Well, it seems like every team in the AFC wants to sit at the back of the classroom this NFL season. There's no Arnold Horshack saying, "Ooh-ooh-ooh, pick me for the Super Bowl, Mr Kotter". Instead, the sides seem quite content to wallow in mediocrity and are apparently ready to hand the Packers the title on a fine silver platter. The surprising Cincinnati Bengals and defensively sound Baltimore Ravens boast the AFC's best records at 6-2 but, seriously, does anyone think they can run with the NFC's best?

I would love to say Baltimore is the beast of the AFC, but I just can't trust its offence.Anyway, following on those teams' heels are the Houston Texans at 6-3, who are, by the way, one of the most tautologically named teams in history (seriously, is that the best they could come up with?) and the up-and-down Pittsburgh Steelers.

There's no real need to go AFC West, young man, because that's simply the division all four teams seem perfectly happy to lose. My (and I am using that term particularly loosely) Raiders lead that merry band with a stellar 5-4 record. San Diego (4-5) could eventually charge out of the West, but QB Philip Rivers has apparently become color blind now as that's the only way you can explain his gaudy interception numbers; meanwhile, coach Norv Turner, in an amazing feat of trickery, still collects pay cheques from the organization.

So, to find a semblance of a Super Bowl-caliber team from the AFC, we have to turn to the East. New England, the New York Jets, Jets, Jets and Buffalo all have underwhelming 5-3 records, but at least the first two (sorry Buffalo) could give this Super Bowl thing a shake - if they get their acts together. The Patriots, of course, have the best gridiron mind ever invented in Bill Belichick and the second best quarterback in the world, Tom Brady. That's not too bad a formula when the post-season rolls around, but the team's aura is nowhere near as bright as it was a few years ago when the side went undefeated all the way to the Super Bowl and then lost to the New York Giants. Great things were expected from the other New York team, the J-E-T-S, but they have flattered to deceive to this point of the season. Coach and toe lover Rex Ryan sure can talk a good Super Bowl, but the tricky part of this caper is actually getting there first. Still, the AFC is right now ripe to be bust open, and the Pats, Jets and maybe Steelers would appear to be the most likely sides to do so.

Tym Glaser is a senior sports copy editor who made a Welcome Back, Kotter reference in this article. He can be contacted at tymglaser@yahoo.com

(China Daily 11/13/2011 page8)