Could there be a viable reason for each team in the AFC to clinch a playoff spot for the 2024 NFL Season? There are come clearly weak and clearly strong teams present. No one is going to argue about whether or not teams like the Chiefs and Bengals will make the playoffs.
However, there are some more interesting teams whose seasons could go either way. If we dig deep enough, though, we can probably find a reason for each AFC team to find themselves in the playoffs for the 2024 NFL Season.
1 reason why each AFC team could make the playoffs in the 2024 NFL Season
AFC North
Cincinnati Bengals - Joe Burrow stays healthy and Bengals pick up where they left off
Joe Burrow has never played a full season in the NFL, which is crazy to think about. Burrow simply needs to stay healthy, and while it's easier said than done, it's the one thing that is going to continue to hold the Cincinnati Bengals back.
If Burrow can end up playing a majority of the season or even all of it, Cincy has all the firepower necessary to make a deep playoff run.
Baltimore Ravens - Ravens do not suffer major injuries and Lamar Jackson continues to be his normal self
Yeah, this one is obvious. The Ravens have dealt with some serious injuries in recent years that have limited their overall success, but as long as that does not happen and Lamar Jackson is still Lamar Jackson, the Baltimore Ravens will be just fine, finish with at least 10 wins, and again find themselves in the playoffs.
Cleveland Browns - Deshaun Watson begins to look like his old self and the defense stays strong
If Deshaun Watson can regain his Houston Texans form, the Cleveland Browns would be Super Bowl contenders. They had the best defense in the NFL last year, and their only missing piece is getting the QB situation stabilized. All the pressure is on Watson now.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Another stout defense paves way for modest but efficient offense
The Pittsburgh Steelers will need to again field a top defense, which can take some pressure off the offense and allow them to function as a modest unit, perhaps hitting the 20 points per game mark. That could be just enough for the Steelers to again appear in the postseason, even with a lower ceiling.
AFC South
Houston Texans - Texans build on very encouraging 2023 season with major offseason additions
The Houston Texans logical next step is a deep playoff run in 2024. They won 10 games in 2023 with a rookie head coach and quarterback, so the potential is there for a huge reason. They also made some major offseason additions in Stefon Diggs, Danielle Hunter, and Joe Mixon.
Jacksonville Jaguars - Jaguars enjoy better injury luck and build off of their breakout 2022 season
The Jaguars did deal with some injuries in 2023 and were not able to build on their breakout year in 2022. Well, I do believe Jacksonville is going to operate as if they are going to forget about 2023 and try to build on 2022, where they made the playoffs and won a postseason game.
Trevor Lawrence also needs to play better as well.
Indianapolis Colts - Anthony Richardson is legit and makes the year two leap
The Colts went 9-8 in 2023, so they really have a chance to be excellent in 2024 if Anthony Richardson is legit and can make the year two leap. If he can, the Colts will be in the mix for the AFC South title. If not, the Colts may regress from 2023.
Tennessee Titans - Veteran WRs help lead Will Levis to huge year two jump
I am not at all high on the Tennessee Titans, but their trio of veteran wide receivers in DeAndre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley, and Tyler Boyd could help in the development of Will Levis. Levis could make a nice leap in 2024 and help lead Tennessee into the postseason, but that is a very small possibility in my opinion.
AFC East
Buffalo Bills - Bills roster tweaks do not lead to a regression in 2024
The Buffalo Bills have had to undergo a bit of roster movement this offseason and did lose some notable players. Well, the hope is that the change in players does not lead to a regression in 2024. Both Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis are out of the picture, so Josh Allen might be vulnerable to not being nearly as efficient in 2024.
We'll see, but the hope here is that Buffalo is still a top team.
New York Jets - Aaron Rodgers plays in the middle of his latest MVP seasons and final year in GB
Aaron Rodgers probably is not returning to his old self, the one that captured two-straight NFL MVP awards in 2020 and 2021. The ceiling might be Rodgers being able to return to a mixture of that and what we saw during his last year with the Green Bay Packers. A modest season like that from Rodgers could be enough to get the New York Jets in the playoffs.
Miami Dolphins - Dolphins offense is still explosive and defense remains in a competent spot
There isn't any reason to count out the Miami Dolphins. They still have the same explosive players and same strong coaching staff. Miami did add a ton of quality veteran players this offseason, so the hope here is that they remain their normal selves and perhaps win 10 or 11 games, which is at least good enough for a Wild Card spot.
New England Patriots - Drake Maye has a Justin Herbert-like rookie season
Drake Maye will need to win the starting job and play as well as Justin Herbert did during his rookie season. Both Maye and Herbert do share a lot of qualities as players, so I guess this is possible until it doesn't happen. Their defense is probably good enough as well to contribute to a potential playoff team.
AFC West
Kansas City Chiefs - Uhm, yeah.
They've won three Super Bowls over the last five seasons. They have already clinched a playoff spot for the 2024 NFL Season.
Denver Broncos - Bo Nix has a 2023 CJ Stroud season and helps lead surprise breakout Broncos team
There is a way for the Denver Broncos to make the playoffs, and it'll require Bo Nix winning the starting job and playing as well as CJ Stroud did during his rookie season in 2023. Denver's defense should be fine, even with their historically bad start to 2023, they figured themselves out and did improve on paper in the offseason.
A league average offense and a league average defense in 2024 could end up being enough for the Broncos to squeeze in as a Wild Card team.
Los Angeles Chargers - Jim Harbaugh and his coaching staff are immediately successful
The Los Angeles Chargers do not have a great roster, but their coaching staff could be great. If that is the case, the Chargers can scratch and claw their way to the playoffs. Harbaugh has found success in every stop of his head coaching career, so there isn't any reason to believe he cannot find immediate success in his second stint in the NFL.
Las Vegas Raiders - I really have no idea, honestly
It's just hard for me to even give one reason why the Raiders can make the playoffs in 2024. They have a backup QB likely set to start in Gardner Minshew, questions along the offensive line, and some questions in the secondary. They also hired Antonio Pierce as the full-time head coach, even though he was just a position coach in 2023.
Something crazy is going to have to happen in the AFC in 2024 for Las Vegas to make the playoffs.