Chris Simms predicts the AFC playoff seeds for 2024 | Chris Simms Unbuttoned | NBC Sports

we kick it all off with Chiefs and Ravens the kickoff game on Thursday DraftKings has the odds to make the AFC playoffs and those are the two teams at the top of the list here similar to the NFC type of thing here minus 600 so even more of a lock to make the playoffs in the 49ers over in the NFC then you got co-c favorites in the Ravens and Bengals also favored to make the playoffs the Houston Texans bills Jets and dolphins and congrats DraftKings seven teams seven teams there so not on the fence seven teams in the AFC seven teams with the Chargers the Jaguars the Colts the Browns the Steelers just On The Fringe of like being there and again I think that's what we see the difference between the AFC and the NFC there's going to be some teams that you're going to go wait this is a playoff caliber roster and they're not going to make the playoffs there's definitely more teams in the mix here and because of the conference being so hard and how it shakes out too yeah it's a one of those conferences where hey the wrong people get hurt at the wrong part of your schedule you could end up going 0 and three during a stretch and go damn you know we were we were seven and four and looking great and whatever got who whoever got hurt now we're seven on S and the and the conference is incredible and now we're not going to make the playoffs so uh man the AFC is legit I'm a little s I'm not shocked by the Chiefs thing just like we talked about with the 49ers it's to make the playoffs yeah we expect them to make the playoffs and you could probably argue it's the weakest division in the AFC right I don't think any of us are expecting the Raiders to get there yeah better the Chargers I don't expect to get there spoiler alert but I think better okay and then uh the Denver Broncos I kind of feel the same way about twoo I don't know if I look at any of them and just go oh wow right where in the NFC West at least we thought the Rams are a playoff team and the Cardinals would be a pain in the butt and the Seahawks are another team I go Fringe playoffs but yeah I understand the Chiefs being the this Landslide favorite to make the playoffs in the AFC so we don't have many disagreements on the AFC side either here but we have a huge one right off the bat yeah because your number one seed yes I do not have as a playoff team and they were not a playoff team last year in my defense there were some reasons for that and injuries and significant ones uh but your one seed in the AFC is the Cincinnati Bengals now I feel great about everything about the Cincinnati Bengals except for the Jamar Chase situation I mean period that's the only thing that made me sit there over the last week and go man what is going on here when is he going to get on the field right the distraction of it it's kind of flew under the radar CU they're Cincinnati for that caliber of a football player and everything there right and again I don't know what the hell they're waiting for to me that's as easy as it gets uh but no the Bengals are fcking around with Jamar Chase and that bothers me yeah so I don't know what to expect now let me say the roster I mean I think the offense is awesome and I think with the offensive line especially if amarius Mims is back in there at right tackle after's a little Peck injury but they got Trent Brown I think the offensive Line's ready the way they have talked all off season like the things I've told you about they refused to bow to the Chiefs they refuse right that's the kind of talk that tells me they're on the bulletin board right when I hear stuff like that I think the D the defense is super talented they're young in a few spots the corners yeah we got to see some of them take the next stop step but they're talented so I love that ahed let alone they're led by a quarterback that I think's on a mission this year and all he has talked about is Super Bowl stay healthy right the Chiefs are the Chiefs and they're they're very aware of all that put on some extra armor and weight to become bigger and stronger to last the year and here's my last thing of why I I do it I think I know they play the Chiefs in week two but I look at week one against the Patriots week three against the commanders week four against the Panthers right uh and week six against the Giants where I go there we are four out of the first six games like there is no doubt they're the better team in the field right then we have the Ravens and the Chiefs right which is like a tossup but I look at them to go they could be sitting real pretty you know through that first stretch of the season season up you know beat the Ravens beat the Chiefs I wouldn't be shocked if we're sitting here mid October going hey the Bengals are five and one watch out I'm surprised you have them as the one seed though because of what we talked about with the Chiefs the division because you have you could make an argument that the other three teams in the north the Browns the Steelers and the the Ravens could be playoff teams as well I got you I know it's going to be a gauntlet for it is it is going to be a gaunt it's not a year where I look at and go oh they're the number one seed by two or three it's like I think it might be one of those and this is why I think they played in preseason in game one and they played a good amount of their guys in preseason game number two a little bit they realize that week two right that could be for the HomeField Advantage right there just a tiebreaker hey we're both 12 and five but we beat you head-to-head so you got to come to us in the AFC Championship game and I think that's big for them too they talk about it a lot how they want to host some of these games this year right and