Championship Rings Predicts AFC South/AFC North Standings

I'm going to kick it off here with the AFC South at number four I have the Tennessee Titans I have them at 4 and13 you probably have them I'm guessing if they're your last place team I'm guessing you probably have them a little bit less wins than that the Titans to me are very interesting because they bring in a new Ed coach in Callahan the former Bengals offensive coordinator they replace Derek Henry with Tony power they add Kevin with Le they pretty much paid a bag to say don't go to New England come here to Tennessee instead they bring over Tyler Boyd from Cincinnati they have DeAndre Hopkins still their weapons are loaded just if you tell me who's a player for them on the defens side of the ball and Jeffrey Simmons may still be there besides that I don't know I generally do not know a Tennessee Titan Defender and I don't think will we is the guy did not think he was the guy uh last year not think he's the guy this year in my opinion the the Titans may be what the commanders were a year ago which was we got these weapons let's see if Sam Al could play clearly he could not they moved off him and dropped Jane Daniels and another the second worst record in the NFL I think Tennessee could be in that same boat now I will say this this division is no longer a pushover and these next two teams I have them basically identical at 9 and8 the second place team wins because of a conference tie breaker um I think I'm just gonna go back toback here because they're really the same team Indianapolis and Jacksonville I have them both at nine and eight it was very hard for me to not put either one of these two teams in the playoffs when it comes to Indianapolis I think Anthony Richardson not playing at all last year could actually be a benefit there's not a lot of tape on him he did not finish a game last year and I just think Shane PK's a wizard and he's gonna get the best out of that kid as long as he stays healthy you still got Michael Pitman there still got Jonathan Taylor there you still got divorce Buckner there Kenny Moore is still there their offensive line is still W by Quin Nelson a lot of that Foundation is in place and then I think people forget that the Jacksonville Jaguars started off eight and three last year until Trevor Lawrence played but he was hurt and they just sort of fell off a cliff and I do think there was pressure on Lawrence for whatever reason to get the ball to Ridley I think the fact that you have Christian Kirk your Z Joneses they bring in Gabe Davis from Buffalo Evan Ingram is still there to go with Travis etn Josh hin Allen as their best pass rusher Doug Peterson super winning head coach I am not writing the chck wies off I would not be surprised if they are a playoff team I think the AFC is still stacked and then that leads me to the team that you tried to convince me all last year was better than Jacksonville and it took you to the last game of the season to do so but you were right at 11 and six and being the number two seed in the AFC I have the Houston Texans who yes they did add Joe Mixon from the Bengals big up upgade they added ston dig from Buffalo big upgrade I think those are two tremendous upgrades CJ Stout I think is gonna have a very good year if he duplicates That season he had a year ago he may be in the MVP conversation this year my concern with Houston and why I'm not giving them 12 or 13 wins they do have a first place schedule it's a very difficult schedule and Jacksonville and Indie I think are going to be better than what they were a year ago which is why I think there is a world where they could win you know maybe 10 games but I'll spot them in at 11 and again the number two seed in the AFC all right so yes I have the Tennessee Titans as the worst team in the AFC at three and 14 okay so cuz yes they have they got some nice weapons but they just tra Willis and like you said I don't know anybody on their defense unless Jeffrey Simmons is still there and they trade Malik Willis so what happens if Will Lis is not the guy who do they go to I I don't know 2025 yeah so I agree with you there third place is where we disagree right away because although I have them finishing with the same record that you gave them and their quarterback just got a big extension this off season I trust the two teams ahead of them more that's why I have the Jacksonville Jaguars finishing at nine and eight just missing the Playoffs I like their weapons like you said they have Christian Kirk they have Z Jones they got Gabe Davis they got Travis ETS Evan Ingram but the out outside of Josh Hines Allen their defense is just a little just looks a little shaky to me and I think that could be their Achilles heel at number two I was pushing for this team to jump up in the draft and take romad dun they did not but they've got Shane stking as their head coach they've they've got Anthony Richardson they've got Jonathan Taylor Michael Pitman Jr they've got DeForest Buckner like you said they went and got a um I I think it's Adan Mitchell out of Texas if I'm not mistaken so that's another weapon so finishing at 10 and seven getting into the playoffs as a wild card team the Indianapolis Colts and then with the number one seed in the AF C the AFC will run