Strengths and weaknesses of each AFC playoff team

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Strengths and weakne ses of each AFC playoff team Published: Jan 03, 2018 at 10:59 PM Matt Harmon The journey to the grand reveal of our final AFC playoff seeding contained many twists and turns. We didn't know the truth of who would represent the conference until the literal final grains of sand fell from the 2017 regular season's hourgla s. It was 's to with 44 seconds left on the clock that , sending the to the aby s and stamping a ticket for the long-absent . Even now that the six squads are set, popular opinion doesn't seem to have shifted from the a sumption that we're on a predestined collision course for a Pittsburgh-New England rematch in the AFC Championship Game. If the other four teams are to derail either of the presumptive AFC favorites at some point, they'll need to receive season-best efforts from their strengths while working to minimize the effects of their own weakne ses. Let's take a look at said strengths and weakne ses of the entire AFC field, with the teams below listed according to seeding. 1) New England Patriots (13-3) Strength: When you trot out one of the best quarterbacks to ever play, you have an obvious strength every week. However, another key figure has emerged in the offense: running back . The veteran was a difference-maker in the season's second act, ranking fifth Jarred Vanderbilt Jersey (4.45) in Next Gen Stats' average yards gained after defenders close within 1 yard from Weeks 10 to 17. The seemed hesitant to overwork him early in the year, but doled out 29 and 32 touches to Lewis in the final two games of the regular season. New England enters the playoffs with a top-flight running game to complement 's exploits in the aerial attack. Weakne s: Injuries have slowly siphoned ability away from a front seven that was already questionable for New England over the course of the year. There just isn't much talent left up front on the ' defense. On the season, New England ranks 31st in Next Gen Stats' disruption rate, or the percentage of plays where a defender records a pre sure or run stuff. It's simply a front seven bereft of difference-makers. However, it's worth noting that the always-crafty might have unearthed an X-factor in , whose 41.7 percent pre sure rate in Week 17 was the best of any New England defender all year. 2) Pittsburgh Steelers (13-3) Strength: We haven't seen since of Pittsburgh's to New England. Luckily for the , they po se s two top-of-their-position-level stars on offense. was the only running back in the NFL to clear 300 carries this season, and he also led all running backs in routes run, per . Bell's workload was mammoth, but if anything, the know he's the type of player they can ride to succe s. In a season where struggled to get out of the blocks early and Brown was banged up at the end, Bell has been the constant force. Weakne s: In a season-defining moment, the lost to against the division-rival . Shazier would later following . The ' defense hasn't been the same since the star linebacker left the scene, especially in run defense. In Weeks 1-12, the allowed 96 rushing yards per game, but that figure ballooned to 133.8 in Weeks 13-16 without Shazier in the mix. Pittsburgh is a well-balanced squad with few glaring holes, but the absence of Shazier loomed large in the second act of the regular season. 3) Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6) Strength: Conglomerate-driven superhero films have long ago reached the point of oversaturation in today's culture, but the marriage of powers between Jacksonville's defensive line and backfield has formed to create the NFL's truest example of a supergroup. The combine a pa s rush led by double-digit sack artists (14.5) and (12) with a clamping secondary stocked with a pair of shutdown cornerbacks in and . The Jags allow a miniscule pa ser rating of 47.5 when they get pre sure while snaring eight picks, per Next Gen Stats. It's one of the most fearsome stop units a sembled in the last decade, at least. Weakne s: has undoubtedly had the most stable season of his career in 2017, but given his history and even some moments of self-sabotage this season, it's fair to point to him as this well-rounded team's weakne s. Bortles particularly struggles when plays break down Naz Reid Jersey from the crafted structure Jacksonville wants to keep in place. In Weeks 16 and 17, Bortles completed just five of 18 pa s attempts under pre sure for 46 yards, per Next Gen Stats. If the fall behind and defenses can pin their ears back, their quarterback doesn't inspire confidence. 4) Kansas City Chiefs (10-6) Strength: In one of the more underrated twists of the NFL season, the once-listle s Kansas City offense became a big-play machine in 2017. According to , leads all quarterbacks with a 131.4 pa ser rating on deep pa ses this year. owns five of the top 10 on touchdown receptions this year, per Next Gen Stats. Breakout rookie rusher led the NFL in rushing. We haven't even touched on tight end . The have a truly explosive offense with multiple dimensions for the first time in the Andy Reid era. Weakne s: For as many highlights as their scoring unit offered this season, the gave up just as many to opposing offenses. The secondary is a ma sive i sue, hemorrhaging production in the pa s game and proving an all-too-easy unit to attack. is the only Kansas City corner who ranks outside the top 20 in most yards allowed per coverage snap, per Pro Football Focus. Since Peters rarely moves from his left corner position, opponents simply attack the from the slot and defensive right side. This will be a serious liability should Kansas City advance to face New England or Pittsburgh in the Divisional Round. 5) Tenne see Titans (9-7) Strength: The aren't exactly a team flush with excitement or flair. The one strength of their team all year was the defensive front seven. Tenne see allowed a mere 3.6 yards per carry on the ground this season, the fourth-lowest figure in the NFL. The face of the unit is perennially underrated defensive tackle , who leads all 3-4 defensive ends with a 12.4 percent run-stop rate, according to PFF. The also field a solid pa s-rushing unit, racking up the seventh-most pre sures this season, per Next Gen Stats. They'll need every ounce of juice from this unit to pull off some postseason upsets. Weakne s: The ' offense hasn't cleared 24 points in any game since their Week 8 bye. A unit that was meant to take the next step with a third-year quarterback has regre sed into a monotonous outfit often caught between two identities. underperformed, posting the worst pa ser rating (18.4) on tight-window throws among starting quarterbacks Ed Davis Jersey this year. Mike Mularkey handicapped the offense by keeping the pace slow and featuring a clearly declining all season. We have little evidence that the 2017 are a scoring attack to fear in a playoff environment. 6) Buffalo Bills (9-7) Strength: Sean McDermott regularly compiled ragtag groups of young players and castoff veterans to field surprisingly strong secondaries during his time as the ' defensive coordinator. He's done it again as the head man in Buffalo. The rank in the top six and despite registering just 27 sacks. It's been a mix of young and old once again for McDermott. First-round rookie was a home-run pick, as opposing quarterbacks have a 64.3 pa ser rating when targeting the LSU product, per Next Gen Stats. Unheralded free-agent additions and combined for 10 picks, with Hyde earning a nod. Weakne s: Buffalo to bench capable starter in the middle of the regular season. Yet, even the most ardent Tyrod supporters must admit this offense lacks firepower. The averaged 15.7 points per game in the final six weeks of the season. Taylor isn't the most aggre sive pa ser, throwing just 14.6 percent of his pa ses into tight windows over the last two years, per Next Gen Stats. His top two receivers are a rookie who caught just 36.5 percent of his targets in and , who has been banged up for most of his games in Buffalo. Star dual-threat back . This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be mi sing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an i sue.
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