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Previewing the AFC hierarchy for 2020 and where the Patriots stand relative to the rest of the conference

With the first week of the season under the books, the traditional AFC powerhouses at the end of the 2020 season all picked up wins. This conference has a lot of solid teams at the top and nine teams who I think have better than a 25 percent chance of making the playoffs, including the New England Patriots.

I ranked the teams in four separate tiers:

  1. Super Bowl Contenders: I can see this team winning a Super Bowl this year barring injuries or horrible luck
  2. Could Make Noise in January: Teams that have a good shot at winning their division or at least a wild card spot
  3. In the Hunt for a Wild Card Spot: Teams who I think could make the playoffs if things go right for them
  4. No Chance: The team is either too young or lacks enough talent to win enough games to compete for a playoff spot

Super Bowl Contenders

Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs looked very much like the team that steamrolled the 49ers in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LIV when they played the Houston Texans in Week 1.