With the Patriots on their late-season bye week, the Denver Broncos had an opportunity to retake the number one seed in the AFC with a victory over. Well, the Broncos defeated the Raiders easily and gained an important tie-breaker over the Patriots, and now control their own destiny when it comes to gaining homefield advantage in the playoffs.
As for the rest of the AFC, we had some major developments. The Jaguars appear to have control of the AFC South, but do have the ascending Texans and their top-ranked defense on their heels. Unfortunately for the Indianapolis Colts, they lost quarterback Daniel Jones for the season due to an Achilles injury as their late-season free-fall continues. They have gone from a legitimate one-seed contender to now likely missing the playoffs in a matter of weeks. The Steelers defeated the Ravens and now lead the AFC North, while the Texans defeated the Chiefs, who now have lost 4 of their last 5 games, fell below .500, and will need to win out and get some help if they want to make the playoffs. On Monday Night, the Chargers kept their AFC West title hopes alive with an OT thriller victory over the defending champs, the Philadelphia Eagles.
With all that said, here is how the AFC playoff picture looks after the conclusion of the Week 14 slate of games.
With a win over the Raiders and the Patriots on a BYE week, the Broncos gained an important tie-breaker over the Patriots and have reclaimed the number one seed in the AFC. Now, the Broncos have won 10-straight games, and join the Patriots as the only two teams in the NFL to have 11 or more wins so far this season.
The Broncos are led by their dominant defense, but Bo Nix and the offense have been playing better recently. They got their run game going vs. the Raiders, rookies RJ Harvey and Pat Bryant are emerging as weekly playmakers, and they have a top-ranked offensive line in the NFL this season. If their defense can remain elite and the offense can continue to play well, they will be a tough team to beat in the playoffs.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 7: RJ Harvey #12 of the Denver Broncos celebrates with Quinn Meinerz #77 after scoring a touchdown during the third quarter of an NFL football game at Allegiant Stadium on December 07, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images) Getty Images
The road ahead will not be easy for the Broncos. They play three playoff teams (lol Chiefs), but all three will be at Mile High while the lone road game will be at Arrowhead on Christmas Night. If the Broncos want the one seed, they’ll need to continue their win streak and hope the Patriots fall behind a game or two. Next up will be Micah Parsons and the Green Bay Packers.
Remaining Games: vs. Packers, vs. Jaguars, at Chiefs (Christmas Night), and vs. Chargers
2. New England Patriots (11-2)
The Patriots were on their BYE this past weekend and lost the one seed to the Broncos, who gained a valuable tie-breaker over them. Now, the Patriots need to continue winning and get past their next two games without a loss if they want to obtain the number one seed.
With a win over the Bills this weekend, they would all but lock up the AFC East title and get past their toughest remaining test of the year. However, a loss would bring Josh Allen and the Bills just one game back and make things interesting over the final few games. This will be one of the top games to watch this coming Sunday.
After their big game this Sunday, where they host the Bills, they will travel on the road for another tough matchup against the Ravens. After that, they have back-to-back divisional games to end the year with a road game vs. the Jets and a home game in Foxboro against the Miami Dolphins.
Remaining Games: vs. Bills, at Ravens, at Jets, and vs. Dolphins
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4)
The Jaguars keep on winning and now control the AFC South after defeating the Colts this past Sunday. They improved to 9-4 on the year, and first-year Head Coach Liam Coen has this team playing good football.
With that said, they have the ascending Texans and their top-ranked defense right behind them at 8-5, and we could see this division race go down to the wire. Either way, the Jaguars are in good position to make the playoffs this season, either as a division winner or as a wildcard team.
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 7: Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Jacksonville Jaguars celebrates a touchdown during the first quarter of the NFL 2025 game against the Indianapolis Colts at Everbank Stadium on December 7, 2025 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Logan Bowles/Getty Images) Getty Images
Looking ahead, the Jaguars have quite a favorable schedule. They host a Jets team ready to end this season, the Broncos in what figures to be a key matchup for both teams, before finishing out the year against the quarterback-less Colts and the two-win Titans. Outside of the Broncos game, they should be heavy favorites in three of their final four games.
Remaining Games: vs. Jets, at Broncos, at Colts, and vs. Titans
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6)
It doesn’t seem like anyone wants to win the AFC North, but the Steelers defeated the Ravens on Sunday and reclaimed the lead in the division.
The Steelers are a rather inconsistent team, but they manage to bounce back from poor performances and find ways to win as they hover around the .500 mark on the year. The race for the division between these two teams will likely come down to their season finale matchup.
Next up for the Steelers is a Monday Night home game vs. the Dolphins, followed by a tough road game vs. the Lions and then another road matchup vs. Shedeur Sanders and the Browns. The season finale will be a home game vs. the Ravens in a game that may decide who wins the division and who goes home to sit on the couch and watch the playoffs.
