From Disappointing to Defective – Are There Any Contenders Truly Desiring to Secure the NFL Championship In the Current Year?

No professional sports organization promotes equal footing as effectively as the NFL: it defines their identity. Yet following ten games of this season, this is not a competition featuring uniform distribution between the good, the bad and the mediocre. Instead, it's a scenario where most of the league is simply fine.

Clear Picture in NFC

In the NFC, to some degree, we see clearer definition. The Rams and Seahawks (each holding 7-2 records) look like the most complete teams in football, and delivered overwhelming triumphs on Sunday. Philadelphia at 6-2 even with their challenges still have one of the most talented rosters across the NFL, comparable to Green Bay (5-2-1). The Lions also (6-3 standing), with their fluctuating form along both lines of scrimmage while managing internal staff conflicts, have demonstrated they can defeat good teams. Regarding these five teams, it's straightforward to put together a Super Bowl path.

AFC Confusion

Turning to the American Football Conference, postseason landscape is thoroughly confusing. The current division frontrunners at this stage: Indianapolis, New England, Denver (each with 8-2 records) along with Pittsburgh (5-4). Read that again. Not the Chiefs. No Bills inclusion. Neither Ravens nor Bengals. The traditional powers, backed by elite NFL signal-callers, possess either obvious team deficiencies or have been hit by injuries.

Competitive Balance System

In some ways, this represents the NFL's perfect scenario. Yet observing the current division frontrunners within the conference remains somewhat odd. Aspects of each franchise pass the championship smell test, but not in their entirety. Were you questioned to finalize your AFC Championship game picks at this moment, would you comfortably pick any of these four teams?

Franchise Analysis

Indianapolis Colts

First, examining Indianapolis, Daniel Jones hasn't descended to pumpkin status. Yet the past two games have been worrying. He’s back to giving away possessions and struggling against pressure. He suffered seven sacks versus Atlanta in the weekend game, and experienced a five-minute stretch during which he tossed a pick and fumbled three times. This is a week after he committed turnovers five separate times facing the Steelers.

The Colts’ offense excelled during early games because Jones avoided game-changing errors. Taylor along with the blockers mean the Colts are able to withstand occasional setbacks, as they did in Berlin. However, if Jones reverts to his old blunder-prone days would finish any playoff run.

Patriots Examination

New England appears fairly alike. A year ago, they were a punchline. Today, they stand as the league’s happiest surprise and the hottest team in football following seven consecutive victories. Except for committing turnover errors a manageable matchup versus the Steelers, they would currently hold nine wins, one loss as the league's best. In the prior year, they seemed veteran and plodding. Now they’re inexperienced, speedy and bold. Still, it’s hard to ignore the ease of the Patriots' matchups. They have faced the least challenging lineup across the NFL, yet vulnerabilities remain. The signal-caller has been brought down thirty-five times – the second-most in football – including particular impacts he endured during the game proved brutal. As the season progresses, those hits add up.

Denver Analysis

The Broncos hold eight wins similarly, and it still feels that they're barely surviving. The Denver signal-caller has performed unevenly, with the attack struggling, while the defensive unit provides most of the responsibility. Lacking competent QB performance, the Broncos aren’t scaring playoff opponents. The Chargers are also hovering in the Western division with seven wins, however, health issues along their offensive line will make it tough to achieve championship contention.

Pittsburgh Situation

And then there’s Pittsburgh, inexplicably frontrunning their division even after suffering 25-10 by the Chargers in the evening game. They've been outscored overall, their defensive unit frequently falters, and Aaron Rodgers’ limitations during his career phase regularly manifest. They’re 5–4 and holding on, however, the Ravens, with their QB returning to health with manageable games ahead, have won three consecutive. It shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that the Ravens have pulled to within one game of Pittsburgh, but how rapidly this occurred highlights deficiencies within Pittsburgh’s inconsistencies. The fact Baltimore began the season 1-5 yet still appear capable of division victory reveals much about the conference as a whole.

Established Contenders

Baltimore constitutes part of the Big Three – alongside the Bills and Chiefs – fueled by former MVP signal-callers, that would continue to generate the highest anxiety for opponents should they reach postseason. They're the teams everyone hopes to avoid, but the Chiefs and Bills cannot get out of their own way.

Bills Struggles

A week ago, Buffalo was celebrating post Chiefs triumph. During Sunday's action they experienced among the season's worst defeats during the campaign. They didn't simply fail to the Dolphins; they looked terrible, losing 30-13 as visitors. This represented Miami's initial victory over the Bills in over three years.

If you’re looking for a microcosm of the day, look no further: Allen transforming {a quarterback sneak|a short-yardage play|a sneak attempt