets. Yes, yes, yes it's actually happening; Chad Pennington is healthy and coach Eric Mangini has got the Jets playing like, well, the Patriots. Then Buffalo trampled all over New York's playoff hopes, yet the remaining three games are winnable with Miami and Oakland to go. The Jets already beat Miami once this season, winning 20-17 on a last-second field goal, but something tells me things will be strange in the AFC and the Christmas memory of the Jets playing Miami for all the presents is definitely something to tell the grandkids.

Buffalo (7-7)

Willis McGahee-or the Buffalo offense, to put things mildly-is finally healthy, but that's like saying Ray Lewis might play in a game. McGahee will play in ANY GAME IF HE'S AT 50 PERCENT; that's what happens when in the middle of your stellar senior season of college you blow your knee out. Then when you return it's as if pain isn't even a four-letter word anymore. And when McGahee plays, Buffalo has a good chance of winning, no matter who they play. This week it's Miami as the Dolphins continue on their "Tour De Pain," a three-game end-of-season tilt the scheduling gods obviously did to piss the Dolphins off. But if you thought the Fins had problems, just look at what the scheduler did for the Bills. Now that the Bills trampled the Dolphins, it's Tennessee AND Baltimore. So in a nutshell it's Joey, Vince and Steve in the theater of hell, now playing at a stadium near you. Maybe next year, Willie.

Miami (6-8)

Picked to finish near the top of the division, the Fins have done little to live up to their advance billing. Watching Miami play this season has been a lot like watching the previews of "Nacho Libre," in which the movie looks funny until you see it and are ready to throw up in your mouth. Or laugh at those ridiculous spandex wrestling pants. Well, the Dolphins look like a bunch of putzes in their ridiculous teal spandex football pants-and they could sure use Ricky Williams. In other news, Sammy Morris came back from the dead to run for 123 yards last week and Joey Harrington is still alive. Now if we could just find the spirit of Mercury Morris, erase eight losses and revert back to the good old days-you know, when they didn't lose a game-we'd be in good shape. With the Jets and the Colts left the season is nearly over; only the Jets game is at home. The chances for the playoffs are growing old.

Everybody thought the AFC North would eventually work itself out between three teams, and the experts were two-thirds correct. However, nobody could have foreseen the tumbling the Pittsburgh Steelers have taken at 6-7. Yet the Steelers are still in the playoff chase, though their road is so uphill it would really take some upsets to make it into the postseason. The division leader is Baltimore, a team with personality quirks and Ray Lewis. At 11-3 they are not yet crowned division champions, but they look to be the odds-on favorite. At 8-5 Cincinnati seemingly has at least a wildcard spot in its grasps, but this team has had its nails clipped time and time again, what with all of the negative publicity that doesn't seem to be going away, either. Nevertheless, with three of four teams in the division fighting for their playoff lives, only the Steelers look as though they'll be waiting until next year.

Baltimore (11-3)

That sound you hear from the Ravens' locker room is the buzz surrounding the players. Everything is true and they're just minutes away from capturing another division title. Sure, that pesky Pittsburgh team came in last year and stole some of the glory, but if you have Ray Lewis in your uniform, you have homefield advantage-even if you're not at home. Get it? After the Ravens pecked at Cleveland's carcass, they'll run over Pittsburgh and snack on Buffalo before going to San Diego in the championship and blowing out the candles on the Chargers' prissy little Marty party.

Cincinnati (8-5)

The Bengals are like annoying cockroaches that won't leave your kitchen stove. All year long they've lost just enough games to stay away from the Ravens, yet they keep finding ways to make life interesting. Take, for example, their four-game winning streak, including a stunning 13-7 win that was more complete than people know. The Bengals were up 13-0 until the Ravens scored a late touchdown. Though brutal games remain at Indianapolis and Denver and home to Pittsburgh in Week 17, the Bengals look to be in a position for a wildcard, and possibly the division if Baltimore can't close the deal. Either way the Bengals are crawling around and doing just enough not to get killed.

Pittsburgh (7-7)

Though this may sound amazing, even preposterous to Steelers fans your team still has a chance to make the playoffs. Funny, since you lost six of your first eight. My, have things changed since! Winning five of your last six, you now must win your remaining two--Baltimore and Cincinnati. However if history is any indication, you enjoy playing in the Wildcard game. It just makes it easier to sneak up on people and win the Super Bowl.

OUT

Cleveland (4-10)

In the AFC South, only one team seemed to have what it took, according to all prognosticators-save for maybe some dreamers-to win it all. After so many years of being the bridesmaid-or simply being left at the altar-the predictors predicted Peyton would pick a pickled pepper from the prickly pear. No, actually, that he would win a Super Bowl, that which had eluded him for many a year (well, every year if you want to be technical). And that he and Tony Dungy would finally get their just dessert and walk off the concrete field covered in Sprinturf arm in arm for time and all eternity. Then reality set in and the Colts-after going undefeated for nine games, met the Dallas Cowboys. Then came the Tennessee Titans, with Vince Young reprising the role of many an opposing QB, especially at playoff time. And last week it was Jacksonville, reprising the role of many a team that played the week before, namely Tennessee. Now Indy is not only in danger, but also could lose their division title if the remaining three opponents get the memo that Indy can be run on. And Jacksonville had all kinds of luck in that department, however their road is lots more treacherous with tough games remaining.

