RANT SPORTS – Which AFC Team Can Win the Super Bowl?
Kansas City is looking to do what no team has ever done before.
Buffalo, Houston and the Los Angeles Chargers are hoping to do what they have never done before.
Baltimore would like to keep up as one of only two teams to do what it has done.
And Denver and Pittsburgh would like to end long unflattering streaks.
The AFC playoffs kick off Saturday afternoon when the South champions Texans host the top wild-card Chargers. Baltimore and Pittsburgh will follow Saturday night and Buffalo and Denver get it started Sunday afternoon.
Here is a look at each of the seven teams and their chances of making it to the Super Bowl.
Buffalo (East Champion, 13-4)
Head Coach: Sean McDermott
Offensive Coordinator: Joe Brady
Defensive Coordinator: Bob Babich
The Skinny: This is the Bills sixth straight trip to the playoffs and fifth straight as division champ. They have not made it past the second round since losing the AFC title game in 2020.
History Lesson: You may remember the Bills went to four straight Super Bowls in the ‘90s and lost all four.
Points Per 100 Yards Stat: 8.6/6.3=+2.3
Why This is the Year: QB Josh Allen has carried the Bills so far and seems intent to will his team back to the Super Bowl.
Kansas City (West Champion, 15-2)
Head Coach: Andy Reid
Offensive Coordinator: Matt Nagy
Defensive Coordinator: Steve Spagnuolo
The Skinny: KC is trying to become the first team to ever win three straight Super Bowls and are favored to do so. The Chiefs are 3-1 in Super Bowls under Reid. This is their 10th straight trip to the playoffs and ninth as division winners.
History Lesson: KC was an overtime loss in 2021 from going to a record five straight Super Bowls.
Points Per 100 Yards Stat: 6.9/6.0=+0.9
Why This is the Year: Why not? Kansas City still has Reid, QB Patrick Mahomes and the top seed. They have also had an incredible run of good luck from the opening day of the season.
Baltimore (North Champion, 12-5)
Head Coach: John Harbaugh
Offensive Coordinator: Todd Monken
Defensive Coordinator: Zach Orr
The Skinny: Baltimore was the top seed a year ago and lost to KC in the title game. They come in this year as the No. 3 seed, which is what was Kansas City was last year.
History Lesson: Baltimore and Tampa Bay are the only two teams with multiple Super Bowl wins and no Super Bowl losses.
Points Per 100 Yards Stat: 7.2/6.5=+0.7
Why This is the Year: If any team and any player needs to get to a Super Bowl it’s the Ravens and QB Lamar Jackson. The two-time MVP is looking for his third award after he passed for 4,132 yards and ran for 965 yards with 41 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He would trade all of that for a ring.
Los Angeles Chargers (Top Wild Card, 11-6)
Head Coach: Jim Harbaugh
Offensive Coordinator: Greg Roman
Defensive Coordinator: Jesse Minter
The Skinny: Harbaugh is looking to become only the third coach (and first outside of Dallas) to ever win a National Title in college and a Super Bowl. Jimmy Jonson and Barry Switzer are the other two.
History Lesson: The last time the Chargers made the playoffs they blew a 27-0 lead and lost to Jacksonville, 31-30.
Points Per 100 Yards Stat: 7.3/5.4=+1.9
Why This is the Year: If it can get past Houston, L.A. would likely face Kansas City for a third time. They lost twice by just a total of nine points. Being on the road isn’t an issue, the Chargers were 6-3 and allowed just 17 points per game away from home.
Denver (Third Wild Card, 10-7)
Head Coach: Sean Payton
Offensive Coordinator: Joe Lombardi
Defensive Coordinator: Vance Joseph
The Skinny: Payton, who won a Super Bowl with New Orleans, is looking to become the first coach to win one with two different teams. He is the only one who can do it this year.
History Lesson: Denver has been to eight Super Bowls (3-5) and have faced eight different opponents.
Points Per 100 Yards Stat: 7.7/5.8=+1.9
Why This is the Year: It would take a lot, such as upsetting 9 1/2-point favorite Buffalo in the first round and Bo Nix becoming the first rookie QB to go to a Super Bowl. Denver hasn’t been to the playoffs or won a playoff game since 2014.
Houston (South Champions, 10-7)
Head Coach: DeMeco Ryans
Offensive Coordinator: Bobby Slowik
Defensive Coordinator: Matt Burke
The Skinny: The Texans are in the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The three years prior to that they won a total of 11 games.
History Lesson: Houston is the only AFC team in the playoffs to have never made it to a Super Bowl.
Points Per 100 Yards Stat: 6.8/6.9=-0.1
Why This is the Year: Before the season and after’s last year’s surprising run the Texans were a trendy pick to win the AFC. It’s been a little bit of a sophomore slump for QB C.J. Stroud and Ryans, however. They were good enough to win the South, but it might be as far as they go.
Pittsburgh (Second Wild Card, 10-7)
Head Coach: Mike Tomlin
Offensive Coordinator: Arthur Smith
Defensive Coordinator: Teryl Austin
The Skinny: Pittsburgh comes into the playoffs on a four-game losing streak. In those four losses the Steelers have scored an average of 14.5 points and have gained an average of 258 yards per game.
History Lesson: The Steelers have lost their last three playoff games and have not won a playoff game since 2016.
Points Per 100 Yards Stat: 7.0/6.2=+0.8
Why This is the Year: It’s most likely not. Strange things can happen in the postseason, but this would take a major turnaround.
