There are quite a few very talented AFC teams ahead of the 2024 NFL Season, but could some lesser-thought-of teams make a surprising push for a playoff spot? There are the obvious elite teams in the AFC like the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, Houston Texans, and Baltimore Ravens, but are there some underrated squads that could have something to say in 2024?
The NFL is filled with parity, and each season, there are always some breakout teams that hang around the playoff race longer than we thought. In 2023, the Denver Broncos started 1-5 but ended up 7-6 through 13 games and were actually just one game behind the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West race.
Seasons can change in the blink of an eye, and these three underrated AFC teams can hang around the playoff race in the 2024 season.
3 underrated AFC teams who can hang around playoff race in 2024 NFL Season
Denver Broncos
Why are people not taking the Denver Broncos seriously? This team started 1-5 during the 2023 NFL Season and finished 7-4. They had a historically bad defense for those first six weeks and got bottom-10 QB play from Russell Wilson.
Well, if you ask me, they improved along the defensive line, in the secondary, at QB, at running back, and at wide receiver. Just imagine if the Broncos did not start 1-5 in 2023 and started, perhaps, 3-3 with an average defense. This team is not far from being a Wild Card team. Sure, Bo Nix might take some time to hit his stride in the NFL, but he's a significantly better fit for the offense than Wilson ever was.
Do not be surprised if the Denver Broncos are hovering around the .500 mark around their bye week. They could have a shot to finish the year strong and potentially squeak into the postseason with a 9-8 or 10-7 record.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Now yes, the Pittsburgh Steelers did go 10-7 in 2023 and had bottom-5 QB play from Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, and Mitchell Trubisky. Even Russell Wilson was a better QB than the Steelers trio in 2023, so you have to figure that the Steelers should be better, right? Well, yes, but their ceiling is much lower than most AFC teams.
They still don't have a quality enough QB and have a shaky offensive line at the moment. In 2023, they had a -20 point differential, and, according to Pro Football Reference, had an Expected W-L record of 8-9, meaning based on their points scored and allowed, played at a below .500 pace.
They were 7-7 at one point and ended the year with three-straight wins, and nine of their 10 wins were by one score. You have to assume that it'd be unlikely for them to have that kind of luck in 2024, right? The Steelers have still shown consistently during the Mike Tomlin era, as they have never finished with a losing record with him as the head coach.
You can expect them to hang around the playoff race in 2024 even with their lower ceiling.
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts almost won the AFC South in 2023 and won nine games with Gardner Minshew taking a majority of the snaps. They managed to finish with the 10th-best scoring offense and did have a bottom-5 scoring defense. Well, if second-year QB Anthony Richardson can make the jump and stay healthy, and their defense isn't bottom-5 again, what is the limt for this team?
Shane Steichen clearly knows how to coach a football team - that's for sure, so the Colts might not be a scary team at the moment, but in due time, they can surprise a lot of people. They have to be looked at as the second-best team in the AFC South and might find themselves wrapped in the AFC playoff race deep into the 2024 NFL Season.
There are only seven playoff spots in each conference, but there are more than seven playoff-caliber teams present heading into 2024.