AFC Super Bowl Team will be? (3/4th season in the books)
 

OK, everyone in the AFC is in the books this week, so we now enter the NFL 4th quarter next week as all teams have played 12 games.

We have 4 seemingly even contenders, plus the always-dangerous Steelers. No matter what seed they get, they can do it as we have seen.

STANDINGS:

Houston 11-1
New England 9-3
Baltimore 9-3
Denver 9-3

Indianapolis 8-4
Pittsburgh 7-5
Cincinnati 7-5

Homers & Non-Homers, who would you put your $ on right now to be in the Super Bowl from the AFC?

My money would be on either Brady or Manning to be honest.
I don't see the great homefield advantage for Houston... they gave up 6 TD passes to Rodgers, the most he's ever had, there on primetime.
I'd trust New England or Denver more.
I see no way Indy can win 3 playoff games against those teams.
You never know with Baltimore.... if they tighten up their defense when Ray gets back, who knows.

CURRENT WILDCARD MATCHUPS:

Pittsburgh @ Baltimore
Indianapolis @ Denver

Manning vs Luck would be marvelous.... let's cross our fingers for that one!

CINCINNATI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!

(Thoughtful insight, I know)

Denver.

But as sick as this sounds, I think this might be the best year yet for Baltimore to pull through.

They have been "exposed" as a weak "good" team but that lack of pressure/misperception might place them in the right alignment to make the run they should have the past two years. Don't really have much logic behind this other than Flacco can/must play better and the they get their defense back. We know they have the ability to beat anybody.

I'm very excited for my playoff bracket pool I run because the AFC picks should be so split among those teams.....

Can never count out Pittsburgh if Big Ben and Polamalu are back healthy.
Houson made the good run last year with QB3.... Manning, Brady, Flacco.
Flacco?

I will say the Patriots - though the homer side wants to say Broncos. I think at this stage the Pats are less likely to cost themselves a crucial game through silly mistakes.

It would be Pittsburgh @ New England right now since the Ravens have the tie-breaker over the Patriots. I'm not sure if Denver would be ahead of Baltimore though.

I went with the Texans.

Not according to this: http://espn.go.com/nfl/standings/_/t...nk/order/false

NE is 8-1 in AFC, Baltimore is 8-2.

Voted for Denver. I really don't see the Texans beating a Manning or Brady led team in the playoffs.

Baltimore beat them though. The head-to-head tiebreaker is the first one considered in any scenario.

http://www.nfl.com/standings/tiebreakingprocedures

Took me a bit to find this lol, it's the 3rd rule in the Other Tie-Breaking Procedures section.

I think the best bet for them was and will always be when their player was standing in the endzone with the game winning touchdown in the AFCCG before some scrub knocked it out.

If Cincy carries this win streak it will be them. However...will they? I hope so. Denver is my non homer bet.

We'll get a good idea of who it will be in the next few weeks as Houston plays @NE Monday night, which is followed up by Denver @ Baltimore (which could decide the #2, #3, and #4 seeds, because of tie breakers if Denver, Baltimore, and NE win out) and SF @ NE.

The Texans also get the Colts twice.

edit: The Ravens also play the Giants.

And Denver beat Baltimore, and New England beat Denver

So,

Baltimore holds the tiebreaker over New England
Denver holds the tie breaker over Baltimore
New England holds the tie breaker over Denver

Yeah, I said a while ago in the Pats thread that of all the teams in the running I thought Baltimore hard the hardest road to a first round bye. I still think Denver has a really good chance of getting the 2 seed because NE plays Hou and SF in 6 days and I would bet probably drop 1 of them. With the exception of the Baltimore game Denver should comfortably win out

What a set of Wildcard games we would have right now. Ben leads the Steelers back into Baltimore and Manning hosts Andrew Luck and the Colts.

As to the favorite, I just don't see anything. None of these teams has had me thinking Superbowl favorite. NE, Den, and Houston have all been on great streaks. I can't include Baltimore after damn near losing to SD and then actually losing to Charlie Batch.

If I had to say right now id go with NE.

From most likely to least

New England
Denver
Pittsburgh
Houston

It doen't matter. There are more than 2 teams tied so it's not head-to-head. It's conference record first tiebreaker. As the link to ESPN conference standings showed.

Well at the beginning of the season I picked a Harbaugh Super Bowl. So I gotta be a stubborn little **** and still pick Baltimore.

I think their defense will screw them over.

I actually think Denver will make it. They have really pulled it together recently and I think have one of the more complete teams. Houston I think is a close second but just havent been playing as hot so I'm just saying Denver based off my gut feeling. I think Pats follow next for me and Ravens fourth likely if Suggs is going to miss more time and Flacco doesnt turn it around.

I have them ranked:

1) New England
2) Houston
3) Denver
4) Pittsburgh
5) Baltimore
6) Indy

Man, honestly, its hard to really choose between the top 4.
No bias aside, I think Denver has one of the more complete teams though. The offense is getting it done, the defense is playing top notch and now with Trindon Holliday the special teams has a threat on the return game. Sure, they have weaknesses, but anybody who plays them will have a dog fight. Same for Houston, New England, and Baltimore.

I would say Houston or Pittsburgh because I fully expect Manning, Brandy and Flacco to blow it in the playoffs.