Ravens: Ray Lewis & Lardarius Webb injured (UPDATE: Out for the year)

Teams with realistic shots to come out of the AFC (barring any more injuries)
1. Patriots
2. Texans
3. Ravens
4. Steelers
5. Broncos

I can easily see anyone of these teams going to the super bowl. Ray lewis injury hurts the Ravens more off the field than on the field (these days).

Texans really need to lock up home field advantage through-out the playoffs cause i don't see us beating the Patriots on their field and the Ravens are a different team at home.

 

#4 does not belong.

 

They're a crafty team. I have no doubt they'll be in the hunt. They have the most explosive receiving duo in the AFC with Brown and Wallace. If they get anything from the run game its a bonus. If they can get healthy at the O-line and keep the older defensive players off the field during the regular season i'd hate to see them in the playoffs.

 

Ray Lewis & Lardarius Webb are injured you say?

Spoiler

 

Kinda iffy about Houston's defense without Cushing & whether or not we can make the proper adjustments to become an elite defense again. Just hope everyone stays healthy.

 

Well, I certainly hope you are right. But, you have more faith than I do.

Roethlisberger has looked better than he ever has now that he is no longer under Arians, but the O-Line, while already a weak link, has been hit by injuries ontop of injuries.

And their defense has been a revolving door for their best players. (Not that Polamalu has even looked good while playing.)

So, yes there is a pause in completely writing off the team, but there is almost no margin for error with their record by giving games away to last second field goals.

 

Replace the Steelers with the Chargers, and I'm with you. The Steelers might be crafty, but their defense can't get offenses off the field anymore, and their lack of a true running game means they can't grind the clock the way Steelers teams in the past would. Plus, the fact that they already have 3 AFC losses pretty much leaves no room for error by way of tiebreakers.

The Chargers will go as far as Rivers takes them. Last night was a perfect example of Rivers giveth, Rivers taketh away. His first half (with help from the Denver special teams) was perfect, with him putting two TD passes to Gates right on the money. However, in the second half, he became too daring, and it bit him in the ass. His ego hurts the team, but if Turner can appeal to him to make better decisions by checking the ball down to the flats more often, the Chargers are a tough team to beat. He just needs to get it out of head that he can make every single throw that he wants, defense be damned.

 

You gotta remember Pittsburgh hasn't had Troy Polamalu play a full game yet. He's the leader of that defense and I think they will be just fine when he's healthy again.