AFC Standings, Week 2: KC Chiefs start the season strong with win over Ravens
The NFL season has kicked off, and Kansas City Chiefs fans are already eyeing that coveted #1 seed in the AFC.
The Chiefs started strong with a nail-biter at home against their AFC rivals, the Baltimore Ravens. Rookie Xavier Worthy showed flashes of star potential, while Chris Jones dominated as expected. Despite leading throughout the second half, Kansas City came dangerously close to letting the game slip away.
So, after Week 1, which AFC teams hit the ground running, and which ones stumbled out of the gate?
AFC West standings, Week 2
- L.A. Chargers
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Denver Broncos
- Las Vegas Raiders
AFC East standings, Week 2
- Miami Dolphins
- New England Patriots
- Buffalo Bills
- New York Jets
AFC North standings, Week 2
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Baltimore Ravens
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Cleveland Browns
AFC South standings, Week 2
- Houston Texans
- Indianapolis Colts
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Tennessee Titans
The Chiefs kicked things off by taking down Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in a close one. Meanwhile, the Bills barely escaped an upset from the feisty Cardinals. In a shocker, the Patriots stunned the Bengals in their own backyard.
Things weren't so rosy for Will Levis and the Titans, who stumbled in Chicago. The Steelers managed to beat the Falcons without a single touchdown. Down in Florida, the Dolphins edged out the Jaguars with a last-second field goal.
Elsewhere, the Texans hit the road and snagged a win against the Colts, while the Chargers spoiled Jim Harbaugh's debut by besting the Raiders. In Seattle, the Broncos fell as Bo Nix had a game he'd rather forget. The Browns got a rude awakening at home as the Cowboys dominated from start to finish. The Jets were stomped by the 49ers on Monday Night Football, who didn't even have Christian McCaffrey.
Although it's early, the Chiefs seem poised to keep their crown in the AFC. Barring any major injury setbacks, they're likely to cruise to their ninth consecutive AFC West title - practically on autopilot at this point.
The Ravens? They've got some homework to do on that offensive line if they want to be in the mix. As for the Bills, they're not quite firing on all cylinders yet. The Bengals? Let's just say they're not exactly screaming 'playoff contender' right now.
In the Sunshine State, both the Dolphins and Jaguars looked underwhelming. The Jets aren't exactly a well-oiled machine. The Texans are emerging as a true contender - potentially the Chiefs' biggest headache this season. As for the rest of the pack, no one else appears to be a true threat to Kansas City.
According to Team Rankings, the Chiefs are the favorites to land the #1 seed at 31.6%, followed by the Bills at 10.9%, the Texans at 9.8%, the Dolphins at 9.3%, the Ravens at 8.5%, the Chargers at 7.3, and the Steelers at 6.7%.. They also peg the Chiefs as the AFC frontrunners for Super Bowl LIX with a 13.9% chance, while the Ravens stand at 6.8%. Rounding out the top contenders are the Bills (5.6%), Texans (5.0%), and Dolphins (4.2%).
After one week, Chiefs fans have plenty of reasons to be optimistic. With Patrick Mahomes at quarterback, Andy Reid as head coach, and a strong defense, the team is in great shape. While there are some areas to fine-tune, such as cornerback depth and wide receiver rotations, this might be the most talented roster of the Mahomes era, which is impressive given their back-to-back Super Bowl wins. A victory against the Bengals on Sunday would put them at 2-0, setting them up nicely for the remaining fifteen weeks of their relatively favorable schedule.
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