I think that's why there's been a little extra urgency and preseason and training camp for them because they realize wait we can't do what we've done the last few years be sitting there at 3 and three or 4 and three kind of finding our way and then go we're going to get hot when we need to which they have and that's what I respect about them but at the same time if you want to be the one seed and do that you can't do like that and that's where you know I like their chances defense last year gave up a lot of big plays un characteristic for them ton so those are some of the reasons why I was just like someone's got to be left out and I left out the the Bengals as we move on here two seed yeah and this is where the Kansas City Chiefs slot in yeah Kansas City Chiefs I mean again I I still think the Kansas City Chiefs are going to be every bit in the fight for the one seed and one of the best teams in football all year long uh I don't doubt that you know early season hey Bengals Ravens right off the bat right then got to go to Atlanta in week three that that's not easy so that's another reason they're another team that I think that's why they were played a lot in the preseason they understand like we don't have time to you know around here early in the year we mess around we could be sitting here going wait we're 1 and two we're 0 and three something like that which which I don't expect their start of the year is pretty tough though that game the 49ers in week seven but they kind of hit a middle stretch of the Year where you go they're better than every team on the schedule there for a while there's not too many challenges down the home stretch of the the season where you look at it and go oh man that's a gauntlet of games there and and that's where you know I do like their chances of course and there are the Chiefs and they're magical you have one team making the playoffs out of the AFC East just the division winner here right your division winner in the AFC East j e DS Jets Jets Jets your Josh Allen love I know cannot make them a playoff team in your mind I didn't Pi pick them to be in the playoffs last year that was one thing I was wrong about right you know I I didn't looked like you were right and then it looked like you were wrong and then it look like right right again right I know I know I know um but yeah I'm not I'm not as as deep as this divis this conference is like we've talked about I know how awesome he is and he's the reason the only reason I think about it I know their team's good but you know what their offense is going to look like how they're going to play that way and then back to the conversation of wait Matt Milano's out right Von Miller what's he going to be like do they have enough Splash people on the defensive side I mean that's what we continually talk about with the bills and that's where I couldn't do it and yeah I got the dolphins not in either cuz the Dolphins between the offensive line changes and the amount of things they got going on on the defensive side of the ball and then being in that division uh the AFC East and the AFC in general yeah I'm going to have them just missing out right I think there's could be some teams this year where I look at it and go yeah teams N9 and8 10 and seven don't get in and lose to tiebreakers that kind of thing I I'm I'm kind of foreseeing that kind of year you believe in the Jets I'm going to believe in the Jets of one the roster is super talented two mission right Mission all the time anything I've heard Salah Salah knows he's fired if they don't go to the playoffs period he's different there Rogers Legacy at line at line here Joe Douglas I mean is even though the roster is awesome if they don't go to the playoffs he's going to be in trouble right so I think there's a real fire under their ass in in New York let alone I think the talent is there too the biggest thing with them will be can Rogers play like he thinks he can play and can their older old lineman stay healthy if they do that the Jets will be very much in the thick of things in the a little bit of depth there drafted some with they're not they're not like one injury and done either that's the good thing there's a little wiggle room you're totally right about that so you got one more division winner and just like in the NFC it was the South was your number four seed in the AFC your South is the four seed and that division winner is Houston Texans I'm going to go Houston I'm a Believer in Houston of course I do think Houston's going to go a little bit through what do I want to say young team struggles in the fact of wait we're adjusting to the bullseye right you know and oh teams in our division have studied us this year and we didn't hit the ground quite running the way we all thought they might right and let alone the schedule is going to be a little tougher this year for them as well so I kind of looked at that again seriously really good playoff team but one of those teams when I pulled up their schedule I was like man sneaky I don't remember talking about them this much during the schedule release I know the Colts I'm not picking them to go to the playoffs okay but the Colts are going to be good and week one right we know week one teams are not at their best they haven't played a lot the Bears in week two I mean that's scary it is but then Minnesota Jacksonville Buffalo okay they're better than the Patriots then Green Bay then the Colts then the Jets than the Lions and the Cowboys I look at their first 11 games and go yeah they're better than the vik Vikings or the bears but not by so much that I look at those teams and go oh wow they're definitely going to win right they slip up a little bit they could be fighting down the home stretch here I have a different division winner yeah