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1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1; clinched AFC West and No. 1 seed)
2. Buffalo Bills (12-3; clinched AFC East)
3. Baltimore Ravens (11-5; lead AFC North, clinched playoff berth)
4. Houston Texans (9-7; clinched AFC South)
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6, clinched playoff berth)
6. Los Angeles Chargers (9-6)
8. Indianapolis Colts (7-8)
10. Cincinnati Bengals (7-8)
12. Cleveland Browns (3-12)
13. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-12)
14. Tennessee Titans (3-12)
15. Las Vegas Raiders (3-12)
16. New England Patriots (3-12)
If the Bills find their way past the Jets on Sunday, then Josh Allen’s club will lock down its position right behind Patrick Mahomes’ squad. Should Buffalo fall short, though, then the race for the No. 2 seed might still be worth watching.
Three consecutive wins have positioned Baltimore for some potential late-season thievery. The Ravens already swiped the division lead away from the Steelers and, thanks to a head-to-head win in Week 4, they could still sneak past the Bills with a home win over the Browns and Buffalo losses to New York and New England.
With the Texans locked into the No. 4 seed, the drama doesn’t pick back up until the final two Wild Card spots. And even then, drama is a relative term.
The Chargers and Broncos both control their own destinies. A Saturday win over New England would punch L.A.’s playoff ticket. The Chargers would also be playoff-bound if the Colts and Dolphins both lose. Denver could secure its own playoff spot with a Saturday win over Cincinnati.
In other words, fans of the Colts, Dolphins and Bengals probably shouldn’t hold their breath. Beyond needing their respective teams to win out, they also need back-to-back losses by the Chargers and Broncos. After New England, L.A. closes out against Las Vegas. After Cincinnati, Denver finishes against a Kansas City team with nothing to play for.
It feels more likely than not, then, that we already know not only which seven AFC teams will reach the playoffs but also the order in which they’ll be seeded. A bit of movement remains possible, but our crystal ball likes the current order as the one that will carry over into the postseason.
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