Besides the obvious of New England and Pittsburgh the teams that seem to always be in the top 3 seeds in the AFC there are a few teams that you need to keep your eye on come playoff time. There's one thing that all three of these teams have that can make them dangerous come playoff time, that is a good quarterback (or at least good this year) and a strong run game. These three teams are some of the most balanced teams offensively in the league this year and with good defenses they can beat anyone on any given day.
First off we have the New Orleans Saints, no doubt the best QB of the three teams, maybe not the best this year but Drew Brees is a Super Bowl winner, Pro Bowler, future hall of famer, and at his best one of the three best QB's in the league. At their best they have an unstoppable offense that can throw the ball deep with Brees, they have the receivers to catch underneath routes and break those plays open and arguably the best running back duo in the NFL this year. The saints defense is much improved from the past few years, while they aren't quite elite, they are good enough to keep teams limited enough to let their offense win the game. If the Saints defense can hold teams in the playoffs then look out for New Orleans. That being said, if teams can figure out the holes in that defense then the Saints could also be very vulnerable.
The Rams have been one of the most surprising teams in the NFC this year and that is because of Jared Goff and his ability to have as much success as he has in year 2. The Rams like the saints also have talented receivers and a strong running game led by Todd Gurley who probably won't win the MVP but very likely could be a top 5 or top 3 finisher in that. The Rams also have a defense that is solid and really strong in some areas with a coaching staff that is young but very impressive. The weakness for the Rams this year could be the experience especially in the playoffs, they are a young team with little playoff experience however most of the other NFC playoff teams besides the NFC south teams aren't regulars in the playoffs either. If Goff can continue his success and the Rams defense continue how they have played in wins then there could be a super bowl coming to L.A. Yes I know it's a long shot but this team is good enough to do that if they play how they should.
The Rams are arguably the most surprising team in the NFC this year and the third team to keep your eye on in the playoffs have been arguably the most surprising team in the AFC, the Jacksonville Jaguars. A lot of people had been saying it the past few years that the Jaguars had a lot of young raw talent and it seems like this year was the year they were finally able to put it all together led by quarterback Blake Bortles. Jacksonville has a young and talented defense led by a great defensive front and a solid secondary. The Jaguars probably have the best defense of the three teams I have mentioned today and a steady offense along with that defense has led them to a 10 win season. Jacksonville will most likely have to beat New England and Pittsburgh which will be tough to do but the Jags destroyed the Steelers earlier this season 30-9 in Pittsburgh in a game where they recorded 5 interceptions off of Big Ben. At 10 wins I still think they are under the radar in the AFC and while I don't think they will win the AFC if the two top dogs aren't careful the Jaguars could be playing on Super Bowl Sunday.