The Pretenders
Buffalo Bills
The Bills are clearly the second best team in the AFC East behind the Patriots. That doesn’t mean they are ready to challenge Tom Brady and company for NFL supremacy yet.
Sean McDermott and his staff deserve a lot of credit for the team they’ve assembled. Buffalo might have the best defense in the entire league. Normally, that’s good enough to get a team into contender status.
Unfortunately, Josh Allen and this offense aren’t ready for the primetime yet. With some luck they might progress to that level in a year or two, but the team’s inconsistency under center means they are still pretenders in 2019.
Oakland Raiders
Jon Gruden’s team was a punchline last season, but they’ve started delivering blows this season. The Raiders aren’t blowing anyone away, but you can’t question their status as the second place team in their division with a 3-2 record.
Despite their solid record, it’s hard to count on an offense led by Derek Carr at quarterback to really be a factor in the postseason. This team is headed in the right direction as the prepare to move to Las Vegas in 2020, but they are still several quality draft classes away from being a legitimate contender.
Cleveland Browns
The AFC North was supposed to be one of the NFL’s toughest divisions, but it’s been more of a disaster instead. The ineptitude of the Bengals and the injury to Ben Roethlisberger for the Steelers leaves the 2-4 Browns alone in second place behind the Ravens.
Until Baker Mayfield learns to protect the football it’s going to be hard for Cleveland to win games. Throwing 11 interceptions in six games is a good way to pilot your team to a high draft pick. The Browns have a lot of talent, but they aren’t playing up to their potential right now. As such, they are an easy pick for the contender category.
Indianapolis Colts
Calling the Colts a pretender feels a little bit risky, but it’s still the right call. Frank Reich and his staff deserve a ton of credit for fielding a feisty team in the wake of Andrew Luck’s retirement. However, it’s hard to envision Jacoby Brissett playing well enough to really lead Indianapolis on an extended postseason run.
For the record, that doesn’t mean they can’t overtake the Texans to win the AFC South. The combination of this team’s punishing ground game and stingy defense is going to make them a nightmare to play against all season long. The Colts have the look of a solid playoff team, but they lack the upside to be classified as true Super Bowl contenders.
Dallas Cowboys
Jason Garrett is coaching a team that is official in crisis after a disheartening defeat to the Jets. Dallas stormed out of the gate with a 3-0 record, but have now lost three straight games to even their record at a mediocre mark of 3-3.
In fairness to Garrett and his staff, they’re dealing with quite a few injuries at the moment. They lost to New York without either of their starting tackles on the offensive line. The team should get those guys back soon and that will absolutely help them.
It will not make them contenders though. This team just isn’t consistent or durable enough to really be considered an elite NFL team. Dallas can make the playoffs, but they are a great candidate to lose early.
Carolina Panthers
Kyle Allen has come on in relief of Cam Newton at quarterback and reeled off four wins in a row for the Panthers. That doesn’t mean they are ready to compete with the NFC’s elite teams. Carolina is still significantly behind the Saints in terms of their ability to win the NFC South.
The team has the right profile to become a contender, but the talent level on the roster isn’t quite there yet. The defensive front is showing signs of becoming a dominant unit, but the secondary isn’t quite up to the task of locking down elite receivers in the postseason. Allen and the offense can put a lot of pressure on opposing defenses, but the Carolina offense line is average at best. The Panthers may grind out a playoff berth, but they aren’t ready to play for the Lombardi Trophy this season.