For the better part of a decade, the same teams in the AFC have risen to the top. The New England Patriots Tadalis SX have long been the standard of excellence in the AFC, followed by the Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers and San Diego Chargers. But 2010 might tell a different tale, as perennial powerhouses like the Patriots and Steelers seem to be losing ground to teams like the New York Jets and the Baltimore Ravens – two teams that improved greatly in the offseason after reaching the playoffs in 2009. As the Patriots struggle to keep up, the door is wide open for the Jets, Ravens and maybe even the Texans to be a part of the new top-tier in the AFC.

The loudest offseason this year certainly has belonged to the New York Jets, who cut one star running back, signed another and traded for two very talented players with character issues. Under boisterous head coach Rex Ryan, the Jets seem to have a swagger that has long been missing in New York. Backed by one of the best defensives in the league and an elite offensive line, the Jets have the confidence to take a shot at knocking the Patriots out of the top spot in the AFC East. In Mark Sanchez, who improved steadily throughout the 2009 season and into the playoffs, the Jets seem to have a potential Pro Bowl caliber quarterback, which may be all they need to become one of the better teams in the AFC for a long time.

Even though Jets fans shouldn’t get too optimistic about LaDainian Tomlinson returning to his all-world form from a few years ago, they still have talented young running back Shonn Greene. After adding Santonio Holmes, who was recently suspended for four games to start the 2010 season, the Jets have given Sanchez another legitimate receiving threat alongside Braylon Edwards. The Jets won’t likely become one of the elite teams in the AFC until Sanchez proves himself a bit further, but after winning two playoff games a season ago, the Jets seem to be one of the teams on the rise and will definitely help sell NFL tickets.

The other team that improved significantly this offseason was the Baltimore Ravens, who added wideout Anquan Boldin to their roster in a trade with the Cardinals. In Joe Flacco, the Ravens have a solid – though not superstar – level quarterback and they should take great strides offensively with the addition of Boldin. Derrick Mason now gets to move to the two-slot and Ray Rice is already a star in the NFL for those who don’t know; due to Chris Johnson, Rice probably had the quietest 2,000 yards from scrimmage season in history.

The Ravens will have to deal with an aging defense but they also are in a very winnable division, the AFC North. The Bengals won the division last year but Carson Palmer has never developed as the elite quarterback everyone thought he would be, no thanks to a serious knee injury a few seasons back, and the Bengals are the least scary division winner in all of football. The Steelers are usually formidable but have been slapped in the face repeatedly by off-field issues, forcing them to trade one of their best offensive weapons in Santonio Holmes. With a young and talented offense and a solid defense, the Ravens look to be in great position to be the team to beat in the AFC North.

Also not to be slept on should be the Houston Texans, who are among the most fun teams in the entire league to watch. Though running back Steve Slaton dealt with significant injuries that limited him in 2009, the Texans were still one of the most explosive teams in the league due to the tandem of quarterback Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson. After a rocky season, the Texans still finished 9-7 in 2009 and challenged for a playoff spot. Expect them to do the same in 2010.

The Jets, Ravens and Texans also seem to be getting better at just the right time. Though the AFC had remained the dominant conference for a while, that’s definitely not that case anymore. Even with Tom Brady, the Pats are not the same team as in years past and Brady will no longer have his go-to receiver Wes Welker in 2010. The Chargers are still very good, thanks mainly to a top-tier offense run by Philip Rivers, but may not be that far ahead of the other up-and-coming teams in the conference. The one team that does seem still be at the top of their game is the Indianapolis Colts, but even they have to start thinking about life after Peyton. With the door wide open in the AFC this season, there are plenty of talented teams ready to ascend to the ranks of the conference elite.

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