in in this Division I have the Jacksonville Jaguars which is one of your three wild card team I got them in I'm believing in the Jaguars I I I I um won Playoff caliber team last year honestly is is what I think you know just injuries the quarterback dealing with you know being beat up right I think to do too much they couldn't run the ball for Jack did last year they couldn't protect that will not be the case this year I love of course the new receiver they've added to the mix and Brian Thomas Jr and I think their defense now with Eric Armstead is goes to another level I do so I look at the Jags and go hey they could be a team that not only am I picking the playoffs but I think there's enough Talent there and a quarterback and a coach that's Fearless in playoff games that you know they could be scary in the playoffs you see them coming to town with some of those guys they got on that roster your other two wild card teams are from the AFC North and so you think it'll play out basically like it did last year with a AFC North team as the one seed it was the Ravens last year and then two other Playoff teams you got the Chiefs or I'm sorry the Bengals as the one seed this year and your two other Playoff teams from the north are I'm going to go the Ravens as my five seed and I'm going to go the Browns as the seven seed right so yeah you know again to your point where you go hey I'm surprised you picked the Bengals to be the one seed well well it happened last year like you just said right you know so and and again when when you put it in the premises of like I don't think they're going to run away with things there right I don't think they'll run away with it to the capacity the Ravens did last year well well it's interesting the Ravens were 13- four last year but they were just three and three in the division the Steelers were the best in the division and they finished third in the division they were five- one it's it's it's amazing it really is it's it's a very unique division that way styles of play the physicality you know again there there's coaches there that have all been there for a while now too so they kind of know each other's teams and how they coach and what they do in certain situations uh but yeah I I the Ravens of course are a no-brainer I'm picking the Ravens to be the fifth seed just a little bit because like you've heard me say with the 49ers and all that a little bit of a hey a let down uh going to Kansas City early on yeah I don't I'm not favoring them in that matchup I'm not officially picking the Chiefs yet that game but I'm certainly leaning that way right uh and and yeah I just I kind of look at it that way the new offensive line right that's a totally different group that kind of I think that might take a little time to gel together uh so yeah that that's why but I still certainly think the Ravens are super talented the Cleveland Browns the same thing it's just one question right one and you know what it is quarterback exactly just what is what is he who is he going to be can they win with him being you know just an a just like game manager type of guy they they can I think right but can he make some plays and be a difference making guy I don't know I'm not sure I really don't know but what I do know is they are good enough to not need a superstar quarterback to take them to the playoffs we saw it exact exactly so that's where I I went with the Browns it was a tough one between them the Dolphins the bills right but I just went ultimately with the team that I felt like a defense that's special a coach that's I think special with that defense on that side of the ball and a receiving Coe I just went with the team that I thought was the most talented overall and that was the Browns we both have the Dolphins out and I like the Dolphins last year right I just think that you know maybe people have started to figure out that offense not that it can be figured out they had some good talent and some speed over there obviously uh and then they did lose some stuff on defense you know Christian Wilkins is gone I think their defense is taking a step back I Wilkins Gone Van GLE gone Bradley chub coming off injury Jaylen Phil coming off an injury right other guys getting a year older offensive Line's different right Tyreek Hills just getting back healthy practicing I yeah I'm with you and what you said you weren't you weren't wrong we've seen that the better defensive Minds in football have start have figured out at least how to manage the McDaniel offense I'm not saying stop it but we saw Rabel and mcder at the end of the year and spagnolo just shut down there right where they were we were like that whoa what they they can't do anything whoa you know what how what's going to happen I mean who's going to break a play so you know I I don't think you're wrong there and I'm interested to see what kind of new tricks McDaniel brings to the table here cuz I think he's smart enough to realize he's got to bring a few different angles here this year because everybody's studying him and stealing him and watching his plays differently than you I do have the bills as a wild card team so I I for one believe in Josh Allen I don't know crazy over here you're a dick yo yo yo what's up thanks for watching homies you know it's the off season but there's no off season with Chris Sims unbutton where're it's the NFL it goes all year around all right so hit subscribe please to hear my thoughts on your favorite team your favorite quarterback and hey how this season might unfold as we get ready for the 2024 season we got a better picture clear look now now that the draft is over free agency we know who's playing quarterback for certain team so again thanks for watching and remember to subscribe peace out homies check you out soon