American Conference Championship, AFC North Contenders or Pretenders?

The following is a look at how we see the rest of the AFC shaping up at this early point of the 2010 NFL season. The difference in talent level between the AFC and NFC is really start to show as  just about every team as a title shot.

While some teams come with longer odds than others, there will be a solid 12 teams in the race all season long. We are still of the belief that the winner if Super Bowl XLV is going to come from the NFC but who they will battle from the AFC is wide open race.

The  AFC North Features Three Championship Contenders

Not far back of the Pittsburgh Steelers the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals are both going to contend for a shot to represent the AFC in Super Bowl XLV.

The Cincinnati Bengals had an impressive run, despite their season of hard luck, in 2009. They got caught up in a track meet with the Patriots in Week One and lost the race. They got back to Bengal ball in their Week Two shut down of the Ravens. This is a veteran laden team and, for many of them, this could be their last shot at a Championship.

AFC Title Prediction: The Bengals are a well-rounded team on both sides of the ball. If they keep their egos in check, they could be in line for a long playoff run in January.

A stone throw form the Nations Capitol, the Baltimore Ravens are a team that many had pegged as a lock to play for the AFC Championship. They opened the season with a hard fought 10-9 win over the Jets but fell in Week Two to the aforementioned Bengals. We are still waiting for the much talked about new offense to kick in for the Ravens but it should show up against the lowly Browns this weekend.

AFC Title Prediction: Battling the Steelers and Bengals in the tough AFC North means that the Ravens have definitely got a tough road ahead That being said, if they take care of business within their own division, we see a Wild Card berth as a very real possibility for the Ravens.

The Rest of the AFC – Nothing More Than Pretenders

The remaining teams in the AFC are already looking forward to the 2011 NFL Draft. The Jaguars have one of the best running backs in NFL with Maurice Jones-Drew but little else in the way of a supporting cast. Add to that the fact that they play in the AFC South and it’s a given that they will be “south” of .500 during the NFL 2010 season.

The Browns, Bills and Raiders are, well, the Browns, Bills and Raiders and no further explanation is needed. Five combined wins from those three teams would be a shock to us.

The American Football Conference is going to be a wild and crazy ride in 2010 and we are enjoying watching it all unfold.