through through Cape canav no not Cape Canaveral I'm sorry Mission Control there we go the Space City I think Stefan Diggs um Joe Mixon that just adds to their running back room you got Deo Ryan another year under his belt I like CJ shroud you know how high I was on him last year yes they have a first place schedule but I think the Houston Texans are going to prove that last year was not a flute for them so so I will say this I don't hate anything you said I was torn between Jacksonville and indy I think you're a little bit more down on Jacksonville than I am even though we have them as the same record I think Jacksonville and indy are very similarly buil they have similar head coaches I if Houston wasn't in the division as good as they are I would like both these teams maybe even playoff teams yeah like this AFC South is not a pushover division anymore by the way I didn't mention I only have Houston finishing um one game ahead of Kansas City in terms of the number one seat so you have them at 13 and four yes I think this this is my take on Houston you could be right again I think their schedule's a little bit harder than it was last year and I think their division's better I also think this though and you may disagree if the Texans are going to make a Deep Run in the AFC it may be this year and this year only and the only reason I say that is because I think at the end of this year Bobby slowick is going to be a head coach in the National Football week for some team and we've seen it and we've seen jayen Herz had the drop off without ch stying until he got the right OC we've seen Justin Herbert struggle to not make the playoffs we think he will this year now that he's got the right head coach we think if Houston loses Bobby slowick and they don't have the right play caller is there an where Houston's not as good next year as they are this year I believe there is which why I'm saying they have to strike now which is why they went out and they got Mixon and dicks yes um and I believe it's only a one-year contract for Stefan Diggs it so if it doesn't work out okay it was a one-year deal like it's not that big of a loss for them I don't think but I totally agree hu if Houston's going to strike it has to be this season because yes Kansas City still was able to win the Super Bowl last year even though like everybody was down on them and they had all their receiver issues but I still think there's an opportunity for Houston to jump ahead of them I can't wait for that matchup when they play each other I think it's late it's the week before Christmas yes and it's in Kansas City don't love that for Houston but still okay since the next division is your division I'm going to let you decide you want me to go first or do you want to go so in fourth place I guess I'm going yes they will still have a winning record cuz Mike Tomlin doesn't know how to not have a losing how to like have a losing season he doesn't even have that word in his dictionary but they're gonna have go exactly 500 or no you can't do that with the 17 game schedule I'm sorry um so they'll go nine and eight just missed the playoffs but it's the Pittsburgh Steelers I I don't know who their quarterback's going to be right now they I don't think they've officially announced whether it's gonna be Russell Wilson or Justin field they may not till they go out on the field week one of the Arthur Smith Revenge game um and that's part of the reason why I have the Steelers finishing last is because I don't trust Arthur Smith even as offensive coordinator like is he just G to come up with all these crazy Gadget plays and use players we've never heard of like on the Steelers offense it's gonna be like oh there's number 72 running a Jet Sweep and you're like who the heck is number 72 I've never seen him um so I again Mike Tomlin just doesn't know how to have a losing season you still have TJ Wi on the defensive side of the ball we know how great he is you still have Minka Fitzpatrick you you have um Warren offensively at running back you have George Pickins but and you have Pat Frou maybe they're gonna have Brandon auk I have no idea what's going on with that whole thing it seems like this whole that whole thing has been going on for months on end I just don't care anymore but I'm just like okay you have Fri moth you have Warren and George Pickins do you have anything else Steelers I I'm not sure so in third place it's the eye of the tiger Joe burrow and those Cincinnati Bengals I think this Jamar Chase Situation's gonna hang over their heads throughout this season and it could be a bit of a distraction for him um I have them winning 10 games so 10 and seven um but I just I know it's crazy but I trust Deshawn Watson a little bit and Lamar Jackson for obvious reasons a little bit more than Joe burrow I don't know how he's gonna be coming off of ma a major injury like he had last season with his wrist they have to play Kansas City early you got to play Baltimore you got Dallas Philadelphia the Chargers are on the schedule that's a tough list of opponents for Cincinnati so and we know how they struggle against the Browns so that's what I think is going to cost put them in third place and in second my hometown team I've got the Browns they're gonna be this I if I have this