With seven weeks remaining in the NFL season, the crown in the AFC is up for the taking. That’s pretty crazy to say, considering Kansas City was undefeated until about an hour ago, but it’s true. With the Chiefs no longer feeling unbeatable, numerous teams in the AFC suddenly feel like they have a shot at the top seed in the conference come playoff time. Catching up to Kansas City and beating Kansas City are two separate beasts, so we’ll reserve judgement on who can “beat” the Chiefs for later.
Most teams, mathematically, could catch up to the Chiefs before the end of the season. The 2-8 Cleveland Browns “could” catch the Chiefs is the Browns win out and the Chiefs lose out, but please, please don’t head to your local sportsbook with that idea in mind. These are the teams with a real shot at winning the AFC as we start to close the book on Week 11.
The obvious team. After handing the Chiefs their first loss of the year, the Bills are suddenly just half of a game behind Kansas City for best record in the AFC — plus, they have the head to head tiebreaker against them now, too.
Does this win mean anything for the Bills prospects against the Chiefs in the playoffs? Probably not. Buffalo has beaten KC before in the regular season, but can’t get over the hump of a playoff victory against Mahomes & Co. Is this the year that changes? Possibly! Buffalo legitimately looks like the best team in football right now. But beating a team that’s had your number in the playoffs is a whole different beast.
A good first step to beating Kansas City in the playoffs would be guaranteeing home-field advantage if the two teams do match up. That’s what the Bills did last year and still couldn’t finish the job against Kansas City, but I’d still recommend really trying to not play at Arrowhead in January. Just my two cents.
We’re just going to save a few paragraphs about the Steelers surprising everyone and being competitors in the AFC for next year and the year after that because we know we’ll need it then too. As long as Mike Tomlin is the coach of this team, they’re going to have a chance — in games, in the AFC North, in the Super Bowl. He just doesn’t lose very much.
Pittsburgh is in poll position in the AFC North after beating Baltimore 18-16 on Sunday in a barnburner, and somehow just one game behind the Kansas City Chiefs. In Week 11. The Steelers. One game behind the Chiefs.
Whether you think the Steelers can beat the Chiefs in the playoffs is a completely different topic of conversation (I don’t personally, but I’ve been wrong a few times) but can they catch Kansas City? It’s not as much of a longshot as you think.
At 7-4 with a loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday, the Ravens have a little work to do if they want to catch back up to Buffalo and Kansas City, but counting them out at this point would be pretty silly because of the whole Lamar Jackson situation. The “situation” is that he’s really, really good.
Baltimore still plays Pittsburgh once more this season, so there’s a chance to get back above the Steelers. The rest of the Ravens schedule has some tough games on it — Philly and Los Angeles stand out — but there’s plenty of time for John Harbaugh to rattle off a few consecutive wins and put the Chiefs in his headlights.
Yes, seriously. The Charges have won 3 straight heading into a Sunday Night Football clash with the Cincinnati Bengals, and a win against Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase would put the Chargers at 7-3, still with a game remaining against the Chiefs later this year.
It’s been a bit of a slog to get here for LA, but how a team wins is far less important than the win itself. The offense is starting to mesh a little on this hot streak, and the defense has been a top-flight unit all season long. This is one of those teams that you watch for the first few weeks, forget about, and then look at the standings and ask how they’re so close to a playoff spot.
