We’re only two weeks into the 2019 NFL season, but Colin Cowherd believes we can go ahead and etch the AFC Championship Game matchup in stone.
Following a rather eventual Week 2, Cowherd couldn’t be more confident about his AFC title game prediction: the New England Patriots against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Pats and Chiefs were viewed by many as the top two AFC teams heading into the season, but Cowherd believes Ben Roethlisberger’s season-ending injury with the Pittsburgh Steelers all but solidified a rematch of last season’s conference championship clash.
“The AFC is done this morning,” Cowherd said Monday on FOX Sports 1. “New England, Kansas City — it’s done. The question now, do they play at Arrowhead in January or do they play in Foxboro? You start looking around the AFC this morning, there’s some fun stories. Cleveland tonight could be fun, Baltimore is really fun. I mean, Tennessee? You can’t trust Tennessee. You can’t trust Houston. You’re crossing your fingers watching Deshaun Watson duck to get out of the way of sacks. Pittsburgh was formidable. The owner, the GM, the coach, the quarterback, the offensive line. They beat New England last year. It’s a formidable organization.
“It’s over, and I didn’t feel that way as long as Big Ben would return. I’ve been a critic at times of Big Ben and Aaron Rodgers. You notice what Green Bay looks like without Aaron? You figure out pretty quick he’s the team. The Steelers defense is now struggling. What’s Pittsburgh without Big Ben? I don’t know, I haven’t seen much of it. You’re gonna find out. They’re gonna be Green Bay without Aaron Rodgers.”
Cowherd’s confidence in the fully healthy Steelers is a bit surprising. Sure, Pittsburgh took down New England last season, as Cowherd notes, but the Patriots beat the Steelers this season. It wasn’t just a victory for the reigning Super Bowl champions, either. Tom Brady and Co. flat-out embarrassed their longtime rival with Roethlisberger under center.
So Cowherd’s prediction probably is right, but he could have made it even before Big Ben went down. Other AFC teams have shown early flashes of excitement, but it’s still tough to imagine an AFCCG matchup other than the Patriots playing the Chiefs.