right they're going to be the six seed in the AFC um I think this Deshawn Watson I I don't like that he didn't play at all in preseason I hate that as a Browns fan because the dude had Browns fans and NFL fans and media members are all like can Deshawn Watson get back to the Houston version of himself and I'm like what evidence has he shown that he can get back to that version and people always point to the second half of the Baltimore game I'm like okay do you have any other examples and they say the Arizona game or the Tennessee game and I'm like okay that's cool but Arizona and Tennessee not much of anything um so I like what we have offensively although Nick chubs could be unavailable for the first four games not great but I think I still like our offensive weapons Amari Cooper Jerry Judy Elijah more David and joku I don't think our defense is going to take much of a hit with some of our losses I am GNA Miss cion Taki talki but we still have miles Garrett um we you still have Jeremiah Lua coroa so the pieces are in place but when you got Lamar Jackson at the top of the division I can't see the Browns winning the division and then in first place it they're good I think they repeat as the AFC North Division winners they'll be the number three seed in the AFC it's Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens I think the Ravens adding Derk Henry that's going to be a huge pickup for them because now teams can't stack the Box against the Ravens like okay you want to take away Lamar Jackson here you go King Henry um I do think the loss of Patrick Queen going to the Steelers is going to be a huge uh hole for them so I'll be curious to see how they F that but I've got Baltimore winning the division Josh this is not a surprise because this is probably the hardest division in the AFC to predict but we disagree on the placement of all four teams not surprising okay go so in fourth place with a record of eight and nine I hate to do it our hometown Quin robs I don't trust the Kevin stansky Deshawn Watson relationship that's let me just say this I totally understand your thought process on that because like I said we haven't seen enough evidence of DeShaun Watson on the field so I totally understand that continue everything with Watson and stefansky and as I have said even dating back to last year with the anding of the injury he's gonna play he's not gonna play he goes out there he gets cussed goes out against Baltimore can't hit the side of a barn in the first half second half plays perfect and then has a shoulder injury it's just weird to me even the preseason like against Seattle he's gonna play then he's not GNA play it's strange to me I don't understand it uh weapons wise you know I really like David and joku you know I like Amari Cooper I think Jerry Judy is gonna have a very good year I am very concerned and I don't think a lot of people in qu when are discussing this enough about the browns offensive line situation I think the left and right tackle both because it sounds like Jack coin's coming off Pub but he's had no reps in preseason at all he isn't at training camp the right award situation I mean they could barely stand up against Seattle in the preseason so I think that's an issue and defensively they had a historic year at home last year we talked about it they gave up 10 points a game they give up 30 points a game on the road I don't think it's gonna be that bad of a split but when I look at this brown schedule this year to me it is the absolute toughest schedule in the National Football League and I even look at the home games Dallas the Giants the Chargers Kansas City Miami and the entire division the O though to me the only way I see it the Giants and Miami just because Miami coming to Cleveland on New Year's Eve are the only lucks on that home schedule I'm not saying they're going to go two and seven at home I'm just saying I think it's going to be very difficult for the Browns I think it's gon to be a very difficult season I could see it I mean you look at the road schedule too Jacksonville I mean week two by the way in that Florida heat that's a very difficult game early in the season I agree especially coming off of what could be a very physical game against Dallas um at Washington that could be a tough game depending on what the commanders look like Philadelphia it's never easy to go into Philly and win we know that um playing at New Orleans it it's always at Denver and at Vegas are always tough locations for the Browns as well so yeah and then of course you have the entire AFC North and you finish the season at Baltimore so number three I agree with you even though they should not go over 500 they're going to find a way to because they're the freaking Pittsburgh Steelers they're going to finish nine and eight and third in the AFC North now I agree with everything you've said about Pittsburgh the only thing I want to do with the Pittsburgh Steelers I want to run down their schedule essentially in Reverse I'm gonna give you starting in week 11 because they have a very hard last eight games six out of their last eight games are all in the division them and the Bears have a schedule very similar to that they have to play the Ravens at home then they go to Cleveland on a short week the