When a three-time Super Bowl champ talks, you listen. After Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills stunned the Kansas City Chiefs, this NFL legend crowned an unexpected team as the AFC’s best. Forget the usual suspects; this endorsement came out of nowhere and has fans — even Stephen A. Smith — doing double-takes.
With the AFC race heating up and power rankings flipping on their heads, this bold claim just made stuff way more interesting. So, who’s the champ backing? Hint: It’s not Patrick Mahomes’ squad.
Shannon Sharpe’s Hot Steelers Take Sparks Clapback
Shannon Sharpe didn’t mince words on “First Take,” calling the Steelers the best in the AFC.
“I’m not so sure the best team in the AFC right now isn’t the Pittsburgh Steelers. They’re well-coached, they don’t beat themselves,” Sharpe asserted pretty confidently.
“If you make me pick right now — you [Smith] just said, ‘Are the Bills the best?’ I’m going to say, ‘No.’ But if you make me pick the three to four teams which are the best, I’m going with the black and gold, and I’m going to say the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
Bold words for a team whose offense seemed allergic to touchdowns in Week 11, scoring 18 points through kicker Chris Boswell’s leg (six made field goals). Though Smith is a Steelers fan, he’s not blind to their struggles, and he pushed back against Sharpe’s stakeclaim.
“I’m a Pittsburgh Steelers fan … but six field goals? You can’t get in the end zone, and you’re going to sit up here and say that that team would be the favorite? Let’s stop with that nonsense right there. They’re not the best team,” Smith alluded, pointing out the team’s abysmal red-zone execution in Week 11’s win.
.@ShannonSharpe thinks the Pittsburgh Steelers are the best team in the AFC 👀 @stephenasmith: “You got to be crazy for saying something like that.” 😅 pic.twitter.com/Ie3Gt1GOj0
— First Take (@FirstTake) November 18, 2024
Yes, the Steelers are 8-2 and their defense (powered by T.J. Watt) is excellent. But again, an offense averaging 23.9 PPG won’t really scare anyone come playoff time. And don’t forget, the Bills just took down the Chiefs in Arrowhead.
Still, Sharpe’s hot take isn’t totally off the rails. The Steelers thrive in tight games, and Mike Tomlin’s squad is as scrappy as they come. But crowning them the AFC’s best is a hill Sharpe’s willing to die on — and one Smith will happily push him off of.
SEE MORE: AFC No. 1 Seed Playoff Scenarios — Bills, Chiefs, and Steelers
With AFC heavyweights stumbling, the race is wide open. Sharpe’s Steelers pick might feel crazy, but if they find their groove, maybe they’ll prove him right. Or, you know, Smith will get the last laugh.
Josh Allen Seals Week 11 Victory With Gutsy Run
Allen didn’t just play QB in Week 11 — he owned it. With the Bills clinging to a 23-21 lead late, he ran a 26-yard TD to seal a 30-21 win over the unbeaten Chiefs. Coach Sean McDermott went all in on Allen with a gutsy 4th-and-2 call. Allen didn’t blink, scrambling for the win when his reads weren’t there.
SEE MORE: Kansas City Chiefs Drop First Game of 2024 Season, Fall to 9-1
He finished with 260 passing yards, a passing TD, 55 rushing yards, and a score on the ground. Mahomes threw for 196 yards and three TDs but two picks, including a killer interception by Terrel Bernard to end it. The Bills snapped the Chiefs’ 15-game win streak, tightening the AFC race. The Bills are legit.