2014-2015 AFC Playoff Predictions

1. Denver Broncos

2. New England Patriots

3. Cincinnati Bengals

4. Indianapolis Colts

5. San Diego Chargers

6. Kansas City Chiefs

I think it’s going to be the same exact squads in this year’s AFC playoffs. Actually, I don’t see how any other team could make it over any of the six that are listed above. The Steelers probably have the best shot to make a run at a wild card spot, or perhaps the Texans. The Jets and Dolphins are peaking in from the outside as well, but they don’t have enough pieces yet. Simply put, it’s clear who the best teams in the AFC are.

Wild Card Round:

Cincinnati Bengals (3) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (6)

I think this is the year where the Bungles will finally get their playoff win. They haven’t won a playoff game since 1990 against the Houston Oilers, and they’ve been ousted in the Wild Card round four out of the last five seasons. Despite winning Coach of the Year in 2009, Marvin Lewis has never been able to capitalize in the postseason. A 0-5 total postseason record is not promising, but there are multiple upsides in Cincy’s future. Andy Dalton is one of the most underrated and underestimated quarterbacks in the league, and he’s getting better every day. Gio Bernard is well on his way to being a top running back in the NFL, and AJ Green has already made his mark as an elite wide receiver. The Bengals’ defense is also among the best in the business. Assuming the Chiefs and Bengals do get matched up in the Wild Card round, I have Cincy skating by.  It’ll be a great matchup in many aspects; both teams possess a reliable and powerful defense, with elite players on both sides (Tamba Hali and Eric Berry on Kansas City and Rey Maualuga and Geno Atkins for Cincy to name a few). Jamaal Charles and the combination of Bernard and Jeremy Hill will provide a mean ground game for their respective . The difference will be in the quarterback play; Andy Dalton has more weapons around him and more skills than Alex Smith. The Bengals will advance to the Divisional Round for the first time since 1990.

Indianapolis Colts (4) vs. San Diego Chargers (5)

I don’t know why everyone is picking the Chargers to do so well this year, Skip Bayless being one of the main contributors to this motion. He not only says the Chargers will go 13-3, but he believes that they will be the only team to beat Seattle this season. I’ll tell you right now that they do not have the defense to accomplish that. Let’s just say that I’ve been following them closely since the days of LT, and I know that the Chargers are still a few key pieces away from being one of the elite teams in the NFL. Another thing I know is that they aren’t better than the Colts so in a head-to-head matchup I’ll take Indy. These two teams matchup well against each other, but I think Luck is going to have a breakout season that is followed by a playoff win. Their defense will need to prove themselves and Trent Richardson is going to have to step up, but I think they can do it. San Diego’s offensive line still needs attention and each layer of the defense needs to be tuned up. They aren’t a Super Bowl contending team yet, but the Bolts are getting slightly closer.

Divisional Round:

Denver Broncos (1) vs. Indianapolis Colts (4)

Denver is still the best in the AFC and Peyton will throw all over his old team if they wind up meeting in the playoffs. Denver’s offense is just as lethal as it was last year, but the difference between then and now is the defense. Adding Aqib Talib and DeMarcus Ware adds so much to their defense. It opens up a ton of new options for them, such as surviving solely by using a 4-man rush, which is something that they couldn’t do last year. Talib has the ability to play both zone and man coverage, and he can play against the run as well. The Colts will be hard-pressed trying to find gaps in Denver’s D this year, so I have Denver moving on.

New England Patriots (2) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (3)

I said the Bengals will get their win, but their season will end here. New England trumps Cincinnati on two levels: experience and skill. Obviously the Patriots have more experience, and I believe they have more skill as well. They finally have a strong defense and a stable run game, and of course they have Brady and Belichick. Cincy is on the rise as a legitimate contender, but they need some more experience under their belt. Fact of the matter is that the Pats are too much for the Bengals to handle.

Conference Championship:

Denver Broncos (1) vs. New England Patriots (2)

I think that this conference championship matchup is near inevitable, barring any strange injuries And speaking of injuries, a certain team in this proposed game is prone to them. As I said in my most recent post, the Patriots have the roster to make it back to the Super Bowl as long as they don’t suffer any significant injuries. If Gronk, Wilfork, Brady, and the rest of the team can stay healthy… Denver may be in trouble. Brady hasn’t tasted total victory in nearly a decade, and Peyton needs another ring in order to be considered as the best of all time. Both quarterbacks want and need another ring; whoever wants it more will determine who moves on, and I think that Denver will return to the Super Bowl for the second straight year.