Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Chiefs, Steelers cut above rest of AFC’s contenders
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are already in. No surprise for the defending Super Bowl champions.
Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers are undefeated no more, but they’re also on the verge of clinching an AFC playoff spot.
After that, well, there are plenty of other contenders who might have something to say about the conference being just a top-heavy twosome.
The Bills and Browns are 9-3, with the Titans, Dolphins and Colts all 8-4. They’d all be in the playoffs right now with this season’s expanded, seventeam format.
The Ravens and Raiders are still in the mix at 7-5. And it’s never smart to count out a Bill Belichick-coached team, especially with the Patriots surging with four wins in their last five games to get to .500 at 6-6 entering Thursday night’s game against the Rams.
A division-by-division look at the AFC playoff race going into the final quarter of the season:
AFC East
Josh Allen and the Bills could make a massive statement when they take on the Steelers at home Sunday night. The third-year quarterback has played his way into the MVP conversation and another impressive performance — and a win — would justify that buzz. It would also put the Bills well in line for their first division title since 1995.
But the Dolphins are still swimming right there with the Bills. The Dolphins and rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa are just a game behind the Bills in the race for the division and host the Chiefs on Sunday. Still, there’s a chance the regular-season finale Jan. 3 in Buffalo could decide who finishes on top.
The Patriots have been that team for 11 consecutive years — with Tom Brady at quarterback, of course — but that streak appears in serious jeopardy.
Belichick’s bunch has this going, though: After Thursday night’s game in Los Angeles, the Patriots’ final three opponents are all in the division — on the road vs. the Dolphins, home vs. the Bills and home against the currently 0-12 Jets.
AFC North
The Steelers were cruising along, giving those undefeated ’72 Dolphins something to think about when — whoa! — Washington dashed any dreams of perfection with a stunning 23-17 upset Monday night.
Now, winning the division is far from a certainty, especially with Baker Mayfield and the Browns on a four-game winning streak and looking like the scary squad many have been expecting. The Steelers still have a two-game lead and could clinch with a win and a Browns loss to the Ravens, but the division could come down to these two playing in what will likely be chilly Cleveland in the finale.
Oh, and don’t forget about the Ravens, who might be out of the division race but got Lamar Jackson back from a one-game COVID-19 absence and snapped a three-game skid with a 34-17 win over the Cowboys on Tuesday night.
The Ravens host the Browns next, then finish with three straight opponents currently with losing records: home vs. the Jaguars (1-11) and Giants (5-7), and at the Bengals (2-9-1).
AFC South
The Titans and Colts split their two regular-season meetings and fittingly sit tied atop the division with four games left.
Ryan Tannehill and the Titans would seem to have the easier path to winning the South — which would be their first division title since 2008 — with only one team with a winning record (the Packers at 9-3) remaining on their schedule.
They also have: at the Jaguars, home vs. the Lions (5-7) and wrap up the regular season at the Texans (4-8).
Meanwhile, the Colts are winners of three of their last four, with the only loss during that stretch coming at home against the Titans two weeks ago. Philip Rivers’ squad will be at the Raiders (7-5), home vs. the Texans, at the Steelers and home vs. the Jaguars to wrap things up.
The Texans have been competitive under interim coach Romeo Crennel, going 4-4 after an 0-4 start with Bill O’Brien. They’re still probably too far back to contend but could make things interesting down the stretch with games against the Colts and Titans.
AFC West
The Chiefs earned a playoff berth last week and would have already clinched their fifth straight division title if not for since-fired Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ bizarre play call that allowed the Raiders to pull off a stunning 31-28 road victory over the Jets last Sunday.
The Chiefs can take care of business itself by winning (or tying) Sunday at the Dolphins — in the stadium where the Chiefs won their first Super Bowl in 50 years in February. A loss (or tie) by the Raiders at home against the Colts would also give coach Andy Reid and his Chiefs the division.
The Raiders have been up and down and were 5 seconds from staring at a three-game skid and an embarrassing loss to the Jets. But fate — and Williams’ Zero Blitz call — intervened. Jon Gruden hopes to have running back Josh Jacobs and safety Johnathan Abram from injuries, and the Raiders will probably need them to stay in the hunt.
The Broncos (4-8) and Chargers (3-9) could be looking at coaching changes after the season, but both could have an impact in the AFC playoff hunt as they each face the Raiders once during the final stretch.