Breakdown for Offense between AFC and NFC Teams: As the NFL offseason unfolds, it provides an opportune time to assess the teams’ and players’ strengths and weaknesses in the league. In this article, we will comprehensively compare the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC) on the offensive side of the ball. This examination will help determine which conference holds the advantage at each position. Part one will focus on the quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, offensive tackle, and interior offensive line positions.
Breakdown for Offense between AFC and NFC Teams: Quarterback – Advantage AFC
Regarding the quarterback position, the AFC boasts an overwhelming advantage. The conference is home to an impressive array of talented signal-callers, including Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert, Trevor Lawrence, and Tua Tagovailoa. Not to mention other notable quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, and Deshaun Watson have performed at Pro Bowl levels in recent years. The AFC’s depth extends to quarterbacks such as Ryan Tannehill, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Mac Jones, who have proven themselves as solid starters or better. Additionally, the conference welcomes rising stars like Kenny Pickett, C.J. Stroud, and Anthony Richardson.
In contrast, the NFC features quarterbacks like Jalen Hurts, and Dak Prescott, but the talent level drops significantly after them, with quarterbacks such as Geno Smith, Kirk Cousins, Jared Goff, Daniel Jones, and a few others. The AFC quarterbacks showcased superior efficiency, accuracy, sack avoidance, and the ability to create explosive plays, while their NFC counterparts were primarily buoyed by interception luck. Although the NFC had an advantage in rushing statistics, led by Hurts and Justin Fields, the overall superiority of the AFC quarterbacks is unquestionable.
Running Back: Advantage AFC
Assessing the running back position is more challenging since multiple factors beyond the individual’s talent impact production, including blocking quality, scheme fit, and quarterback involvement. However, when considering metrics such as breaking tackles, yards after contact, yards after catch, and creating big plays, AFC running backs demonstrated a slight edge over their NFC counterparts. Notably, the AFC exhibits a greater depth of high-end backs, including Nick Chubb, Austin Ekeler, Jonathan Taylor, Derrick Henry, Rhamondre Stevenson, and more. Although featuring talents like Christian McCaffrey, Tony Pollard, and Saquon Barkley, the NFC needs to have the same depth of high-caliber backs. However, the situation can change this year with the emergence of new talents and the potential performance fluctuations of established backs.
Wide Receiver: Advantage NFC
The wide receiver position presents an intriguing comparison. While the AFC boasts an imposing individual wide receiver corps, the NFC’s talent is more evenly distributed across teams. The AFC showcases impressive duos or trios, such as Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd or Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. The Philadelphia Eagles come closest to matching the AFC’s top-end talent with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. However, when considering the overall depth of talent, the NFC prevails. Receivers like CeeDee Lamb, Terry McLaurin, D.J. Moore, Justin Jefferson, and Chris Godwin highlight the NFC’s superior arsenal. With targeted efficiency, yards per route run, yards after catch, success rate, and fewer dropped passes, NFC receivers outperformed their AFC counterparts last season. Given the talent, the NFC will likely maintain its superiority in the upcoming season.
Tight End: Advantage AFC
The AFC tight ends significantly outperformed their NFC counterparts in the previous season. Led by exceptional talents like Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews, the AFC demonstrated superiority in several areas, including target volume, yards per reception, yards after catch, explosive plays, and first-down conversions. While the NFC features impressive tight ends like George Kittle, T.J. Hockenson, Dallas Goedert, and Kyle Pitts, the AFC’s depth of talent extends beyond the elite duo, encompassing players like David Njoku, Pat Freiermuth, Evan Engram, Dawson Knox, Hunter Henry, and more. The AFC’s combination of top-tier talent and depth gives it a significant advantage at the tight end position.
Offensive Tackle: Advantage NFC
The NFC holds a substantial advantage at the offensive tackle position. Pro Football Focus’ grading system ranked all top five tackles from last season in the NFC. With dominant performers like Trent Williams, Christian Darrisaw, Andrew Thomas, Kaleb McGary, and Lane Johnson, the NFC possesses an abundance of top-end talent and remarkable depth. Moreover, the conference excelled in both pass-blocking efficiency and run-blocking grade. While the AFC boasts notable tackles such as Laremy Tunsil, Rashawn Slater, Terron Armstead, Ronnie Stanley, Jedrick Wills, and Jack Conklin, it falls short of the NFC’s impressive arsenal. The NFC’s depth and quality of offensive tackles give it a substantial advantage in this area.
Interior Offensive Line: Advantage AFC
Although the NFC can claim premier interior offensive linemen like Zack Martin, Jason Kelce, and Chris Lindstrom, the AFC exhibits a greater depth of talent in this position. The AFC showcases formidable interior lines, featuring players like Cole Strange, David Andrews, Michael Onwenu, Laken Tomlinson, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Joel Bitonio, Wyatt Teller, Quenton Nelson, Creed Humphrey, and Trey Smith, among others. These linemen consistently deliver high-quality performances and contribute to their team’s success. While the NFC boasts exceptional individual talents, it cannot compete with the AFC’s depth and overall strength in the interior offensive line.
After a comprehensive position-by-position breakdown of the AFC and NFC offenses, the AFC emerges as the conference with a distinct advantage at the quarterback and tight end positions. The NFC, on the other hand, holds the edge at wide receiver. The running back and offensive tackle positions present advantages for the AFC and NFC. Lastly, the AFC’s interior mean line depth surpasses the NFC’s. This analysis provides a glimpse into the strengths and weaknesses of each conference, setting the stage for an exciting football season. Keep updated on the football news in Canada.
