2024 NFL Season Preview Part Two: Who in the AFC can beat the Chiefs?

Headed into this season, the Kansas City Chiefs are looking to become the first team ever to win three straight Super Bowls. Though they’re the favorites to represent the AFC this year in Super Bowl LIX, history suggests that the Chiefs will not win a Super Bowl this year, and teams such as the Bills, Bengals, Ravens, Texans, and Dolphins still have Super Bowl aspirations of their own.

The focus last week was on the NFC side, as I picked the Detroit Lions to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Part two focuses on the AFC as a whole, playoff predictions, award winners, and the Super Bowl champion.

AFC South

1. Houston Texans

Quarterback C.J. Stroud emerged to become one of the best quarterbacks in the league in his rookie year and was a driving force in getting the Texans back to relevancy. Not only did the Texans hit on their quarterback, but they hired a coach in DeMeco Ryans, who would have been my vote for Coach of the Year last season after winning their division and winning a playoff game. The offseason was an active one, as they added veterans Joe Mixon, Danielle Hunter, and Stefon Diggs. The Texans ranked in the upper half of the league in scoring and points allowed. The team on paper will be better than last year — now, it’s just a matter of meeting ramped-up expectations.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars

Last year, the Jaguars were viewed as a dark horse to make a series run to the Super Bowl. The season got off to a promising start, as the squad started off 8-3 and were in contention for the No. 1 seed in the Playoffs. Closes losses later in the year and injuries to franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence were catalysts in the team finishing poorly. With the offseason additions of Brian Thomas Jr., Gabe Davis, Arik Armstead, and Darnell Savage, there should still be expectations to have a solid campaign in Duval County. If they fail to improve upon last season, head coach Doug Peterson might be another candidate looking for a new job come 2025.

3. Indianapolis Colts

Quarterback Anthony Richardson has the potential to be a dynamic quarterback. Even in a small sample size last season, the second-year pro amassed seven touchdowns in four games. The key will be health, as he was taken out of a couple of games and, ultimately, played in only four. The Colts have a very good offensive line, a great running back in Jonthan Taylor when healthy, and solid wide receivers such as Josh Downs and Michael Pittman Jr. The defense will have to improve upon their ranking of 28th in points allowed per game, though. If Richardson and Taylor can play anything close to a full season, it would not be surprising if they made the playoffs. After all, they almost made it with Gardner Minshew as quarterback last season.

4. Tennessee Titans

After firing head coach Mike Vrabel, getting rid of running back Derrick Henry, and recently trading quarterback Malik Willis to the Packers, Will Levis will have the entire year to prove to the Nashville faithful if he is the real deal. Levis was superb in his first NFL start against the Atlanta Falcons, and an upset win over the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football. The Titans should be interesting on offense, with veteran playmakers such as Tony Pollard, Tyler Boyd, and DeAndre Hopkins. Drafting offensive tackle J.C. Latham out of Alabama and having him alongside Peter Skoronski should improve the offensive line after being poor last season. One paper, this looks like a team that could surprise some people and be in the Playoff hunt. This also looks like a team that could absolutely bomb if things don’t work out. I lean somewhere towards the middle.

AFC East

1. Buffalo Bills

Coming off of three straight frustrating playoff losses, the Buffalo Bills come into the season looking a bit different, with the offseason departures of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, who were replaced with Curtis Samuel and rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman out of Florida State. There seems to be a consensus that the Bills will slip in 2024, but they still have Josh Allen. When he is firing on all cylinders, he is one of the three best quarterbacks in the league. While the defense has been injury-riddled over the past few years, head coach Sean McDermott usually has them still playing at a respectable level. Out of all of the quarterbacks in this division, I am taking the one that has dominated this division post-Tom Brady.

