Around the NFL Podcast ranks the AFC hierarchy

With preseason just around the corner for the NFL, power rankings season is creeping up on us. It’s already appeared in some forms, with the “Around the NFL” Podcast recently releasing an episode in which they ranked the hierarchy of both the AFC and NFC.

So where did the Ravens come in? Probably about where you expect, in the third tier, behind the Patriots, Steelers, Jaguars, and Chargers:

“Here we go tier three,” says host Marc Sessler. “Could be working a few more weeks into January, even if some people inside the building were planning to take a vacation maybe to Ibiza or Turks and Caicos after Week 17.”

Dan Hanzus attempts to clarify:

“Alright let me try to translate that. So these are teams that could get hot, surprise some people, make a run into the playoffs, but maybe not to the endgame. But it’s gonna surprise a lot of people including people in their own building.”

Sessler lists the Ravens, Titans, Bengals, Texans, and Chiefs in this category.

Chris Wesseling goes on to say he sees the Ravens as a strong team this year, and that the Bengals are an intriguing squad:

“They are a true wild card to me because I like them better than most people - but there’s a lot of bounce back that they’re going to have to do to get there.”

This is about on-par with many of the predictions this offseason. One of the more controversial selections will surely be the Chargers in the second tier. They’re a team that is almost annually hyped up only to be mired in an ugly December playoff race that ends with them on the outside looking in.

Beyond these tiers sit the other three AFC East squads and teams in flux such as the Raiders, Broncos, Colts, and of course the Browns. While we’re not quite to #PowerRankingsSeason, it certainly is getting close. This is a good sign though because it means football is finally, mercifully returning.

Hurry it up, already NFL.