In Week 1, the Kansas City Chiefs hosted the Detroit Lions to kickoff the NFL season. The Jacksonville Jaguars traveled to Indianapolis to take on the Colts. The Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals squared off. The Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens met in the Charm City. The Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos played in an AFC West clash. The Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers played in the battle of 2020 first-round quarterbacks. The Buffalo Bills made their way to East Rutherford to play now Aaron Rodgers-led New York Jets. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, and New England Patriots all played NFC opponents.
AFC Standings, Week 2
1. Cleveland Browns (1-0)
2. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0)
3. New York Jets (1-0)
4. Las Vegas Raiders (1-0)
5. Baltimore Ravens (1-0)
6. Miami Dolphins (1-0)
7. Buffalo Bills (0-1)
8. Denver Broncos (0-1)
9. Los Angeles Chargers (0-1)
10. Indianapolis Colts (0-1)
11. Houston Texans (0-1)
12. Cincinnati Bengals (0-1)
13. Tennessee Titans (0-1)
14. Kansas City Chiefs (0-1)
15. New England Patriots (0-1)
16. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1)
Note: The specific order of the standings is unofficial as much of the tiebreaking procedure is unable to be applied.
The Chiefs lost a heartbreaker to the Detroit Lions. The Jaguars beat the Colts in Anthony Richardson's debut. The Browns crushed the Bengals. The Ravens spoiled CJ Stroud's debut in a win over the Texans. The Broncos to the Raiders at home. The Dolphins won a thriller in Los Angeles against the Chargers. The Steelers got embarrassed at home by the 49ers. The Titans lost to the Saints after multiple Ryan Tannehill interceptions. The Patriots were unable to upset the Eagles. The Jets stunned the Bills in overtime despite losing Aaron Rodgers early in the game.
The Chiefs need Travis Kelce to get healthy if they want to repeat as champions. The Bengals need to figure it out on offense before a pivotal game against the Ravens this week. If Deshaun Watson can improve, the Browns will be a problem in the AFC. The Ravens looked solid, despite a lackluster game from Lamar Jackson. The Texans don't look much better than they were last season.
Despite a strong preseason, Kenny Pickett looked awful in Week 1. The Titans will go nowhere if Ryan Tannehill continues to play poorly. Neither the Raiders nor the Broncos will contend in the AFC West. The Chargers defense may hold them back, while the Dolphins' offense could take them far.
The Patriots may be a sleeper in the team in the AFC after a solid defensive outing, but they have to get off to faster starts. The Jets are likely not contenders without Aaron Rodgers, while the Bills also won't contend if Josh Allen continues to play as carelessly as he did on Monday Night.
The AFC finishes the week with just six 1-0 teams and ten 0-1 teams. That's what happens when the AFC goes 0-4 against the NFC in the opening week.
According to TeamRankings.com, the Browns are the favorites to land the #1 seed at 14.9%. Following them are the Chiefs at 13.4%, the Ravens at 13.0%, and the Jets at 12.9%. The favorites in the AFC to win Super Bowl LVIII are the Chiefs (10.0%), Bills (6.9%), Jets (6.0%), Dolphins (4.8%), Browns (4.8%), and Ravens (4.8%).
There's little to be learned from Week 1. The two favorites in the AFC, the Bengals and Chiefs, both struggled, but that won't last long. The Bills aren't serious contenders if Josh Allen continues to turn the ball over at an alarming rate. The Dolphins, Browns, and Ravens could be threats down the road but they all have questions. The Jets won't contend with the best teams in the AFC with Zach Wilson at quarterback.
The Chiefs are still the favorites in the AFC. The Bengals began last year 0-2 and were one drive away from the Super Bowl.