The AFC is not going the way many expected, as the Kansas City Chiefs are out of the playoff picture at the moment, and teams like the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots lead their respective divisions.
A lot can still change, but it's been a ton of 'wow' thus far. At the end of the day, though, the playoffs could feature many of the same teams that are are accustomed to seeing in the AFC. With a month and a half left in the regular season, some teams are running out of time.
Let's use one word to describe every AFC team ahead of Week 12.
Using just one word to describe every AFC team following Week 11 action
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens - Surging
The Baltimore Ravens have won four games in a row after a bad 1-5 start and are clearly surging. They could win the AFC North at this rate.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Typical
The 6-4 Pittsburgh Steelers are doing what many of us expect them to do - they're going to win nine or 10 games this year and probably lose in the first round of the NFL playoffs.
Cleveland Browns - One-sided
The Browns have a playoff-caliber defense, but the offense is just inept. This team is incredibly one-sided.
Cincinnati Bengals - Dysfunctional
This might be an understatement, as they are trending toward missing the playoffs for the third-straight season. They are wasting the Joe Burrow era.
AFC South
Indianapolis Colts - High-powered
The Indianapolis Colts' offense is truly something special. They can hurt opponents through the air or on the ground, and not many teams have had an answer.
Houston Texans - Fierce
If Houston gets into the postseason, this defense could take them far. It's a stingy unit that doesn't allow much of anything. Keep an eye out for the Texans in the coming weeks.
Tennessee Titans - Irrelevant
A wholly irrelevant team right now, the Tennessee Titans could cease to exist, and no one would really notice. It sounds harsh, but it's the truth, unfortunately.
Jacksonville Jaguars - Frisky
The frisky Jaguars are now 6-4 on the season and are clearly demonstrating that they can win some games this year. Playing with a lot of house money, they aren't close to a contender at this point, though.
AFC East
New England Patriots - Contender
The New England Patriots are a contender, and the eight-game win streak is proof of it. Drake Maye is playing at an MVP level, and the defense is just a handful. The Pats should be able to win the AFC East this year with ease.
Buffalo Bills - Normal
It's really been a pretty normal year for the Buffalo Bills. They haven't done much of anything that we did not expect, but the Patriots breaking out as complicated things for the franchise. They truly do not feel like a legitimate contender at the moment.
Miami Dolphins - Fun
The Miami Dolphins have been a fun team these past couple of weeks, blowing out the Buffalo Bills and then taking care of the Washington Commanders. The Dolphins might still be no good, but they're at least a little bit of fun.
New York Jets - Rebuilding
The New York Jets swung two major trades at the deadline, getting multiple first-round picks for Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams. While no NFL front office might want to openly admit they are building, it's exactly what the Jets are doing.
AFC West
Denver Broncos - Suffocating
The Denver Broncos have a suffocating defense and a late-game expert QB in Bo Nix who has led five game-winning drives already. The Denver Broncos are 9-2 and atop the AFC heading into the Week 12 bye.
Los Angeles Chargers - Brittle
The LA Chargers are 7-4, but they are a brittle team. The offensive line is falling apart, and the team simply doesn't have the depth to deal with all of these injuries. The Chargers should still make the playoffs, but it might be another one-and-done season.
Kansas City Chiefs - Finished
The Kansas City Chiefs might just be finished, and I am sure I will regret typing these words. The Chiefs have lost games to the Broncos, Bills, and Jaguars, so they are losing some key tiebreakers as well.
Las Vegas Raiders - Bad
I think we can all understand this - the Las Vegas Raiders are simply a bad team from top to bottom and could honestly blow things up this coming offseason.