The AFC race is already tightening up as Week 9 gets rolling, and Jacksonville made the first loud statement of the week. The Jaguars’ dominant win over the suddenly hopeless Baltimore Ravens pushed them deeper into the conversation at the top, and they’re looking like one of the league’s most complete teams right now.
That kind of result only sharpens the picture for the rest of the conference, especially with several of the AFC’s biggest names lined up for major matchups against NFC opponents. With the second half of the 2026 season approaching, the question is simple: how do the AFC teams stack up heading into another loaded week?
At the bottom of this updated AFC ranking sits the Los Angeles Chargers, and the situation there is bleak. This is being called the most broken team in the NFL, and with the high-profile trio of head coach, quarterback and offensive coordinator in place, the criticism is hard to argue with.
The fact that things have gone sideways between Harbaugh, Herbert and McDaniel is a stunner, but at this point the bigger question is what the Chargers can even do next. There’s even a sense that teams could start asking about Justin Herbert, though the asking price would be enormous.
For a team that entered the year with Super Bowl hopes, an 0-7 start is the kind of collapse nobody saw coming, and the fallout from it is going to be worth watching.
Just above them are the Miami Dolphins, a team that may not be scaring anybody but is still expected to keep grinding. They’re 1-6 overall and 0-3 at home, which lines up with the low expectations that surrounded them before the season.
Still, there’s a belief here that Jeff Hafley is building something. The Dolphins aren’t likely to be favored in many, if any, of their remaining games, but they should keep showing up and competing.
There’s a sense they could steal a couple more wins along the way, maybe even a few surprises, while laying groundwork with players who want to be part of what comes next.
In Other News...
Chargers Keep Backing Justin Herbert As Losses Keep Piling Up
Justin Herberts season has become one of the bigger talking points around the league as the Chargers have stumbled to an 0-7 start, but the message from the sideline has stayed steady. Head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel have continued to publicly back their quarterback, even as the team keeps searching for its first win and the losses keep mounting around him.
Herberts play has naturally drawn scrutiny in a season where little has gone right, and the Chargers are still trying to find a way to stabilize things offensively before the situation gets any worse. For now, the organization is standing by him and treating this as a collective problem rather than pinning it on one player, even if the pressure around the quarterback spot only keeps growing with each week. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Face A Quentin Johnston Trade Problem Of Their Own Making
Quentin Johnstons uneven season has put the Chargers in a familiar bind as the trade deadline approaches. The former first-round pick has battled drops and inconsistency, and his role has become one more question hanging over an offense already searching for answers during a disappointing year.
The problem is not just what Johnston has done on the field, but what the Chargers already committed to off it. They picked up his fifth-year option, which makes moving him far more complicated than simply deciding he needs a fresh start, and it leaves the team weighing sunk cost against roster flexibility. With the Chargers record sliding and questions building around the future of offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, Johnston has become part of a larger conversation about how long this version of the offense can keep going. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Could Be Getting Two Veteran Reinforcements Back Soon
The Chargers took a meaningful step toward getting two familiar veterans back into the mix, officially designating tight end David Njoku and linebacker Denzel Perryman to return from injured reserve. That move opens their 21-day practice windows, giving the team a chance to evaluate both players before deciding when, or if, they will be activated for game action.
Njoku and Perryman each arrived on one-year deals and had already been part of the Chargers 2025 season before landing on injured reserve, so their return would add experience to two spots that can always use it this time of year. For a team trying to stabilize its roster down the stretch, the timing matters, and the next few weeks will show whether both veterans can get through practice and make it all the way back onto the field. [Read more 🡒]