The Achilles heel of every AFC contender

The AFC has put forth formidable contenders in recent years, with its conference champion entering each of the past five Super Bowls as the favorite. Entering the 2021-22 season, it again boasts a long list of elite teams who could contend, but they'll need to overcome potential weaknesses first to advance to the NFL's biggest stage.

Let’s take a closer look at the AFL's top five teams and identify the Achilles heel that could trip them up on their path to glory.

Kansas City Chiefs: Penalties

There has been a lot of talk throughout this offseason about the Chiefs’ offensive line. Injury and inferior play saw the line exposed as a Super Bowl-deciding weakness the last time this team took the field. But with several offseason transactions and quarterback Patrick Mahomes recovered from his turf toe injury and able to creatively navigate a broken pocket, I don’t believe this will be the weakness of this roster.

In 2020, the Chiefs were 29th in the league with 6.6 penalties per game. Often with elite teams, the saying is that the only force that can stop them is themselves, and this holds true with the Chiefs. Kansas City will need to avoid penalties that put them in difficult sets or result in free first downs on defense.

Buffalo Bills: Defense

The Bills have landed their franchise quarterback in Josh Allen, and their offense has elite playmaking with Stefon Diggs plus veteran professional pass catchers in Emmanuel Sanders and Cole Beasley.

However, Buffalo's defense is another matter altogether. The Bills' D was just 20th in the league at stopping the run, and surrendered 38 points in the AFC Conference Championship Game. The linebacking group and secondary besides Tre’Davious White needs to be more disruptive, or the Bills will continue to find themselves in shootouts hoping the other team doesn’t have the ball last.

Baltimore Ravens: Passing

The Ravens finished the 2020 season with the lowest amount of passing yards per game of any team in the entire NFL. That includes the New York Jets and Giants. At just 171.9 yards per game, it was an anemic output that left them incapable of truly threatening to extend defenses at all times.

To combat their weakness the Ravens have brought in Sammy Watkins and drafted Rashod Bateman, but questions remain if it will be enough. Lamar Jackson was 27th in the league in completion percentage last year, and will need to continue to show improvement with deep balls and tight windows if he wants to improve on that ranking. The Ravens have a lot of young talent in their receiving corps, but until the results are there this is by far this team’s biggest weakness.

Tennessee Titans: Ryan Tannehill's health

The Titans have been one of the league’s most efficient offenses since quarterback Ryan Tannehill took over, and there will likely be no let up as they add Julio Jones to the mix in 2021.

The biggest potential Achilles heel facing the Titans might, in fact, be Tannehill’s health. He dealt with a torn ACL and shoulder injuries earlier in his career, and while he hasn’t had any significant setbacks since 2018, he will be 33 this year and time could be catching up to him.

The Titans' backup quarterback situation is questionable at best, and the drop-off to either Logan Woodside or Matt Barkley is precarious. Tennessee will lose its contender status if the injury bug bites the team's biggest star.

Cleveland Browns: Secondary Depth

The Cleveland Browns look poised for a follow-up run on last year’s success. They have an elite offensive line, playmakers, and one of the league’s best defensive lineman in Myles Garrett. Injuries in the secondary left them vulnerable last year, and this year’s secondary unit could be a weakness if injuries continue to limit their top potential.

They have potential stars in Ronnie Harrison Jr. and Grant Delpit, but they are young and unproven, a bad combination considering the quarterback talent in this conference. Overall, the secondary definitely looks improved with the young talent plus veteran additions of Josh Hill and John Johnson, but this is the Browns. We can’t count out simple bad luck.