AFC Shake-Up Coming? League Figures Doubt Patriots, Texans Staying Power

The Patriots and Texans met for the right to go to the AFC title game in January, heady times for both franchises, but some around the league believe both will be hard-pressed to get back into the postseason, let alone advance that far.

The NFL annually trumpets the fact that six new teams generally make the playoffs each season, which means six from the prior year don’t make it back. 

Numerous league execs and general managers have pointed to New England and Houston as being teams that look a stretch to get back where they were a year ago.

Serious questions persist about the development of Texans quarterback CJ Stroud, who appeared to be on a path to the top of his craft after his rookie season but has regressed significantly in all aspects of play since. 

Houston has a transformational defense, for sure, but there is also a sense among many execs that teams with elite quarterbacks in the AFC, like the Chiefs, Bengals and Ravens, who did not make the playoffs last year, are poised to return.

“The Texans better win the division, because I don’t think two teams get in from the (AFC) South,” one longtime personnel exec told SportsBoom. 

Jacksonville won the division last year and appears to be better balanced than the Texans in the estimation of execs we trust.

Super Bowl Hangover

The Patriots lost the Super Bowl, which generally means bad things the following year. 

Even the mighty Chiefs succumbed to that curse last season, and no one is gushing about New England’s offseason; their schedule will be exponentially more difficult this season.

“Not a playoff team for me,” one GM said.

There are concerns about the Patriots' offensive line suffering in pass protection, and they also lack elite pass rushers. 

That’s difficult to overcome two years in a row, and their expectations are now exceedingly high, after most in the league didn’t think they would be a playoff team last year.