Strongest Conference Foe

[Ethan in Cleveland]

Great Division foe thread.  There was good conversation on the topic of AFC competition during free agency and leading up to the draft. Now that most of the moves have been made let's revisit it.

 

My take is the Chargers are the biggest obstacle to the Bills making the SB.  They have a superstar QB, multiple weapons on offense and they have on paper made significant upgrades to their defense.  I think they will win their division but will only be third in the conference standings because of how competitive their division is.  I believe it will be Buffalo #1 followed by Indianapolis at #2.  I think Tenn takes a step back and the Colts win that division by 2+ games.  Bills get home-field in the playoffs and win at home in the Conference game.

 

Why not KC?  It's reasonable to pick KC again and despite moving Hill they did make some nice additions in free agency and the draft.  Just seems like their star is fading while other teams are on the ascent.  

[Rc2catch]

8 minutes ago, Ethan in Portland said:

Great Division foe thread.  There was good conversation on the topic of AFC competition during free agency and leading up to the draft. Now that most of the moves have been made let's revisit it.

 

My take is the Chargers are the biggest obstacle to the Bills making the SB.  They have a superstar QB, multiple weapons on offense and they have on paper made significant upgrades to their defense.  I think they will win their division but will only be third in the conference standings because of how competitive their division is.  I believe it will be Buffalo #1 followed by Indianapolis at #2.  I think Tenn takes a step back and the Colts win that division by 2+ games.  Bills get home-field in the playoffs and win at home in the Conference game.

 

Why not KC?  It's reasonable to pick KC again and despite moving Hill they did make some nice additions in free agency and the draft.  Just seems like their star is fading while other teams are on the ascent.  

I would like to agree. My only issue with the chargers is health. Almost every single star player outside Herbert and maybe JC Jackson has a pretty lengthy injury history. Of course injuries can happen to anyone but the trend is similar to Arizona for me last year.. Gonna be a great team when everyone is on the field, but how many are left by the end of the season? They are pretty stacked and should be considered a threat. 
 

I would have to stick with KC. Until we eliminate them or dodge them in the playoffs they are our kryptonite. We’re always gonna have a weird link cause of trading the pick for Mahomes. We’re all happy with Allen I think but Allen hasn’t hit the accomplishments yet. 
 

Baltimore could be the forgotten team a lot have written off. I would expect them to bounce back this year. 
 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

1 minute ago, Rc2catch said:

I would like to agree. My only issue with the chargers is health. Almost every single star player outside Herbert and maybe JC Jackson has a pretty lengthy injury history. Of course injuries can happen to anyone but the trend is similar to Arizona for me last year.. Gonna be a great team when everyone is on the field, but how many are left by the end of the season? They are pretty stacked and should be considered a threat. 
 

I would have to stick with KC. Until we eliminate them or dodge them in the playoffs they are our kryptonite. We’re always gonna have a weird link cause of trading the pick for Mahomes. We’re all happy with Allen I think but Allen hasn’t hit the accomplishments yet. 
 

Baltimore could be the forgotten team a lot have written off. I would expect them to bounce back this year. 
 

Agree on Baltimore.  I think they win the AFC North.

Good comments on injury history for Chargers.

Also Matt Ryan could get real old real quick too like Rivers and Brees did. Will be interesting to see how he plays.

[Mr. WEO]

Chargers won 9 games and missed the playoffs.  Now Russ Wilson is in Denver. 

 

Colts with old Ryan is just another said old joke for the Indy fans to endure since Luck retired.  

 

Even without Hill, it's KC.  No need to discount Bengals either.

[BringMetheHeadofLeonLett]

Funny timing. For the 18 years of the Pats****** heyday, the AFC generally sucked.  Now we get good and the rest of the conference goes into a nuclear arms race. 

[MILFHUNTER#518]

I think the Broncos are the dark horse on this list, they have an awesome defense, great o-line and now a superstar trigger puller under center. They may legitimately be the best team in their division. They have been a qb away ever since Peyton retired.

[Rc2catch]

1 minute ago, MILFHUNTER#518 said:

I think the Broncos are the dark horse on this list, they have an awesome defense, great o-line and now a superstar trigger puller under center. They may legitimately be the best team in their division. They have been a qb away ever since Peyton retired.

Add in they probably have the best 

1-2 punch running back combo as well. Williams was a tank last season and had to split carries with Gordon who is actually still producing. It should flip more to Williams this year. 
It should be Wilson’s most talented offense he’s had in his career. 

