Introduction

I hope that more will come from this 2019 AFC Preview. I’m trying to expand the reach of the page with some sports. Admittedly, my NFL coverage on the web page has been…spotty, let’s say. A few years ago, I covered all of the playoffs and ended up going 11-3 or something while picking the games. Last year, straight up, I was close to a 60% win rate while picking the games. I either lost interest or time because that stopped near week 6 or 7. I could look the data up on my spreadsheet, but it’s not that important.

What is important is that I’m recommitting (again, yeah, again) myself to the web page. I know that might not mean much to those who used to visit the page and then fell off when I fell off for 3 months. It also might not mean much to those of you who will discover the page during this resurgence. Just know that I have another job teaching that has given me a lot more free time. I’m rediscovering what to do with that free time. This web page and the relationship that it opens up with my kids is at the top of that list. So, join me for my hopefully entertaining and maybe even slightly insightful 2019 AFC Preview.

AFC East (If the NFL had relegation, the three non-NE teams in this division would always be there)

Buffalo Bills – Our first stop in the 2019 AFC Preview brings us to Buffalo. Most likely the last time you will see the Buffalo Bills at the top of the AFC East and that’s only because of alphabetical order. If you asked me to name 5 players on the Bills to save my own life, I’d have to call my lawyer to update my will. Look, I get that the Patriots still have to win once they are in the playoffs, but getting 6 byes a year sure doesn’t hurt their chances.

Miami Dolphins – I couldn’t name 5 Buffalo Bills. I seriously doubt I could do the same for the Dolphins, either. I’m supposed to talk about the Jets after I talk about the Patriots, but I should probably just get it over with right now. Other than the Pats, if you asked me to name 5 players from the AFC East to save my life, well, just give everything to my wife and let her and the kids figure out if all these comics books and cards are worth anything.

New England Patriots – First, I just have to say “Eff the Pats”. Long time readers of the page will recognize that statement. New readers might not know about my history with the team. By the end of the season, I will probably have purged myself of the evil once again. The latest is that the Pats were probably the surest Super Bowl bet in 5 years and I didn’t take them. Eff the Pats.

New York Jets: Oh, the guy who didn’t play for the Steelers last year. You know. The running back. They kept teasing his return and then he was supposed to be traded to the Eagles. That guy. Nope, can’t even name him. Tell my wife and kids I love them.

AFC West (I was going to go with the AFC Central next, but that division doesn’t even exist anymore)

Denver Broncos – The Broncos are one of those teams that I alternate between love and hate. Hated them when Tebow was on the team. Loved them when Manning was on the team. I don’t have any strong feeling necessarily for them right now, but I lean towards hate because they are in the same division as Mahomes and I really, really want that guy to be good for a decade or more.

Kansas City Chiefs – A few things got me back into the NFL in a big way last year. One was I actually had a decently performing fantasy football team that I was running with a friend. That has stalled this year. The other was the rise of Baker Mayfield and Patrick Mahomes. The latter gave me a weekly reason to text Chris during my 18 month hiatus from hanging out due to working evenings.

Los Angeles Chargers – I’m at the age where I’m too old to call this team Los Angeles without some intense practice and planning. They are, and always will be, the San Diego Chargers. Given what I said about Denver, I should probably hate them because they are more of a threat to KC, but it was actually fun to watch the two teams battle it out for first place.

Oakland (Vegas?) Raiders – There isn’t much to say about the Raiders right now. They are on Hard Knocks at a highly inopportune time. Why didn’t the league wait until the team moved to Vegas to have them on the show? The NFL just can’t get out of its own way when it comes to PR. I mean, I guess it’s funny because they have AB now and he’s his own circus.

AFC North (The times, they are a-changin’?)

Baltimore Ravens – As a lifelong* Steelers fan, I am contractually obligated to hate the Ravens. I’ve done it for free for pretty much their entire existence. A few things have happened to change this. One, I’m not as big of a Steelers fan as I have been in the past. Two, Lamar Jackson provided an alternative that I found highly entertaining. I don’t love the Ravens, but I have a grudging respect for them.

Cincinnati Bengals – I was going to say something about Cincinnati being the exact same team as it has been for the last decade and a half or however long Marvin Lewis was coach. But, he’s no longer coach. Still, I can say with some confidence that Cincinnati will be the same team as it has been.

Cleveland Browns – If Steelers fans are supposed to hate the Ravens, we despise the Browns. I’m not sure that it has ever fully been explained to me. I just sort of went with it. My dad hated the Browns. His father hated the Browns. My uncle and cousin. I mean, it’s just apparently what we do. Well, that all changed with the rise of Baker Mayfield. My love for Baker overcomes generations of hate.

Pittsburgh Steelers – *I put the asterisk because I used to be a lifelong Steelers fan. I’m not so sure anymore. There was some more static regarding Ben Roethlisberger, this time from Stormy Daniels. I get it. She was the “it” girl in the news for a while and maybe she was fishing for headlines, but there’s so much smoke around Big Ben and his proclivity for mistreating women. So, uh, go Black and Gold?

AFC South (Why Does This Division Even Exist?)

Houston Texans – I feel like I can just copy and paste my Houston Texans blurb each year. Every year, they bubble up to the surface as a “team to watch”. Then, every year, they bubble back down as the reality of their terribly run organization hits everyone. This team shouldn’t exist. The Houston football team should be the Oilers.

Indianapolis Colts – This article is somewhat timely. But, it is just a few days past the actual news cycle. Andrew Luck announced his retirement a few days ago. I’m not that too late, though, as my favorite sports podcast, Hang Up and Listen, was talking about it. What’s my opinion? More power to him. Get out while the gettin’s good. Enjoy the rest of your life, young man.

Jacksonville Jaguars – If the Texans shouldn’t exist because of the Oilers leaving town, the Jaguars just should exist because why do they even? I feel like if they just moved the Jaguars and Bills or Raiders to London permanently to have them play a 16 game schedule against each other, would anyone even notice?

Tennessee Titans – Of all of the teams in the South, the Titans are the only ones who are even on my radar. They have Marcus Mariotta at QB. Fun anecdote: I googled Titans QB Clemson because I couldn’t remember his name and apparently his alma mater and Charlie Whitehurst came up as the result. So, I guess they aren’t that much on my radar.

The Verdict

Thanks for reading 2 Generations Gaming’s 2019 AFC Preview. As you probably guessed, it is once again the Pats (Eff the Pats) and a bunch of never weres and never will bes. Usually, someone gets lucky every couple of years to beat the Pats (Eff the Pats) for the AFC Championship and maybe this is the year. Even so, the Pats (Eff the Pats) will be annoyingly successful and make me question the goodness of our God above.

I’m still excited for the season even if my partnership fantasy football team is in disarray and the Pats will probably win it all. Mahomes, Baker, and all of the other players will be enough to keep me going at least through until hockey starts. Then, it will become more difficult to keep my interest in the NFL. Thanks for reading our 2019 AFC Preview and look for the NFC Preview sometime in the next week.

Note: All teams and the single logo used on this web page are the property of the NFL. They are used without consent (written or otherwise), but only in good fun. If you’re feeling litigious, please refrain from throwing your vast legal resources at this small page that caters to my kids and about 25 Russian bots.