Through nine weeks, the New England Patriots are sitting at 5-4 with a legitimate shot at breaking into the playoffs.
Of course, they’ll have to find a way to stay alive in the shark tank AFC East, which went from being the laughingstock to the best division in football. Even with a winning record, the Patriots are still ranked dead last in a division that could potentially send all four teams to the playoffs this season.
The Buffalo Bills reign supreme in the AFC, despite being tied with the Kansas City Chiefs for the best record in the conference (6-2). However, they’d own the tiebreaker thanks to their mid-October win at Arrowhead Stadium.
And the same goes for the New York Jets (6-3) when it comes to their tiebreaker with the Miami Dolphins (6-3). They’d own the split, thanks to their 40-17 blowout victory back in October.
As for the Patriots, they’d be considered an on-the-bubble team that would barely miss the postseason. Granted, they’re still in the thick of things, but they’re obviously going to have to string together some tough wins in the second half of the season to clinch a playoff berth.
If the season ended today, here’s what the playoff picture would look like for the top-10 AFC teams.
1. Buffalo Bills (6-2)
2. Kansas City Chiefs (6-2)
3. Baltimore Ravens (5-3)
4. Tennessee Titans (5-3)
5. New York Jets (6-3)
6. Miami Dolphins (6-3)
7. Los Angeles Chargers (5-3)
8. New England Patriots (5-4)
9. Cincinnati Bengals (5-4)
10. Indianapolis Colts (3-5-1)