Remaining Games: vs. Dolphins, at Lions, at Browns, and vs. Ravens
5. Los Angles Chargers (9-4)
With a big OT win vs. the Eagles on Monday Night, the Chargers escape week 14 with a win and improve to 9-4 on the year. They keep on winning despite a long list of injuries along the offensive line and quarterback Justin Herbert taking hit after hit while also dealing with a broken non-throwing hand that required surgery.
Justin Herbert is as tough as they come, but it is hard to imagine that he will make it through the remainder of the season injury-free if he continues to take as many hits as he has recently. On a positive note, they did get back rookie running back Omarion Hampton from the IR, and he will help this offense moving forward. Their defense is among the best in the league, but Herbert’s health will be the thing to watch moving forward.
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 08: Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers runs with the ball during the third quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at SoFi Stadium on December 08, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) Getty Images
This coming Sunday, the Chargers will travel to cold Arrowhead to take on a desperate Chiefs team, followed by another road game vs. the explosive Cowboys offense. They finish out the year with a home game against the dominant Houston Texans defense, followed by a road game against the Denver Broncos’ dominant defense, which leads in the NFL in sacks.
How the Chargers protect Herbert moving forward will be key to their success moving forward.
Remaining Games: at Chiefs, at Cowboys, vs. Texans, and at Broncos
In snowy Buffalo, the Bills managed a wild 4th quarter where they scored 3 touchdowns in the span of 5 minutes and were able to get past Joe Burrow and the Bengals. With this win, they improved to 9-4 on the year and kept their slim hopes of winning the AFC East alive.
As I mentioned earlier, they have a big game vs. the Patriots this Sunday that will either keep their division hopes alive or all but end them. A victory will put them one game back in the loss column with three games to go, while a loss would put them 3 back with three games to go. It’s a big must-win for Josh Allen and the Bills.
After their game in Foxboro this Sunday, the Bills will hit the road to face the Browns before back-to-back home games vs. the Eagles and Jets. The Bills will need to win out if they want to win the AFC East.
Remaining Games: at Patriots, at Browns, vs. Eagles, and vs. Jets
With a big win over Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football, the Texans improved to 8-5 on the year, are one back of the Jaguars in the AFC South, and are now the 7th seed in the AFC.
Led by their dominant defense, the Texans will be a tough out for whoever faces them, which will make them a dangerous matchup in the playoffs. If quarterback CJ Stroud and the rest of the Texans offense get going, they could be a sneaky Super Bowl contender if they make the playoffs.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – DECEMBER 07: Woody Marks #27 of the Houston Texans scores a receiving touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs during the second quarter at Arrowhead Stadium on December 07, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images) Getty Images
Looking at their schedule, they have a manageable road ahead with back-to-back home games vs. the Cardinals and Raiders, followed by a big road game vs. the Chargers, before ending the season against the quarterback-less Colts. With their defense, they have a good shot to make it as a wildcard and could push the Jaguars for the division if they slip up at all in the coming weeks.
Remaining Games: vs. Cardinals, vs. Raiders, at Chargers, and vs. Colts
8: Indianapolis Colts (8-5): A few weeks ago, we were discussing the Colts as contenders for the 1 seed, and now, a few weeks later, they’re out of the playoffs. On top of all that, they lost quarterback Daniel Jones for the year with an Achilles injury, Anthony Richardson is on the IR, and rookie Riley Leonard is week-to-week with a knee injury. They’re so desperate, they’re working out retired QB Phillip Rivers, who hasn’t played since 2020 and just turned 44 years old. In all likelihood, the Colts are no longer postseason contenders.
9: Baltimore Ravens (6-7): They started the year 1-5, won 5 straight games, but now have lost 2 straight and are once again trailing the Steelers in the AFC North. Lamar Jackson has been struggling, and the Ravens do not look like the dominant team that we are used to seeing. They face the Steelers in the finale and will likely be in this division race until the end. They will need some help if they want to make it in as a wildcard team.
10: Kansas City Chiefs (6-7): Despite Cris Collinsworth’s best efforts to hype up the Chiefs, they we defeated by the Texans, lost 4 of their last 5 games, and sit below .500 with a 6-7 record with four games left in the season. The Chiefs were officially eliminated from winning the AFC West with this loss and need to win out and a bit of help if they want to make the playoffs. While they face the Chargers this coming week, they currently do not have a tie-breaker over any of the current wildcard teams and appear to be on the brink of elimination if they lose to the Chargers this Sunday.
11: Miami Dolphins (6-7): While the Dolphins have bounced back from their early-season struggles and may have done enough to save Mike McDaniels’ job, they are long shots to make the playoffs. Their best shot will be to keep winning, but they typically struggle in December. With that said, they did win a cold-weather game vs the Jets this past Sunday and will need to do it again next Monday Night vs. the Steelers.