After losing Monday night to the undefeated Titans, the Colts are in the worst position of the group.  Their record now stands at 3-4 with a showdown against the Pats looming this Sunday night.  One year ago, that matchup was billed as “Super Bowl 41 1/2.”  This year, it’s a must win game for both teams in order to keep their playoff hopes alive.  The Colts can’t afford to fall much further behind Tennessee, or they can kiss their division hopes goodbye.  At this point the wildcard is looking like the only possibility.

San Diego has suffered two embarrassing losses in a row (Buffalo and New Orleans) and is now halfway through the campaign with an improbable 3-5 record.  Their problems started early when Shawne Merriman went down in preseason and was later placed on IR.  The Chargers seemed to be in shock, losing both of their first two games in the final minute (some losses more controversial than others).  But the Chargers have yet to really snap out of the funk, and now it may be too late.  Their saving grace is that they are attempting to chase down the inconsistent Denver Broncos in the west.

The Patriots have a tenuous 5-2 record, and unlike the other two teams still control their own destiny.  The gritty Pats have looked much better the past two weeks with a blowout win over Denver and Sunday’s come-from-behind besting of the Rams.  The true test for Matt Cassel and the Patriots comes over the next five weeks when the Pats go to Indy, host Buffalo and the Jets, go to Miami and then host Pittsburgh.  If they come out of that stretch at 8-5 or better, both the division and wildcard will be very much in play.

With the big guns miss-firing, the door has been opened for some new blood to rule the AFC.  Of course old reliable Pittsburgh is in the mix again, and other playoff contenders include Tennessee (7-0), Buffalo (5-2), and the 4-3 crowd: Denver, Baltimore and the Jets.

MID SEASON PREDICTIONS:

EAST: Buffalo

SOUTH: Tennessee

NORTH: Pittsburgh

WEST: San Diego

WILD CARDS: New England, Indianapolis

What else can I say other than old habits die hard?