The New England Patriots have moved to the top of the class—at least as far as the AFC is concerned.
The Patriots survived their visit to Heinz Field and found a way to earn a 27-24 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, and that allowed the Patriots to move into the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff structure.
The Patriots and Steelers both have 11-3 records, but New England's last-second win gives them the tiebreaker edge over Pittsburgh.
The Jacksonville Jaguars rolled to a 45-7 triumph over the Houston Texans, and that improved their record to 10-4 and clinched a playoff spot for Doug Marrone's team. The Jags will likely end up with the AFC South title, but they have not clinched that position yet.
The Kansas City Chiefs were in big trouble two weeks ago when they lost for the sixth time in seven games and were left in a tie for first place with the Oakland Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers as all three teams had a 6-6 record.
The Chiefs have rebounded with back-to-back wins over the Raiders and Chargers, and they lead the Chargers by one game and the Raiders by two. The Chiefs also have the tiebreaker edge over the Chargers.
The Tennessee Titans and Buffalo Bills are both 8-6, and they are holding onto the two AFC wild-card spots.
The Baltimore Ravens are also 8-6, but the Titans and Bills have the tiebreaker edges over John Harbaugh's team. However, the Ravens have home games remaining against the Indianapolis Colts (3-11) and the Cincinnati Bengals (5-9), and they have a great opportunity to win out.
The Titans host the Rams and Jaguars in the last two weeks, and it will be much harder for them to hold onto their spot in the playoff structure. The Bills play at New England in Week 16 before closing the season against the Miami Dolphins (6-8) on the road.
The Philadelphia Eagles rallied to beat the New York Giants 34-29 Sunday, and that win has given the victors a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs. The Eagles (12-2) have a one-game lead over the NFC North champion Minnesota Vikings (11-3), and they are in a position to clinch homefield advantage throughout the postseason.
The Rams (10-4) and the New Orleans Saints (10-4) are in first place in the NFC West and South, respectively, and while neither one has clinched their divisions or a playoff spot, both are in good position to earn those titles.
The Rams hammered the Seattle Seahawks (8-6) on the road Sunday by a 42-7 score, and head coach Sean McVay's team appears to be quite dangerous with the playoffs around the corner.
The Carolina Panthers (10-4) and the Atlanta Falcons (8-5) are in the two wild-card spots, but the Falcons' position is quite tenuous.
Atlanta plays on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Monday night, and if they lose that game, they will have the same record as the Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys and Seahawks. The final two weeks will be a battle for the final playoff spot in the conference.
Atlanta plays at New Orleans in Week 16 before hosting the Panthers in the final week of the season. The Lions close with a road game at Cincinnati and a home game with the Green Bay Packers (7-7), while the Cowboys host Seattle in Week 16 before they go to Lincoln Financial Field and take on the Eagles in Week 17.
The Seahawks close the season at home against the Arizona Cardinals (6-8).
Predictions
Look for the Patriots and Steelers to hold onto the top two seeds in the AFC, with the Jaguars earning the No. 3 spot as the AFC South champions.
The Chiefs have survived their slump and will take the AFC West title.
The Ravens will win out and take one of the wild-card spots, and the Chargers will end up with the final AFC playoff position.
We see both of those teams winning out, while the Titans will drop their final two games and the Bills will lose at New England. The Chargers have the tiebreaker edge over the Bills as a result of their head-to-head 54-24 victory in Week 11.
The Eagles will win out and earn homefield advantage throughout the postseason over the Vikings, who earn the No. 2 seed. The Rams and Saints will win their divisions and they will hold onto the No. 3 and 4 seeds.
The Panthers will take a wild-card spot, but the Falcons will squander their opportunity and the Lions will take the last NFC playoff spot.
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