2015 NFL Playoff Picture: Week 3

  AFC Division Winners (byes and seeding detailed below)

Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

1. New England Patriots (3-0, bye)
2. Cincinnati Bengals (3-0, bye)
3. Denver Broncos (3-0)
4. The AFC South (1-2)

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to three undefeated Super Bowl contenders…and the sorry AFC South.

The Patriots seem to have learned from last season’s early stumbles and started this year as if it was 2007, outscoring their three opponents 119-70 and scoring 40+ points in their last two games.

Tom Brady had a 118.1 QBR in their most recent win, a 51-17 thrashing of the Jaguars, while joining Peyton Manning, Brett Favre and Dan Marino in the hallowed 400 touchdown club with two TD passes and 385 passing yards while barely breaking a sweat.

There is just no way to deflate New England’s happiness right now.

The Bengals seemed to be dominating the Ravens in Baltimore before a wild fourth quarter sequence that featured two touchdowns by each team in the last seven minutes before Cincinnati emerged with a 28-24 win.

A.J. Green and Andy Dalton have forged a bond as dependable and dangerous as that of Gronkowski’s and Brady’s or Dez Bryant and Tony Romo.

The Bengals’ defense also deserves credit as it has started out the season allowing just 18.7 points per game.

The Broncos headed to Detroit for a primetime showdown on Sunday night and let sleeping Lions lie with a ferocious defense by winning 24-12 with 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.

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Peyton Manning was clutch once again by putting the game away with a touchdown pass to Owen Daniels with 2:28 to go, so those who question him had to stay home for the second straight week.

As far as the AFC South goes…what can I say? The Titans, Texans, Colts and Jaguars are all 1-2 but none of them deserve to call themselves division leaders.

The Titans lost a 10-point lead in the second half against Andrew Luck and a Colts team that seemed to be doing everything in its power to hand them a win in a silver platter. They were a failed 2-point conversion away from going to overtime despite their best efforts.

Tampa Bay’s shoddy overall play and their horrendous field goal kicking allowed the Texans to escape with a 19-9 win that they shouldn’t be too proud of.

We already covered what the Jaguars did in New England. Let’s just say that those who expected a Week 2 encore from quarterback Blake Bortles were sorely disappointed.

A 7-9 record could win this division.

Next: NFC Bubble Teams