Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Because an AFC team made an appearance on Monday Night Football last night, it’s time for an updated edition of Musket Fire’s weekly AFC power rankings. Not much has changed since yesterday, but reading this ought to make your Tuesday go by a bit faster. Enjoy:
Next: 15. Cleveland Browns
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Next: 14. Houston Texans
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Next: 13. San Diego Chargers
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Next: 12. Jacksonville Jaguars
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Next: 11. Baltimore Ravens
Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
Next: 10. Miami Dolphins
Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports
Next: 9. Kansas City Chiefs
Steve Flynn-USA TODAY Sports
Next: 8. Indianapolis Colts
Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
Next: 7. Buffalo Bills
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Next: 6. New York Jets
Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Next: 5. Pittsburgh Steelers
Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports
Next: 4. Oakland Raiders
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Perhaps the most intriguing squad in the NFL right now, the Raiders are playing like a playoff team. I mean that quite literally; if the season ended today, the Raiders would have the top Wild Card spot as a result of their head-to-head advantage over the Jets for the tiebreaker. If the Raiders can keep the train rolling next week and defeat the Steelers, they will be sitting upright at 5-3 at the halfway mark with head-to-head wins over the next-closest Wild Card teams, New York and Pittsburgh.
Derek Carr is coming of age before our eyes, and it’s fun to watch. There hasn’t been excitement like this in Oakland since the team’s 2002 Super Bowl journey. What a difference a competent quarterback can make.
Also, Charles Woodson is currently the NFL’s interceptions leader after notching his fifth of the season on Sunday. He’s now tied for fifth all-time with 65 career interceptions.
Next: 3. Cincinnati Bengals
Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports
Next: 2. Denver Broncos
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
The Broncos’ defense was its normal self, holding Aaron Rodgers to 77 yards passing, his lowest total in a game he’s started and finished in his career.
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Denver Broncos
AFC West, 7-0
What we saw on Sunday night was a team that has the firepower on both sides of the ball to contend with the Patriots at the end of November. C.J. Anderson shook off whatever demons were holding him back as of late, tallying 101 yards and a touchdown on just 14 carries, and Demaryius Thomas asserted himself as a top-three wideout by turning eight catches into 168 yards.
It’s telling that three of the Broncos’ touchdowns came on the ground, with Ronnie Hillman echoing Anderson’s touchdown with two scores of his own. The Broncos’ offense can be very effective in that pistol formation with speedsters Hillman and Anderson lined up behind a shotgunned Peytnon Manning. And now Manning has Vernon Davis at his disposal, yet another weapon.
The Broncos’ defense was its normal self, holding Aaron Rodgers to 77 yards passing, his lowest total in a game he’s started and finished in his career.
Next: 1. New England Patriots
Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports