AFC features plenty of star power even without Tom Brady

The AFC doesn’t lack for drama or star power even though Tom Brady has taken his talents to Davis Beach.

The six- time champion with New England is tearing up the NFC at age 43 although the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ new (old) quarterback is realizing Drew Brees is every bit the nemesis Peyto Manning was.

In the wake of his departure, the Patriots have crashed like a meteorite, Tua Tagovailoa looks like the answer in Miami and the Bills are chasing their first AFC East crown in a quarter century.

Lamar Jackson again leads an potent Ravens team, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have suffered no hangover from their first Super Bowl title in half a century and the AFC South-leading Titans have weathered the worst coronavirus outbreak of this pandemic season.

But the biggest story is in Pittsburgh, where the unbeaten Steelers (8- 0) are off to the best start in the storied franchise’s 87- year history but were hit with the news Tuesday that battered quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been placed on the COVID-19/reserve list along with three teammates.

This disturbing development came a day after Steelers tight end Vance

McDonald went on the list after testing positive following a closer- than- expected 24-19 win at Dallas, which came down to the final snap just as Pittsburgh’s two previous games did.

The NFL’s last unbeaten team isn’t overpowering opponents as much as they are outlasting them, and heading into the second half of the season, the Steelers are the hunted.

“We have a target on our back,” tight end Eric Ebron said. “We’re undefeated.”

Plenty of teams believe they can supplant Pittsburgh on their way to hoisting the Lamar Hunt Trophy in his most unusual of seasons:

EAST: After winning the division 11 consecutive years, the Patriots (35) needed a last- second field goal just to beat the winless Jets. Bill Belichick finds himself looking up at the improving Bills ( 72) and the long- suffering Dolphins (5- 3), who have their best record at the season’s midpoint since 2001 and have won four straight, including both of Tagovailoa’s starts.

Tagovailoa outdueled Kyler Murray last weekend in a big win at Arizona, suggesting coach Brian Flores’ timing was right in making the widely scrutinized switch at quarterback from Ryan Fitzpatrick. Even the Jets (0- 9) could be big winners by prevailing in the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes.