Posted in: NFL, Sports | Tagged: AFC, entertainment, HRL, New England Patriots, nfl, Pittsburgh Steelers, sports

How the AFC Playoff Picture Looks with One Week to Go

Published Tue, 26 Dec 2017 10:35:06 -0600

Week 16, the penultimate chapter in the 2017 NFL regular season, is in the books — and where a few things became more clear, the playoff picture is far from set. While most teams have a good idea of whether they're going to keep playing after next Sunday or start their vacations, one team could finish anywhere from 2nd to 5th in the division — which is the difference between having to play on Wild Card weekend or getting a bye-week and a guaranteed home game in the divisional round. Just about everyone has a reason to play as hard as they can on the final weekend of the season.

Starting with the AFC, the top two spots are locked in with the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Patriots are the #1 because they won the head-to-head match up a week back, but if the Steelers win Sunday against the 0-15 Cleveland Browns and the Patriots lose to the New York Jets, then the Steelers would get the top spot and a guaranteed home field advantage through the conference championships.

The third and fouth spots are locked in, with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Kansas City Chiefs winning their divisions this past weekend. Both will have to play on Wild Card weekend. As for the two Wild Card spots, Baltimore is in the best position at 9-6 with the Tennessee Titans, Los Angeles Chargers and Buffalo Bills at 8-7 fighting for the last slot. If the Ravens win, they're in. The Titans can say the same thing, while the Chargers and Bills both need some help.

Here is how it stand as of Today:

1) New England Patriots (12-3)
2) Pittsburgh Steelers (12-3)
3) Jacksonville Jaguars (10-5)
4) Kansas City Chiefs (9-6)
5) Baltimore Ravens (9-6)
6) Tennessee Titans (8-7)

Still alive: Los Angeles Chargers (8-7) and Buffalo Bills (8-7).

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