Indianapolis (10-3)

Hopefully the Colts got those TPS reports ("I believe you've got my number?!?!") and look to pick up their jockstraps after the last three of four teams decided to would be easier to embarrass them and run all over their sorry butts. It should be easy, with just Cincinnati and Miami coming to town-not exactly running teams-and Houston, a team the Colts could beat with Bert Jones, who probably just turned 50. The only office space the Colts should be giving in the next three weeks is the air they breathe.

Jacksonville (8-6)

The Jaguars are at it again, doing the same kinds of things they did when Mark Brunell threw for 300 yards, Fred Taylor ran for 150 more and their defense did a cheap (only in terms of contract) imitation of the Ravens. Now they're doing it with some guy named David Garrard (and Taylor and the unsung D) so it's not exactly chopped liver, know whut I mean? Left on the Jaguars hearty plate are New England and Kansas City-sheer terror for anybody unless your name is Jacksonville Jaguars-so get ready for some bloodsport, especially in K.C., where we hear ribs' are good eatin'.

Tennessee (7-7)

Hasn't anybody erected a statue of Vince Young yet? Because they will before he's done. Young just added a few years to the contract of one Jeff Fisher and has singlehandedly touchdown-danced his way into the hearts of the Tennessee Pride. Vince also went down to his old stomping grounds in Houston and did the two-step all over those who said he was too this and too that. They shoulda known better. All he did last week was score the game-winner and now his Titans have won four in a row. But it's a rough go to the playoffs this year. Just wait until next year? Well, you never know.

OUT

Houston (4-10)

Yet the West is best in 2007, as San Diego holds the best record in the NFL at 12-2 and shows few signs of slowing. Though Drew Brees is driftwood on the Bayou, Philip Rivers is flowing smoothly and L.T. is running over, around and through opponents as if they were hardly obstacles to begin with. With a four-game cushion, the Chargers are now surging toward home-field throughout the playoffs. At 8-6 Denver is battling hard for a wildcard spot and Kansas City is one game behind, but the story of the year has been San Diego and "Marty Ball," first popularized in Kansas City with an emphasis on the running game, as namesake and head coach Marty Schottenheimer would like. Though all three West contenders favor offenses with good running games, only the Chargers can ruin things for themselves; that's how dominant the team has been all season, scoring a whopping 425 points and allowing less than 250. They have only scored less than 20 points in one game this season and that was a 16-13 loss at Baltimore, the game that was likely a preview of the AFC Championship game.

San Diego (12-2)

All the Chargers have done in the post-Brees era is bring in a dude who can throw balls into a stiff wind and they call him Philip Rivers. I always wanted to say that. Forgive me. As ol' B.C. Marty Ball Schottenheimer used to say, "Winning breeds winning," and a stiff Brees always gets Rivers going, now don't it? Not only has San Diego won seven straight but they jacked Denver 48-20 last week, setting up a beautiful scene in which LaDainian T. will flow through Kansas City, courtesy of some Philip Rivers. Then they'll meet up with Seattle, a team they'd see in the Super Bowl if not for some pesky Ravens, who will eat L.T. and his Charger children.

Denver (8-6)

Unfortunately for the Broncos they are in the thick of a playoff race with Kansas City, however K.C. was slathered like homestyle BBQ sauce this past week. Fortunately for the Broncos the scheduling gods were as kind as can be, setting up a blowout win over Arizona and San Francisco awaits, while allowing the Cincinnati clash to be played at home. Unfortunately the Broncos are playing some rookie at QB while Jake Plummer sat in A GAME HE COULD HAVE PLAYED AGAINST HIS OLD TEAM. Therefore, 1 + 2 = 3 and everything is the way it will be in the world. Denver is about ready to lose two in a row and nobody-except Plummer-can change it.

Kansas City (7-7)

The Chiefs have got something on their side that the others participating in the Playoffs Sweepstakes do not: they're playing for Lamar Hunt. If I had a page to say what Hunt meant to the history of the NFL--and American soccer for that matter--it would not do the man justice. Suffice to say, Kansas City is now playing for something greater than just the game. And we've seen what happens when teams-New Orleans comes to immediate memory-are playing at their peak. Playoffs, here we come, in memory of Lamar Hunt, the longtime Chiefs owner who died at the age of 74. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.

OUT

Oakland (2-12)

The Raiders do receive some nice parting gifts, namely the No. 1 draft pick, if they don't do something stupid--like win their last two. Just lose, baby.