EXCLUSIVE: Mike Smith believes the race to represent AFC in the Super Bowl is already over
As the NFL enters Week 11 of the 2022 season, it's about halfway through its course and there are some solidified contenders in both AFC and NFC.
While the NFC may be a little more competitive as a whole, there are a few teams at the top of the chain that could make a Super Bowl run.
Former Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith spoke on the BallFather podcast, in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, and picked his favorite to win the AFC.
Smith thinks that the Kansas City Chiefs are the best team in the conference and went on the record predicting them to win the Super Bowl.
"Well, they're definitely the best team in the AFC and I believe they might be the best team in the NFL. I picked them to win the Super Bowl last week. So I do want everybody to remember that I picked the Chiefs to win this Super Bowl. When you've got a quarterback that I think is going to be the odds-on favourite again for the MVP, that's catching the ball on every play.
"You put in Andy Reid and his offensive game planning, without a doubt some of the most creative, toughest to defend in the history of the NFL. And he makes it fun, the things he does on third down, the things he does in the red zone, he comes up with some kind of play that you haven't scouted, that's for darn sure."
Smith added that while the Chiefs have a decent defensive line led by Chris Jones, they can be more consistent on defense.
"But, you know, they're hard to game plan for and when you got that athletic quarterback that's having another MVP season, they're gonna be tough to beat. They're getting some really good plays, but it's not consistent on defense. It's not as consistent as it needs to be. And if there's a chink in the armor, it's the consistency on defense.
"They've gotten really good play up front with Chris Jones and Carlos Dunlap, you know, rushing the passer. But they're middle of the pack. They're 16-15 in all statistics that you really look at on defense. So they've been up and down."
Updated AFC standings https://t.co/Rydmf567s3
Kansas City Chiefs are currently number one seed in the AFC
Mike Smith has every reason to believe that the Chiefs will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. The Chiefs hold a 7-2 record and lead the AFC in win percentage at .778, with the Dolphins and Titans right behind them at 7-3.
Patrick Mahomes' odds to win NFL MVP at @BetMGM
+700: Open
+225: Last week
+125: Now (favorite)
Mahomes is the biggest liability to win the award. https://t.co/7VYQJWLEub
Patrick Mahomes is also having another MVP-like season. He is the favorite to win the award at +135 odds after opening up the season with +700.
However, there are many contenders in the AFC, such as the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, and Tennessee Titans, who improved to 7-3 last night.
There's a lot of time in the season and we could be looking at different contenders come January.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit BallFather Podcast and H/T Sportskeeda