AFC Update – Surprise Undefeated Teams Spearhead Top 5

The surprise undefeated teams in the AFC, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs, spearhead the Top 5 AFC teams against the NFL wagering spread.

Out of those four teams, the Steelers absolutely have to be the most impressive.  Not only did they beat the Atlanta Falcons, one of the best teams in the NFC, at home in Week 1 but they also beat Chris Johnson and the Tennessee Titans on the road in Week 2.

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I’m not, of course, taking anything away from the Fins, Texans and Chiefs, all of who are 2 and 0 straight up and against the spread going into Week 3.  

AFC Top 5 NFL Betting

1. Pittsburgh Steelers 2-0 (2-0 ATS) – - Pitt is literally winning games without a QB.  They’re sticking to the running game and although RB Rashard Mendenhall isn’t making fantasy owners ecstatic, he’s doing just enough in order to keep the Steelers out of precarious situations on offense.  The defense is absolutely amazing.  James Harrison is a monster.  The man already has 3 sacks on the year.  Holding Titans’ sensation Chris Johnson to only 34 yards on 16 carries was impressive.  Beating the Titans 19 to 11 as 6-point dogs on the road makes them #1 in the AFC my opinion.  

2. Houston Texans 2-0 (2-0 ATS) – - Houston’s a very close second.  They took down a tough NFC East team in the Washington Redskins on the road in OT 30 to 27 after making a second half comeback this past Sunday.   I’ve said all along that I felt the Texans were ready to win the AFC South. So far, they’ve made me look like a smart guy.  QB Matt Schaub has a ton of weapons and he figures to get another one back healthy in TE Owen Daniels very soon.  

3. Miami Dolphins 2-0 (2-0 ATS)  – - They’re one of two NFL betting ATS surprises in my Top 5.  I put them ahead of KC because the Fins beat the Vikings in the Metrodome in a game that the Vikings had a couple of extra days to prepare for.  Yes, a lot of the Fins’ victory had to do with how badly the Vikings are playing right now, but the fact remains, Miami is 2 and 0 on the road in the NFL both straight up and ATS.  That’s impressive.

4. Kansas City Chiefs 2-0 (2-0 ATS) – - Don’t sleep on the Chiefs this season.  Can they keep it going?  Heck, yeah, they can!  They suffered a let down this past Sunday after beating San Diego in Week 1.  Don’t get me wrong, they’re going to lose some games this season, but they showed grit and heart on the road and are now 2-0 straight up and ATS.  You can’t argue with facts and the facts are that the Chiefs are making football handicappers money so far in 2010.

5. Indianapolis Colts 1-1 (1-1 ATS) – - Wow.  Talk about a bounce back!  Here’s the thing, the Colts did it against what I consider a decent NFC team in the New York Giants.  They beat the G-Men 38 to 14 without Peyton throwing the ball 30 times or racking up 300 passing yards.  RB Joseph Addai had 92 yards on 20 carries.  RB Donald Brown had 69 yards on 16 carries.  When the running game is working, the Colts are awesome.

NFC Bottom 5 NFL Betting

1. Buffalo Bills 0-2 (0-2 ATS) – - Chan Gailey’s offense just doesn’t work unless you’ve got Drew Brees at QB and a plethora of wide receivers and running backs.  The defense isn’t horrible.  They actually stopped the Green Bay Packers’ running game and kept QB Aaron Rodgers under control, but there’s no way that you can come close to covering a spread, much less winning, when your sometimes no-huddle, spread offense passes for a total of 62 yards.  The 34 to 7 loss as 12 ½ point dogs was sad, just sad.  

2. Cleveland Browns 0-2 (0-2 ATS) – - What’s there to say?  For the second straight week, the Browns built a lead over a team and failed to close the deal.  This team has some talent, both RB Jerome Harrison and RB Peyton Hillis have some skills and WR Joshua Cribbs is a good player, but they always fail to call the right plays on offense and, eventually, their defense gets burned.  Sad.

3. Oakland Raiders 1-1 (0-2 ATS) – - Man, Oakland is something else, aren’t they?  Well, at least they know that feeding the ball to Darren McFadden is the best way to get it going.  McFadden had 30 carries for 145 yards and if the Raiders are smart they’ll give the ball to him 35 times this Sunday against Arizona.  The Raiders’s QB situation is just stupid.  Jason Campbell is your starter.  If they pull Campbell for Gradkowski, who was an awesome 11 out of 22 for 162 yards a TD and an INT, I’m going to have to stop acknowledging that they even exist. 

4. Jacksonville Jaguars 1-1 (1-1 ATS) – - QB David Garrard threw 4 picks, RB Maurice Jones-Drew rushed for 31 yards on 12 carries and the Bolts spanked the Jags 38 to 13.  The Jags were 7-point dogs against the NFL betting spread, but still, that’s awful.

5. Tennessee Titans 1-1 (1-1 ATS) – - I’m not going to jump down CJ’s throat for getting his 100-yard streak broken.  The Steelers’ D is downright nasty.  I will go after coach Jeff Fisher for pulling VY, however.  Fish, if Vince Young isn’t you’re guy, then pull him and put in Kerry Collins for good.  Aren’t you tired of playing daddy?  VY is an adult.  I’m tired of watching you baby him.  Either he’s your guy or he isn’t.  The 19 to 11 loss as 6-point faves gets you on the list.

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Sources:  sportsillustrated.com, espn.com, nfl.com, covers.com