[Success]

13 minutes ago, BringMetheHeadofLeonLett said:

Funny timing. For the 18 years of the Pats****** heyday, the AFC generally sucked.  Now we get good and the rest of the conference goes into a nuclear arms race. 

 

It's really annoying.  They still would have been a great team - but probably would have made about half of the SB's.  I remember some years when the 5 & 6 seeds in the playoffs were complete pushovers.  The only things that kept Brady in check were Manning & Harbaugh's good coaching in Baltimore.

 

As to the OP, I feel like I could make a case for about 3-4 teams as being the strongest after the Bills.  I really like what the Bengals did this offseason; they're clearly going to be tough.  Chargers will make the playoffs, but they aren't there yet.

 

The Colts and Ravens will both be very tough outs.

 

KC is still the one, though.

 

[Big Turk]

I can't agree because the Chargers always find ways to come up small in big games or at key moments.

 

I think Cincy takes a step back. It's still KC for me.

Edited May 18, 2022 by Big Turk

[BillsFanForever19]

There's been SO much change in the Conference this offseason, we won't know until about 3/4 of the way through the season, in my opinion.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

12 minutes ago, MILFHUNTER#518 said:

I think the Broncos are the dark horse on this list, they have an awesome defense, great o-line and now a superstar trigger puller under center. They may legitimately be the best team in their division. They have been a qb away ever since Peyton retired.

The Broncos stats for defense are right around 10th best in yards, YPA, sacks.  I admittedly have not followed them as close because I did not think they were much of a contender without a QB.  Honest inquiry here, what makes their defense awesome?

[MJS]

4 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

I can't agree because the Chargers always find ways to come up small in big games or at key moments.

 

I think Cincy takes a step back. It's still KC for me.

I agree. The Chargers need to show they can even make the playoffs. They have been talked up for years, but they always shoot themselves in the foot.

 

Baltimore is another team to consider, although the Bills have defended Jackson pretty well when we have played them. But they should be a pretty strong team this year.

 

I have to see the Broncos put it all together until I believe they are a true contender. But they have a ton of potential.

 

KC should still be good, but I think they are a lot less scary this year compared to previous years.

[EasternOHBillsFan]

54 minutes ago, Ethan in Portland said:

My take is the Chargers are the biggest obstacle to the Bills making the SB.  They have a superstar QB, multiple weapons on offense and they have on paper made significant upgrades to their defense. 

 

Brandon Staley is a lot like Frank Reich... he is limiting the success of the team due to poor coaching decisions in game. Staley will cost the Chargers big time and will probably be fired due to dashed high expectations.

[strive_for_five_guy]

Can we throw a poll into this thread?

[Ethan in Cleveland]

1 minute ago, EasternOHBillsFan said:

 

Brandon Staley is a lot like Frank Reich... he is limiting the success of the team due to poor coaching decisions in game. Staley will cost the Chargers big time and will probably be fired due to dashed high expectations.

Agree on Staley's past.  He needs to do better.  The same could be said for McDermott and as I said in another thread he has gotten better.  

[Allen2D̶i̶g̶g̶s̶TBD]

It's KC until proven otherwise.

[FilthyBeast]

For me it's still Mahomes and the Chiefs until proven otherwise. And as much as some folks believe that Mahomes and the Chiefs are going to steeply decline this year deep down I think Mahomes is going to have his best season ever and prove what a generational talent he truly is especially with all the doubts cast after Hill was traded to Miami. Also let's not kid ourselves here, until the Bills beat the Chiefs in a playoff game nothing else truly matters so hopefully they get that matchup again sometime next January.

[TheBrownBear]

I agree that the Chargers look great on paper heading into 2022, but that seems to be the case every year for the past 20 years and they've disappointed more often than not.  I'm not sure what it is with that organization, because coaches and players have turned over multiple times, but they just can't seem to put it together.  

 

I agree with FB above.  For me it's the Chiefs.  Until we can progress further than them in the playoffs, then they are the team to beat, imo.  And as much as the AFC improved overall in the offseason, the Bills and Chiefs are still head and shoulders above the rest.  

[LabattBlue]

Kansas City. Now what about “strongest league foe”?

[Big Turk]

6 minutes ago, BTB said:

Kansas City. Now what about “strongest league foe”?

 

Well it isn't anyone from outside the AFC. I'm not a huge believer in the Rams in spite of them being defending champ. TB and GB are a step down from them.