AFC Championship – Surprise Early 2010 NFL Season Contenders

Unlike the NFC where there are still six winless teams the number in the AFC is down to just two. This is not surprising as the difference between the haves and have-nots is much wider in the NFC than it is in the AFC. What is surprising is the three teams (other than the Steelers) that have opened the season with a 2-0 record in the AFC

The 2-0 Houston Texans, Miami Dolphins and especially the Kansas City Chiefs are straddling the fence between contender and pretender status.

Houston, We Don’t Have A Problem – Texans 2-0 to Open NFL 2010

The Houston Texans have been on the outside looking in come playoff time in each of their first eight seasons as an NFL franchise. Their 9-7 record in 2009 has them knocking on the playoff door and this could be the year they just kick it down and walk right in. The Texans led the NFL in passing in 2009 and they have added a decent rushing attack to lead the NFL with 881 yards of total offense during the young NFL 2010 season.

The Texans opened with a 34-24 shootout win over their arch division rival Indianapolis Colts and followed that up with a thrilling overtime victory in Washington. The win over the Redskins could prove to be a watershed moment in Texans franchise history. Being on the road and down 23-10 in the third quarter is never an easy position to be in but Houston turned it around and must be brimming with confidence now.

Houston has a massive offensive line and have added a respectable running game to go with their explosive passing attack. Defense is still a huge question mark but when you can put up points like the Texans can; just a little defense can go a long way.

AFC Title Prediction: We see the Texans challenging as a wild card team and earning their franchise first ever playoff appearance. Winning the AFC will be a very tall order though as we see Houston being a year away from a true AFC Title contender.

Miami Dolphins – Surprise Early Season AFC East Division Leaders

Miami opened the 2010 season with a less than impressive 15-10 win over the hapless Buffalo Bills. They followed that up with a quality road win as they went into Minnesota and beat the Vikings in tough 14-10 battle. Defense is leading the way in Miami as they sit first in total points allowed and fifth in total yards allowed. The offense in Miami has been very suspect as they sit 23rd in points scored and a paltry 27th in total offensive yards.

AFC Title Prediction: Besides being in a division that boasts the Patriots and Jets, the offensively challenged Dolphins would be a surprise playoff team and a shocking AFC Champion.

Kansas City Chiefs – 2-0 and “The Chefs” No Longer

Kansas City has been a doormat in the NFL for several seasons now. Since 2007 the Chiefs have a 10-38 record but they are showing signs of turning it around. While their 2-0 start is shocking, Kansas City is playing exciting football and they boast one of the youngest teams in the league. They opened the season on Monday Night Football with a thrilling 21-14 win over division rival San Diego and followed it up with stumbling and bumbling 16-14 win over the Browns.

The two biggest surprises for the Chiefs are their defense and, more importantly, their return game. Rookie Dexter “Swiss Army Knife” McCluster and Javier Arenas form an explosive dual for the Chiefs in their return game. The defense has played a “bend don’t break” style and have set up the Chiefs return game that had an electrifying 94-yard punt return touchdown against the Chargers. The Chiefs get a weary San Francisco team that is coming off a tough loss on MNF and is traveling across the country on short rest. We think the Chiefs will push their record to 3-0 but the party will be short lived after that as the Texans and Colts are looming on the horizon.

AFC Title Prediction: The Chiefs have been a nice story early in the 2010 NFL season and their long-suffering fans deserve something to cheer about. Arrowhead Stadium, though open air, is one of the loudest stadiums in the league and it will be jumping on Sunday. Come seasons end it will be more of the same though as the Chiefs will be on the outside looking in when playoff time rolls around.