The AFC playoff picture didn’t change at all after the Week 14 afternoon games. But that changed Sunday night, when the Chargers toppled the Dolphins to climb into the No. 7 spot. Looking ahead, if the Patriots beat the Cardinals on Monday Night Football, they would leap over the Chargers into the No. 7 spot.
Here’s the AFC playoff picture ahead of Week 15:
1. Bills (10–3): Buffalo took down the AFC East opponent Jets on Sunday 20–12. With the win, the Bills hold onto the top AFC seed as the team prepares for a tough matchup against the Dolphins on Saturday.
2. Chiefs (10–3): Kansas City took down the Broncos in a closer-than-expected 34–28 win. The Chiefs will clinch the AFC West if the Chargers lose on Sunday night to Miami. Patrick Mahomes’s team will face the Texans next Sunday.
3. Ravens (9–4): Baltimore started Sunday’s game vs. the Steelers with backup quarterback Tyler Huntley as Lamar Jackson is out with a knee injury for the foreseeable future. Huntley suffered a concussion in the game and third-string quarterback Anthony Brown came in and helped the Ravens secure a 16–14 win over their AFC North rival. The Ravens have a short week as they play the Browns on Saturday, and their starting quarterback remains unknown for that game.
4. Titans (7–6): Tennessee suffered a 36–22 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday, cutting their AFC South lead to two games ahead of Jacksonville. The Titans will play the Chargers next Sunday and will need a win to feel confident about their playoff spot.
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5. Bengals (9–4): In the other AFC North matchup on Sunday, Cincinnati beat the Browns 23–10. The Ravens still hold the tiebreaker over the Bengals in the division, though. Cincinnati will face the Buccaneers next Sunday afternoon.
6. Dolphins (8–5): Miami’s 23-17 loss to the Chargers puts the Dolphins in a tough spot in the AFC East as they now trail the Bills by two games. Saturday’s game between the Bills and Dolphins will be important for Miami to win in order to have a chance to advance in the playoff picture.
7. Chargers (7–6): With Los Angeles’s 23-17 win over the Dolphins on Sunday, the Chargers jump into the playoff picture at the No. 7 spot. However, if the Patriots beat the Cardinals on Monday night, the Chargers fall out of the No. 7 seed and back into the hunt. The Chargers will face another playoff contender in the Titans next Sunday.
Here are the teams still in the hunt:
8. Jets (7–6)
9. Patriots (6–6)
