5 teams that will threaten the New England Patriots in AFC

The New England Patriots are once again the AFC favorites. Here are five NFL teams that have a chance to knock the Patriots off their perch.

Once again, the New England Patriots are firmly installed as the AFC team most likely to make the Super Bowl. It’s not going to be an easy road for Bill Belichick and company thought. There are several teams who can mount a serious challenge against the Pats.

Vegas has already installed Bill Belichick’s team as the favorite to win next year’s Super Bowl. The Patriots lead the field with just 5/1 odds to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. Of course, there’s a lot of football to be played between now and Super Bowl LIII.

Any team in the AFC looking to knock off the Patriots is going to need to be able to put pressure on Tom Brady. When he has time to sit back and survey the field he’s going to pick your defense apart. In particular, any team interested in getting by New England would be well served to have a top-notch pass rush. Teams that are able to sack Brady have enjoyed much more success against the Patriots than those who try to sit back and cover.

It also helps if you have an offense capable of matching New England’s scoring. That isn’t an easy accomplishment for any NFL team to put together, but there are a few AFC contenders with high-powered offenses in their own right. They may not be as consistent as what New England puts out on a weekly basis, but some teams do have attacks that are just as explosive.

The Patriots have every reason to be confident heading into the regular season, but these five teams are more than capable of toppling them for the AFC crown. Read on to discover the specific teams New England should be most wary of next season. If the Patriots want to reach another Super Bowl, they’ll have to earn it against these five foes.