2. New York Jets

To say that there are expectations for the Jets to be in the mix for a Super Bowl this year is the understatement of the year. After losing future hall of famer Aaron Rodgers in the first game of the season, the Jets were pretty much toast, starting Zach Wilson, Trevor Simien, and Tim Boyle along with a offensive line in disarray. The defense did its best to keep them in most of the games, but there is only so much one side of the ball can do when your offense averages 15.8 points per game. Despite this, running back Breece Hall and wide receiver Garrett Wilson still produced at a high level. With the defense still intact, Aaron Rodgers doesn’t need to play like it’s 2011 anymore. His production in 2022 would probably be good enough to get this squad into the playoffs.

3. Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins’ luster as a track-and-field offense has started to wane. Tyreek Hill, Jalen Waddle, and Raheem Mostert remain some of the most dangerous guys in the entire NFL when it comes to speed. The Dolphins in warm weather and early in the season against lesser competition can look like the best team in the league. The discourse early the past two seasons regarding Tua Tagovailoa has been a guy who could win NFL MVP. However, whenever December comes around and the weather becomes colder, the Dolphins start to show cracks in the armor. In 2023, the Fins were 7-2 at home and just 4-4 on the road. It’s no surprise that Tagovailoa is significantly better at home than he is on the road. This team will still win games because of their skill guys on offense, but why should you trust this team to go into cold environments such as Kansas City or Buffalo and win?

4. New England Patriots

There really isn’t much to say about the New England Patriots. I expect them to be the worst team in the NFL. This might be controversial, but I would seriously consider not playing Drake Maye the entire season. Offensively, they have question marks everywhere, and their offensive line looks to be severely compromised. Add the lack of proven or talented skill players on offense, and you have a recipe for a team to finish with the worst record in the league in 2024. Luckily for them, they will have a chance to pick very high in the draft. It would be in their best interest to select someone on offense such as Travis Hunter, Luther Burden, or Will Campbell. The one thing this franchise has going for them is that the NFL is in a constant state of turnover with how good or bad teams become.

AFC North

1. Cincinnati Bengals

Last year was a complete wash, with Joe Burrow coming into the season not healthy and only being limited to 10 games due to a torn ligament in his wrist. Like the Bills, this is another team that has had some heartbreaking losses in recent memory. While there is the ongoing contract situation with superstar wideout Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins’ upcoming free agency, they are still expected to suit up for the Bengals. The two of them together are arguably the most dangerous WR duo in the league when it comes to explosive plays. While there are still questions about their offensive line, it’s the defense that needs to get better, as they ranked in the bottom half in points allowed. Make no mistake, if Burrow remains healthy, this is a team that can still make noise in January.

2. Baltimore Ravens

Last season's campaign was a missed opportunity for the Baltimore Ravens. Lamar Jackson won another league MVP, and the Ravens were the best team in the league during the regular season. It’s easy to highlight Jackson’s shortcomings when it comes to the Playoffs. While the team still remains a threat to hoist a Lombardi Trophy, it will be difficult to win 13 games again, especially with how physical the other three teams in this division are — not to mention their schedule this year, which is ranked as one of the toughest headed into this season. One thing that is pretty much a guarantee is that the Ravens will always have a great defense. Adding Derrick Henry to the backfield should be interesting. He might not be the same dominant back from a few seasons ago, but he should allow for Lamar Jackson to reduce his running workload. The offensive line might be a question mark with several losses in free agency, but this is another team that should not be counted out to still make another run.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers are headed into the season with a complete overhaul at quarterback. Russell Wilson will attempt to prove that he still has gas left in the tank, and Justin Fields will look to have a rebirth as a signal caller. I expect the QB play to be slightly better, but Wilson at this stage in his career and Fields’ inconsistencies still leave a lot to be desired. Arthur Smith as an offensive coordinator can’t be possibly worse than his predecessors. The offensive line looks promising on paper, and once Jaylen Warren comes back, he will form a nice combo with Najee Harris. The defense should hover around the top ten in a lot of defensive categories, as long as T.J. Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Cameron Heyward all remain healthy. The most concerning area remains the wide receiving group: outside of George Pickens, there is a lot of unknown. This is a team that cannot afford to start poorly, as there is a good chance they will be underdogs in several games down the stretch.

4. Cleveland Browns

I could honestly flip-flop the Browns and Steelers. The Steelers have a good track record of being consistent. Whether that is a good or bad thing is up for debate. The Browns are a wild card. Last year, they were ranked No. 1 defensively in yards allowed. While that was the strength of the team and should continue to be so headed into this season, the reality is that you are paying Deshaun Watson an exorbitant amount of money to be hurt, or play poorly. Having the likes of Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, and David Njoku should make for an interesting offense, but I think slight regression on defense, the uncertainty at quarterback, and the fact that they have the league’s toughest schedule might be enough for them to win two or three fewer games compared to 2023. To be clear, I don’t think any of these teams will be bad, but there has to be a winner, and I don’t think the Browns will be as good as the other three teams ahead of them.

AFC West

1. Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs in the Patrick Mahomes era had their weakest season last year, and what did that result in? Another Super Bowl trophy. There isn’t too much reason to spend time talking about this team. They have the best quarterback in the league by a significant margin, the best head coach in the league, one of the best defensive coordinators in the league, one of the best tight ends of all-time, and one of the best defensive units in the league. The wide receiver room, which was the source of criticism last season, should be better with the addition of Xavier Worthy alongside Rashee Rice. What is there not to like about the Chiefs? While it will be very difficult to three-peat this year, having Patrick Mahomes as your quarterback is enough to challenge historic feats. In this division, it’s the Chiefs, and then everyone else.

2. Los Angeles Chargers

Everywhere Jim Harbaugh goes, he wins. He turned around Stanford football, the San Francisco 49ers, and, most recently, the national champion Michigan Wolverines. It’s not a matter of if, but when the Chargers get back into contention. Expect to see a more balanced approach on offense with the addition of Joe Alt to pair with Rashawn Slate along the offensive line. Hopefully, that will allow for Justin Herbert to not be herculean all the time and rely on the run game to be solid. The wide receiving room is unproven, but if Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston can emerge to be reliable go to guys, that will go a long way towards solidifying the offense. Defensively, the veteran duo of Khalill Mack and Joey Bosa is still intact and should improve overall as a unit. Overall, I do think that this is a team that could make the playoffs as a wild card. Health is the biggest thing that could potentially derail this team.

3. Las Vegas Raiders

On paper, the Raiders have a pretty good roster on both sides of the ball. Zamir White, Davante Adams, Jakobi Myers, and two talented tight ends in Brock Bowers and Michel Mayer, are ingredients for a pretty good offense. On defense, Maxx Crosby is my dark horse candidate to win Defensive Player of the Year. The problem is that they probably don’t have their franchise quarterback on the roster. Aidan O’Conell doesn’t really scream starting quarterback, and Gardner Minshew is wildly inconsistent. Make no mistake, under now permanent head coach Antonio Pierce, they will remain a tough out for anyone every week. But until the Raiders’ brass figures out the future of the QB position, they will be a team that doesn’t reach their full potential.

AFC playoff predictions

1. Chiefs
2. Texans
3. Bengals
4. Bills
5. Ravens
6. Jets
7. Chargers

Wild Card

• Texans over Chargers
• Bengals over Jets
• Ravens over Bills

Divisional Round

• Chiefs over Ravens
• Texans over Bengals

Conference Championship

• Chiefs over Texans

Super Bowl

• Lions over Chiefs

Award winners

MVP - CJ Stroud, HOU
Rookie of the Year - Marvin Harrison Jr., ARI
Coach of the Year - DeMeco Ryans, HOU
Offensive Player of the Year - CeeDee Lamb, DAL
Defensive Player of the Year - Maxx Crosby, LV
League Leader in Touchdowns – Josh Allen, BUF
Passing Yards Leader - CJ Stroud, HOU
Rushing Yards Leader - Breece Hall, NYJ
Receiving Yards Leader - CeeDee Lamb, DAL

And there you have it! The Steelers' season opener at Atlanta is this Sunday at 1 p.m. on Fox.