Thursday before Thanksgiving then they go to Cincinnati then they play the Browns again then they gotta go to Philly then they gotta go at Baltimore on a Saturday they gotta play Kansas City on Christmas and then finish up with the Cincinnati Bengals that to me is at best you're working at a three and five schedule and that is a split with your Division and then losing to Philly and uh Kansas City yeah then their first eight games on the docket then at Atlanta at Denver home against the Chargers at Indie home against Dallas at Vegas home against the Jets home against against the Giants and at Washington in my opinion the only game out of those first nine that are guaranteed win is against the Giants in week eight so you're not even wait a minute so you're not even guar giving them a guaranteed win against Washington no I'm not interesting so I look at that and I say nine and8 yes but they better start six and three and yeah I will also say this I don't care and I told you this when we first broke the news I don't care that Mike tomin on the contract extension if things go south this year in Pittsburgh Mike tomin will be in the broadcast booth for one of the NFL Networks next season oh wow I think the Steelers a lot like New England need a culture reset get an offensive guy in there get a new quarterback they've been spinning their wheels for the last five seasons it feels like a quarterback do you know the last playoff game they won was that game at Kansas City when they kicked six field goals to beat Alex Smith yeah that was and that was a game exactly so there's the Pittsburgh Steelers I have them at nine and eight just missing the Playoffs I have this next team as a wild card team I have them at 11 and six but I do not have them winning the division the Baltimore Ravens all right I just think there is a little bit of a regression coming here I don't think they're going to be as dominant as they were a year ago I think the wats of Mike McDonald now the new at coach in Seattle is a huge loss for Baltimore because I think he ran that defense last year and they go to Zack or who was on the staff last year but he's the second youngest coordinator in the National Football League will he get the same out of that defense also we talked about Joe burrow how he was hurt all of last year wellar Jackson uncharacteristically to this point in his career stayed healthy last year is that gonna happen again for all 17 games I don't know and I also I like the addition of Derk Henry but I don't think he's gonna have as big of an impact as people think I think that Derk Henry lost his step last year I don't think he's the same back I don't think he has the same explosiveness I think it'll be good in Baltimore I don't think he'll be great and I actually think an underrated watch for them was Odell Beckham Jr who's now in Miami he was really good for them last year will Z flowers and duber and Isaiah whitee along with Mark Andrew step up to fill that role in the passing game again I think they'll be good I think they'll regress to what they were two years ago and not last year I can understand why you would say that totally um I think the combination of Mike McDonald and Patrick Queen not being there could be a what hurts them majorly defensively which brings me to the team who I believe will have the number one seed in the AFC this year whoa the Cincinnati Bengals at 12 and five okay you give me and again this is based off Health based off health because show burrow has not been healthy the last two seasons but in my opinion Joe burrow is the second best quarterback in the league not just the conference behind atrick Mahomes a healthy a healthy Joe burrow with Jamar Chase with t iggins who his back with gerain burden out of Alabama who will be a better Tyler Boyd and louo who will always get the best out of that defense like he has done the past few years even though they don't have the best names on them I'm sorry you give me Joe burrow in a football game I'm taking the Cincinnati Bengals this is Burrow's first healthy off seon he's had in the past two training camps now I know he's going off the injury but he participated F in Camp remember two years ago he had the appendix issue then last year he had the cap issue this year he got a full training camp not only that but when Joe burrow has stayed healthy the entire season Josh two seasons he has stayed healthy the earliest the Cincinnati Bengals been eliminated is the AFC Championship game yeah I mean I can totally understand why you would give the Bengals not only the the division title but also the top spot in the AFC it it totally makes sense to me um again it's just I I have question marks about if burrow can stay healthy because again you talked about in the two seasons he did stay healthy they went to the AFC Championship game and they arguably should have won the Super Bowl against the Rams arguably arguably they got hosed on a bad illegal contact call which I thought was complete and utter [ __ ] yes um but nonetheless and we've talked about in the regular season I believe Joe B is what three and one against Patrick Mah I think he's three and0 in the regular season you're right he's three and0 and in the postseason he only has one loss against M yes he's he's one and one