16. Atlanta Falcons
It felt like the Atlanta Falcons did all the right things this offseason. They signed Kirk Cousins to the massive free agent contract to get a veteran quarterback to distribute the ball to all of their playmakers. They added Darnell Mooney (who has been fantastic). They brought in veterans Matthew Judon and Justin Simmons to the defense.
And to be fair, the Falcons have a chance to win the NFC South entering Week 18, but they took a very unconventional path to getting here.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris has had to do a lot of damage control in his first year on the job with Kirk Cousins getting benched and Michael Penix Jr. taking over here late in the season. The Falcons put the fate of their season in his hands and now, a strategy that seemed so odd during the NFL Draft could end up bearing fruit for this organization and saving them from falling prey to pushing all their chips in on a veteran QB who is past his prime.
Looking at you, Jets.
Michael Penix Jr. has some ice in his veins.
15. Houston Texans
I hate to say this but the Houston Texans have got to be the biggest pretenders in the AFC playoff race. It’s almost a shame that the Texans would get in over a team like the Bengals, regardless of what happens with the Bengals in Week 18 at this point. They just look like they pose a bigger threat and could actually do something in the postseason.
The only reason Houston didn’t get shut out on Christmas Day was because the defense managed to get a safety and put two points on the board, but this Houston offense has been rather unimpressive for the majority of the season.
Yes, they’ve found ways to secure a division win for the second-straight year, but there has been something so “off” about this team for the majority of the season.
Losing Tank Dell, especially the way they did, was a brutal blow for this Houston offense. And to be fair to them, they do still have all of the pieces on this roster to come into the postseason and play spoiler. I’m still buying CJ Stroud stock. I’m buying DeMeco Ryans stock. For this team to be the 4th seed even in a “down” year two for those guys is impressive in its own right.
But the way this Texans team is playing right now? They are undoubtedly playoff pretenders.