Take a look at the top of the AFC standings this year, and you're bound to encounter a familiar sight.
The New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts are leading the conference with 6-0 and 5-0 records, respectively. But while the AFC East and AFC South look all but locked up through only six weeks, there are several teams vying for the final four playoff spots.
The Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers are tied at 3-3 atop the AFC West. Both teams made strong statements this week, as they were led to victory by breakout performances from their star running backs.
For the Chiefs, Larry Johnson has not lived up to the six-year, $45 million contract he signed after missing much of training camp with a lengthy holdout. On Sunday, however, he ran for 119 yards on 31 carries and his first touchdown of the season, and he would've had another had he not been stripped on the 1 after a long run. The Chiefs, who are supposed to be a running team, rely on performances like this from Johnson to win games. It was only Johnson's second 100-yard rushing game of the season, and not surprisingly, the Chiefs have won them both.
After skipping the entire preseason and adjusting to a new offensive line, Johnson struggled during the first three weeks of the season. With head coach Herm Edwards giving him more carries, he has looked better of late, with his two 100-yard performances coming in the last three games. If Johnson can build on his success and start to look like the back that rushed for over 3,500 yards over the past two years, the Chiefs will have a chance at the playoffs - as surprising as that may seem, the way they played the first two weeks of the season.
However, with San Diego in the same division, the Chiefs' road to the playoffs may not be easy. The Chargers started the year poorly, losing more games in the first four weeks than they did all of last year. The offense scored 16 points or fewer in three of the team's first four games, but in the past two, the Chargers have racked up 69 total points.
A lot of that is due to the re-emergence of reigning MVP LaDainian Tomlinson. Like Johnson, Tomlinson started slowly, totaling a disappointing 130 rushing yards over the first three games. He has stepped up his game the past three weeks, combining for 508 total yards and helping the Chargers win their last two games. In particular, Tomlinson dominated Sunday's game versus the Oakland Raiders, rushing for 198 yards and scoring every one of the Chargers' four touchdowns. With LT returning to form, the Chargers are immediate contenders in the AFC, and possibly the best team in the conference besides the Colts and Patriots.
Another running back-reliant team to look out for is the Jacksonville Jaguars. They probably aren't going to win their division, with the Colts poised to make their yearly run at the '72 Miami Dolphins, but they've won four straight and are the current wild-card leaders.
The Jaguars employ a split backfield with Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew, and both have looked better as of late. Jones-Drew, in particular, struggled early, rushing for under 40 yards in each of the first three games; however, he has recently regained the big-play potential that makes him so valuable to the Jaguars. He's broken off runs of 52 and 57 yards the past two weeks and he's tallied 296 total yards.
Quarterback David Garrard is making the Jaguars look smart for getting rid of Byron Leftwich. The first-year starter has an impressive passer rating of 105.4 and has yet to throw an interception on the season. While he isn't spectacular by any means, Garrard has limited his mistakes and let his running backs and defense do their jobs. Put him on the Bears and they're an instant Super Bowl contender.
However, unlike the Chiefs and Chargers, the Jaguars have been winning because of their defense as much as anything. They've allowed a meager 11.6 points per game so far this season, second only to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team is also fifth in the league in rush defense, despite stud defensive tackle Marcus Stroud being injured for most of the year.
With their quarterback situation finally resolved, the Jaguars may finally live up to their potential and snatch the wild card ... unless they can beat Indianapolis Monday night and make a run at the division.
