DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum The AFC teams who didn't make playoffs,who can make the playoffs in 2013?

Between the Browns, Jets, Dolphins,Bills,Steelers,Titans,Jags Chargers,Raiders and Chiefs what team or teams can surprise and make the playoffs in 2013?
Each team has different off season challenges from the other.

Dolphins. No front office overhauls,just a team lacking playmakers. A good draft and some activity in FA could be the difference,and how Tanneyhill progresses

Jags. New G.M on the way. Big questions at QB loom. Still lacking a pass rush.
Does MJD wear another uniform in 2013?

Bills. New coach and now new owner. This team has alot of talent but no heart.
Fitzpatrick isn't the answer.

Steelers. Expect familiar faces to be gone. They are right up on the cap.
Big Ben isn't the same and that once stout running game is a huge ?

Titans. The worst defense in the AFC. Locker still plays like a rookie. What if Kenny Britt could play a full season? I could see the Titans bringing a Vick or Rivers in.

Chargers. Rivers could use a new location to play QB. Matthews makes Lee Suggs look like Iron Man. A.J Smith's last few drafts and off season moves didn't work out and he's out of work. another team that was soft.
I see a rebuild here.

Raiders. The Palmer Project did not go as planned. McFadden still can't play a full season. I don't see this team getting better anytime soon.Inept coaches and a GM that has no business being a GM

Chiefs. So much talent but led by coaches that had no business coaching.
The Chiefs need a QB and this draft isn't the draft to find your franchise QB.
I bet they miss Carl Peterson now.

Browns. yet another regime overhaul but this one might actually win more than 5 games a year. They need some playmakers on defense and a QB that can make plays.

My list in order of likelihood.

1. Steelers - I doesn't matter how old they get. They ALWAYS seem to be good. And I won't believe they are this "downswing" till I see it.
2. Dolphins - A 7-9 season with a rookie QB would be great any other year. Solid D. Solid Run game. Just need more talent overall. Seem on the way up.
3. Titans - I like Locker a little. Not a lot. CJ is always dangerous. They have talent. Just need direction.
4. Browns - We come in at 4. But really look what's left. I think it's an indightment on us. Were not a "Bad good team" yet, but possibly one of the "Best bad teams"
5. Bills - If Harvard can recapture what got him paid, or they find a suitable replacement, they have enough talent on both sides of the ball to succeed.
6. Chargers - Any time you have a QB you have a chance. Rivers has fallen off a lot obviously. But I think AJ Smiths reign of terror over that team along with Norv Turner being gone are good things.
The Rest: The Jags and Raiders are just too under talented teams. Need time, KC I tink is a QB a way, just not any QB they take at 1. And **** the Jets. :P

Well ...let's see .....

I'll just break this down into those who could .... and those who definitely won't.

Could:

Browns. They lost several games on "one play, late in games". Make a catch here, catch an INT there, don't allow a scoring drive with 1 minute left over there ...... and you have a different season.

Steelers. They still have Roethlisberger and the #1 defense in the NFL, and as long as they have those, they have to be considered playoff contenders.

Chargers. If they grab a dynamic receiver or 2, it's a whole different story in San Diego.

Dolphins. Maybe, but they have to get over the hump first. Much like the Browns, they have a chance, but they have to establish a winning feeling first.

The rest:

Jags. No chance. Too many gaping holes, including QB. They can beat some bad teams, but not consistently. Forget about beating many good teams.

Chefs. Ditto.

Raiders. They have bits and pieces of talent here and there, but not enough to really make a move up.

Bills. Ditto.

Titans. Man, this is a major rebuild. They need a lot of help everywhere. They could be next year's 2-14 team.

The Jets are a mess. Rex Ryan might be the most over rated coach in the last 10 years. His rah rah act has wore thin. Tannebaum is a horrible GM. how he kept that job for 7 years is mind boggling.
for any of the teams to make the playoffs obviously a couple have to drop out?

The Jets rode a slight uptick after Mangini left, then hit the skids.

I don't know how many of the players they had during their AFC Championship Game run were there pre-Ryan, and how many he picked himself. Regardless, they have definitely shown that they lack staying power ..... and Sanchez is definitely not a plus level player.

I'm surprised Greenie didn't spend a hour on the Jets. The Mike and Mike Show is the most boring AM sports talk show around.

Quote:

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I'm surprised Greenie didn't spend a hour on the Jets.

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He didn't have time, Northwestern won a bowl game yesterday.

I don't mind the show, but they are the epitome of what is wrong with sports reporting in that they latch onto a few topics and beat them into the ground while plenty of other topics go untouched. If you listen to that show for half an hour, you might as well turn it off because you aren't going to hear anything new for the next 2 hours.

Mike and Mike has gotten even worse since Greenberg became this giant ND honk.

I agree with most everyone else that the Steelers are the most likely to make the playoffs last year. I don't think they are declining as much as people think, and you have to assume with a healthy Roethlisburger next year that they will be right in the thick of the AFC. Not playing any playoff games might actually benefit Big Ben going forward, as much as I hate to say it.

I can't really rate them beyond that, but I can say there are probably 2 groups. One is the more likely, the other less likely.

Group more likely...

Giants. Because they are the Giants and that's what they do.

New Orleans. Something tells me they are going to be on the rampage next year.

Chicago. A new voice will be beneficial and I think a crucial draft. They need upgrades in several key spots. It's amazing that they are thought to be good immediately even with a new coach yet we are getting a new coach and are still up against it, amazing what a QB can do for you and your image.

The rest of the teams not mentioned are in the group less likely.

As far as the Browns go, noticed I didn't name any AFC teams other than Pittsburgh as likely to be back. I think the AFC is still up for grabs as far as the better half of the conference goes.

I think the offense Pat was running was a huge part of the problem, but not all of it. It's on those players too. A new guy will come in, but I still think we have holes and depth issues in certain areas of this team. I don't think this is a 10+ win team, but you never know.

The draft will say a lot, but we also don't have a 2nd round pick as it stands. We need a lot of our 1st and 2nd year guys to show up big, and with that first pick I think they need to just find the best possible player there. Man a DE/LB pass rusher would be nice though.

Point taken.