2017 NFL Preview: Early Playoff Outlook
There is a serious division in the conferences as one conference is all about the chase after one team and the other is simply a chase after the title.
The conferences are entirely different but the battle is very similar as everyone is in pursuit of the same goal and there are a lot of teams to get through in order to reach that ultimate goal.
In the AFC the battle is simply about trying to compete with the best franchise in the sport for the best part of two decades.
The New England Patriots are coming off of their fifth Super Bowl championship in the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady era.
It is one of the most dominant runs in NFL history and the AFC is right in the thick of it as they are the conference that has to deal with that team.
This year things might be even tougher as the Patriots went all out in the off-season bringing in more talent than they already had.
After winning a Super Bowl the Patriots might be better than they were a year ago and that means some serious issues for the rest of the conference.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans and Oakland Raiders all have a chance to end the reign along with wild card teams in Los Angeles and Tennessee.
This hill is a tough one to climb though as the Chargers don’t quite have the talent to keep up and the Titans are just too young.
That young curse will also follow the Raiders into the playoffs as they simply don’t have the experience but the promise is great for both them and the Titans.
The more interesting battles could be from the Steelers and the Texans who will both have a much better shot at heading to Minnesota in February.
The Steelers might not have the defence they used to but their offence is one of the best in the league.
The Texans are the opposite as they have a great defence but some serious questions on the offensive side of the ball.
That superiority on defence will help the Texans to the championship game and with some extra inspiration after Hurricane Harvey devastated the city they will unseat the champs to move into the Super Bowl.
In the NFC things are slightly different as the battle is great but there is no one dominant team throughout the entire conference.
Instead of pursuing one great team the NFC is a mix and the question becomes who can last among all of the good teams.
It is more of a grind in the NFC and in for that grind will be the New York Giants, Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks.
Getting in through the wild card will be Tampa Bay and Minnesota and every team has a great shot at making a run.
The Falcons and Seahawks are great teams but they don’t seem to have everything to make it so they will be eliminated.
The Bucs don’t have much experience in the playoffs which will ultimately sink them while the Vikings could make an impression but won’t likely take a Super Bowl spot.
The two most experienced teams seem to be headed for a clash as the Giants are completely reloaded on offence after reloading on defence a year ago.
They have everything they need while the Packers have Aaron Rodgers who many believe to be the best quarterback in the league right now.
The overall team of the Giants will find a way through as they enter the Super Bowl giving Eli Manning a chance to take his third title.
The battles are going to be interesting as all of these teams look to make their way to the biggest game of the year.
The AFC is running a race against the best franchise in the league while the NFC is simply in a fight to see who can last until the end.
The difference is huge but the end goal is always the same and the fight to get there is never going to be an easy one no matter the path.
Whether it is having to go through a five-time champion or having to battle multiple great teams nothing is going to be easy to get to the Super Bowl.
Everything needs to go right for a team to get to that ultimate goal and nobody knows what will happen as the season is set to begin and a full season and playoffs stand between Week 1 and the Super Bowl.
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