While the New England Patriots enjoyed their bye week, the Denver Broncos climbed back on top in the AFC standings.
Denver defeated the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 14 to improve to 11-2 this season. New England also has an 11-2 record, but the Broncos will clinch any tiebreaker due to their better record against common opponents. The Patriots fell to the Raiders in Week 1.
The battle for the No. 1 seed isn’t the only entertaining AFC storyline with four weeks left in the regular season. The Pittsburgh Steelers stunned Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens to take the top spot in the AFC North and send Baltimore down several spots in the AFC standings. The Indianapolis Colts (8-5) lost quarterback Daniel Jones to an Achilles tear while falling to the Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4), who currently have the No. 3 seed. The Buffalo Bills (9-4) outlasted the Joe Burrow-led Cincinnati Bengals (4-9) during a thrilling showdown in the snow.
Here’s a look the AFC playoff picture, from current standings to the race for seeding to current postseason matchups if the season ended today:
Current AFC Standings
The Broncos have regained the AFC’s No. 1 seed after their win over the Raiders. The Patriots are tied with an 11-2 record, but Denver has the tiebreaker for playoff seeding due to its better record against common opponents. New England lost in Week 1 to Las Vegas.
- Denver Broncos (11-2, AFC West leader)
- New England Patriots (11-2, AFC East leader)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4, AFC South leader)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6, AFC North leader)
- Buffalo Bills (9-4)
- Los Angeles Chargers (8-4)
- Indianapolis Colts (8-5)
- Houston Texans (7-5)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-6)
- Baltimore Ravens (6-7)
Race for the No. 1 seed
The Patriots’ reign atop the AFC was short-lived as the Broncos regained the top spot with their win over the Raiders.
Here’s a look at the remaining schedules for New England and Denver:
- Patriots: vs. Bills, at Ravens, at Jets, vs. Dolphins
- Broncos: vs. Packers, vs. Jaguars, at Chiefs, vs. Chargers
Race for the AFC East
The Patriots’ lead over the Bills is down to two games after Buffalo defeated Cincinnati Sunday. Their “magic number” to win the AFC East is three, meaning any combination of three Patriots wins/Bills losses will clinch the division for New England.
If it comes down to a tiebreaker, the Patriots are in a great spot. After head-to-head matchup (New England beat Buffalo in Week 5), the second tiebreaker for divisional opponents is in-division record. The Patriots are currently 3-0 against the AFC East, while Buffalo is 2-2.
Three of the Patriots’ next four games are against AFC East rivals. Here’s a look at the remaining schedules for New England and Buffalo:
- Patriots: vs. Bills, at Ravens, at Jets, vs. Dolphins
- Bills: vs. Patriots, at Browns, vs. Eagles, vs. Jets
Current playoff matchups
If the season ended today, here’s what the AFC Wild Card round would look like:
- No. 1 Broncos: BYE
- No. 2 Patriots vs. No. 7 Colts
- No. 3 Jaguars vs. No. 6 Chargers
- No. 4 Steelers vs. No. 5 Bills
