The most certain way to the playoffs is through your own division. While that will not be easy for the Cleveland Browns, the conference wild card spots will be even more difficult, it seems. The AFC is loaded at the quarterback position:
- Josh Allen
- Patrick Mahomes
- Joe Burrow
- Derek Carr
- Matt Ryan
- Justin Herbert
- Deshaun Watson
- Lamar Jackson
- Russell Wilson
At least two of those quarterbacks won’t make the playoffs. That doesn’t include Ryan Tannehill (whose team won 12 games last year), rookie of the year runner-up Mac Jones (whose team made the playoffs in 2021) or Tua Tagovailoa’s revamped Miami team.
The AFC North is expected to be rugged once again with the Cincinnati Bengals coming off their Super Bowl appearance, the Baltimore Ravens getting Jackson and Ronnie Stanley back healthy and the Pittsburgh Steelers replacing one Ohio quarterback with another to try to keep things going.
With the NFL draft Thursday, it is a good time to look at what is being said about each of the teams in the AFC North: