AFC Playoff Picture: New England Patriots and Favorites To Reach Super Bowl

The AFC has taken a backseat to the NFC in recent years, losing the last two Super Bowls. Still, the conference boasts some very talented teams, and right now there is no clear-cut leader to reach this year's Super Bowl. 

In the last decade, though, the AFC has won the Super Bowl seven times. They'll be looking to reclaim the Super Bowl this season, but it won't be easy with the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints on a such a roll. 

There's no denying the AFC's top teams are tremendously talented, and the best part of it is that they're all superb in different areas. 

With that said, here are the AFC favorites to make it to the Super Bowl. 

New England Patriots 

Bill Belichick and Tom Brady haven't had much success in the postseason lately. In fact, the last time the Patriots won a playoff game was the one leading up to their eventual loss to the Giants in the Super Bowl. 

However, this year, the offense is on fire and the Patriots can hang with any team in the league. Of course, the less than stellar defense allows teams to keep it close, but all that's done is give Brady more crunch time opportunities to succeed. 

After all, the Patriots will be faced with adversity in the postseason, and not being challenged during the season usually doesn't bode well for the playoffs. 

Ron Gronkowski has been a star this season, leading the NFL with 15 touchdown receptions. His great play will continue, helping the Patriots in the playoffs. 

New England is likely to be the No. 1 seed in the AFC, meaning the road to the super goes through the Patriots. It hasn't helped in recent years, so it will be interesting to see what happens this season. 

But because the Patriots have Brady, the remain a legitimate threat to reach the Super Bowl this season. 

Baltimore Ravens 

As long as the defense continues to be top notch, the Ravens will always be a contender in the AFC.

The offense is starting to hold it's own, which is why Baltimore is one of the favorites to represent in the AFC in the Super Bowl. 

If the Ravens do get to the Super Bowl, it will be because Joe Flacco finally came through under pressure. He's had his ups and downs this season, but he'll have to put it all behind him once the playoffs start. 

Winning the AFC North needs to be accomplished first, as it could land the Ravens the No. 2 overall seed. 

Having a first-round bye will make all the difference in the world for the Ravens. In the last few years, Baltimore has been the wild card, having to play on the road in later rounds of the playoffs. They'll likely win the first-round bye, meaning this is a team to watch out for. 

Baltimore is counting on its offense to play up to it's full potential this postseason, and if that happens, this is a team nobody will want to face. 

Pittsburgh Steelers

As much as I attempted to make a case for the Denver Broncos (sorry, not buying into a banged-up Houston squad), I couldn't do it because of the Steelers defense. 

The Broncos have Tim Tebow, who miraculously finds ways to win football games, but on the big stage, the Steelers defense would triumph, which is why they make this list of favorites.  

If Pittsburgh is smart, they will rest Ben Roethlisberger until the playoffs begin. The Steelers can't afford to have him playing through pain anymore, and since their next two opponents are the St. Louis Rams and Cleveland Browns, they'll be fine without him. 

As the top overall defensive team, the Steelers have the experience needed to thrive in the postseason. Plus, this is a team very hungry for playoff victory. They still have the awful taste in their mouth of losing last year's Super Bowl, which will fuel them during this year's postseason. 

The Steelers are out to avenge last year, which makes them a dangerous contender in the playoffs.