AFC Playoff Picture After Week 14

Written by: Nate Wyrsch •

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At the end of Week 14, here is how the current AFC Playoff Picture looks:

1 Seed: Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens hold the first overall seed and bye week in the AFC. They sit atop the AFC alone with a 10-3 record and are coming off a thrilling overtime victory against the Rams. Lamar Jackson has returned to his MVP form and even leads the team in rushing yards. Rookie receiver Zay Flowers has been having an exceptional season. The Ravens have won seven of their last eight games, and just keep finding ways to win. They have a two-game lead on the AFC North and only have one more game against a divisional foe. Baltimore has a very important game against the Jaguars on Sunday night, which will impact the AFC Playoff race drastically.

2 Seed: Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins had a chance to hold the number one overall seed in the AFC, but they ended up blowing a 14-point lead in under four minutes against a lowly Titans team. Tyreek Hill was in and out of the game after suffering an ankle injury, and the offense was struggling to produce. Like the Ravens, Miami also holds a two-game lead on the AFC East and has a big divisional matchup coming up against the Jets. The Dolphins offense has been very good all year and Tyreek Hill will hope to stay healthy and continue his quest at 2000 yards on the season. Miami will continue to contest the Ravens for the top seed, but they have a very rough schedule the rest of the way, which can put a damper on their hopes.

3 Seed: Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City is coming off a heartbreaking loss against the Buffalo Bills, in which they thought they had won but lost due to an offensive offsides penalty. Kansas City has lost back-to-back games, and their chances of repeating as champions look slim. They have had poor receiver play all season, however, Travis Kelce has still been very productive, and Rashee Rice has emerged as a clear top target. Patrick Mahomes has the ability to make the Chiefs a Super Bowl team once again, but he is going to need help from the rest of his offense. The Chiefs face a very poor Patriots team next week and will look to turn back to their winning ways.

4 Seed: Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars currently sit atop a very close AFC South with an 8-5 record. They are coming off back-to-back heartbreaking losses against the Bengals and the Browns. Trevor Lawrence is playing through an ankle sprain he suffered late against the Bengals, but was able to play the entire game on Sunday. Jacksonville has been a very solid team all season and has a very good chance to make the playoffs. Their matchup against Baltimore this weekend will be very important in deciding how the playoff race will shape out and will be a very important test for the Jaguars.

5 Seed: Cleveland Browns:

The Browns offense has struggled all season, as they have not had a quarterback start consistently without injury, but they have one of the best defenses in the league. Joe Flacco played very well in a win against the Jaguars, but it is not guaranteed that he can keep up that production. The Browns will have to continue to lean on Flacco and will continue to hope that David Njoku can continue to produce like he did Sunday. Cleveland will try to catch up to the Ravens and contest them for the AFC North title, although it will be hard for them to accomplish that, especially with the injuries they are dealing with.

6 Seed: Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers are the third AFC North team that is in the playoffs, and they currently sit at 7-6. Pittsburgh has struggled as of late, losing 3 of the last 4, including a home loss to a bad Patriots team. They have struggled to find themselves on offense and are still struggling even after firing their offensive coordinator Matt Canada a couple of weeks ago. The Steelers will look to make a strong playoff push and sneak in behind a strong defense. They have a very crucial matchup against the Colts this week that can make or break each team's season and playoff hopes.

7 Seed: Indianapolis Colts

The Colts have had a rollercoaster season so far, but find themselves at 7-6 and in the final playoff spot. Gardner Minshew has been very up and down this season but has led the Colts to a better-than-expected season. Jonathan Taylor has had a disappointing year as he has been unable to stay healthy, but the Colts' defense has been very good for most of the year. After a tough, blowout loss against the Bengals, Indianapolis will have to regroup and bounce back quickly to face a tough Steelers team that will most likely decide a playoff spot.

Conclusion

The AFC Playoff race is incredibly close and consists of a six-way tie for 7-6 teams. Currently, the Colts and Steelers hold all necessary tiebreakers, but things can and will change very quickly, especially in a race this close. The end of the season will be very fun to watch, especially with all the big matchups coming up.

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