The NFL Playoff Picture for the AFC is nearly set

The NFL playoff picture is nearly set with one week to go in the regular season. The Cincinnati Bengals defeated fellow contenders the Kansas City Chiefs, while the Ryan Tannehill led Titans, jumped back into the number one seed.

Mac Jones and the Patriots put up 50 points on a hapless Jaguars team while the Raiders and Chargers will play in Week 18 to determine who gets into the postseason.

SK takes an in-depth look at the AFC Playoff Bracket.

AFC playoff picture: How do the teams rank?

# 1- Tennessee Titans (11-5)

This week: 34-3 W v Dolphins
Top performer: D'Onta Foreman (26 carries, 132 yards, 1 TD)
Next Week: Sunday @ Texans (1 pm ET, CBS)

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The Tennessee Titans are officially the number one seed again after sweeping aside the Miami Dolphins. D'Onta Foreman produced a superb game on the ground as the Titans grounded the Dolphins into submission.

A frightening prospect for teams is that Tennessee is set to get back superstar running back Derrick Henry soon. The AFC is on notice with the Titans seemingly getting healthy at the right time. No team will want to come up against them with Henry lining up in the backfield.

#2- Kansas City Chiefs (11-5)

This week: 34-31 L v Bengals
Top performer: Darrel Williams (14 carries, 88 yards, 2 TD)
Next week: Saturday @ Broncos, (4:30 pm ET, ABC, ESPN)

The Kansas City Chiefs dropped a game that they were winning for the majority of the contest. They have now slipped to number two seed, meaning Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs now lose the bye week that was on offer.

Darrel Williams again provided some success in the ground game, scoring two touchdowns, which gave the Chiefs a more balanced offense. Kansas City are still one of the teams to beat for the Lombardi Trophy this season.

Also Read: Does Joe Burrow deserve to be in the conversation for 2021 NFL MVP?

#3- Cinncinati Bengals (10-6)

This week: 34-31 W v Chiefs
Top performer: Ja'Marr Chase (11 rec, 266 yards, 3 TDs)
Next week: Sunday @ Browns (1 pm ET, CBS)

Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase tore the Kansas City Chiefs a part on Sunday. A 266 receiving yard day for Chase puts him in elite company. The Bengals are currently the number three seed and will grab a home playoff game.

Perhaps the sleeping giant of the AFC. The Bengals will not fear any team they come up against in the post-season, especially with Burrow cooking as he has the past two weeks.

#4- Buffalo Bills (10-6)

This week: 29-15 W v Falcons
Top performer: Devin Singletary (23 carries, 110 yards, 2 TD's)
Next week: Sunday v Jets (4:25 pm ET, CBS)

Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills are hitting their stride at the right time. They solidified their spot as the fourth seed by securing a win over the Falcons.

Devin Singletary provided some good support to Josh Allen, as the run game should prove to be crucial if the Bills are to make a deep playoff run this season.

#5- New England Patriots (10-6)

This week: 50-10 W v Jaguars
Top performer: Mac Jones (227 pass yards, 3 TD's)
Next week: Sunday @ Dolphins (4:25pm ET, CBS)

Mac Jones and the New England Patriots put a poor Jaguars team to the sword. Putting up 50 points is an incredible effort as Jones continues to impress in his rookie season.

Bill Belichick's defense forced Trevor Lawrence into three interceptions and sacked him three times. A team that nobody would want to come up against in the playoffs.

#6- Indianapolis Colts (9-7)

This week: 23-20 L v Raiders
Top performer: Jonathan Taylor ( 20 carries, 108 yards, 1 TD)
Next week: Sunday @ Jaguars (1 pm ET, CBS)

The Indianapolis Colts suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Raiders on Sunday but still hold their number 6 spot in the AFC standings. Jonathan Taylor again rushed for over 100 yards as he continues to make his MVP case.

The Colts who are now 9-7 cannot afford to lose their final game of the season against the Jaguars. However, If Taylor gets held up on the ground, will Wentz be able to step up and lead his team through the air? If the Colts are to make a decent run in the playoffs, then the entire offense will need to pull its weight.

#7 - Los Angeles Chargers (9-7)

This week: 34-13 W v Broncos
Top performer: Austin Ekeler (17 carries, 58 yards, 1 TD, 3 rec, 54 yards)
Next week: Sunday @ Raiders (8:20 pm ET, NBC, Peacock)

The Los Angeles Chargers' up-and-down season continues, as Justin Herbert and co. dealt with the Broncos with ease as they replaced the Miami Dolphins as the seventh seed.

With the offensive weapons at his disposal, Herbert and the Chargers can duke it out with any team in the AFC come the playoffs.

Current AFC Playoff Matchups

No. 1 Tennesse (bye)
No. 7 Los Angeles @ No. 2 Kansas City
No. 6 Indianapolis @ No. 3 Cinncinatti
No. 5 New England @ No. 4 Buffalo

Also check out: Green Bay Packers Playoff History, Appearances, Wins and more

About the author

Adam Schultz is an NFL journalist at Sportskeeda with over 5 years of experience. He prides himself on the accurate reporting of facts by double-checking every piece of information in his articles, and knows what exactly to highlight in them owing to his in-depth knowledge of the teams he covers.

Adam is a supporter of the Dallas Cowboys, who were the first team he saw play. Dez Bryant is his all-time favorite player, mostly due to the wide receiver's athleticism and the unique lack of weaknesses in his game.

If Adam could go back in time and watch any game, he would want to witness the “Dez Caught It” playoff game from January 2015, where Bryant and the Cowboys lost 26-21 to the Green Bay Packers in highly controversial circumstances at Lambeau Field.

When he isn't writing about or watching football, Adam enjoys doing sports photography.

Know More

Chiefs Fans! Check out the latest Kansas City Chiefs Schedule and dive into the Chiefs Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by David Nyland

NFL Playoff Picture: Titans grab the one seed, Bengals clinch spot