The AFC currently is pretty wide-open, and Damien Woody believes the New England Patriots are very much in the mix.
The Patriots have flipped the switch after a 2-4 start to the season. New England ripped off four consecutive victories since Week 6, and it's poised to extend the win streak Thursday night in Atlanta.
Woody on Thursday was among the "Get Up" panel debating how far Bill Belichick's team can go this season, and the NFL offensive lineman-turned-analyst believes New England has what it takes to reach football's biggest stage.
"They can win the AFC. The Patriots can absolutely win the AFC," Woody said on ESPN. "They have the formula. Here's the formula for them, OK? They have a young quarterback that's efficient and doesn't turn the ball over. He plays within the system. Their offensive line is healthy. Remember, that was a problem early on in the season. Now, those guys are getting healthy. The running game is the staple of the New England Patriots on offense. Defensively, they are elite defensively. They turn the ball over.
"The one thing the Patriots do so well -- they don't beat themselves. Bill Belichick throughout his career is 188-17 when he wins the turnover battle. This New England Patriots team is mirroring that. We could talk about other teams with more high-profile quarterbacks. But when you're playing the type of complementary football that the New England Patriots are playing right now and the momentum they're building here in November, they can absolutely win the AFC."
We'll probably gain a better read on New England's Super Bowl aspirations from Weeks 12 to 16. Over that span, the Patriots battle the current top two teams in the AFC playoff field -- the Tennessee Titans and the Buffalo Bills (twice) -- as well as a team on the rise in the Indianapolis Colts.
