With the Kansas City Chiefs losing in Week 13 to the Dallas Cowboys, their playoff hopes are circling the drain right now, and the Baltimore Ravens losing also shook-up the AFC Playoff Picture as well.
It will be interesting to see how all the seeding shakes out, and how some of these other teams finish, as there are surely going to be a few teams that have nine or 10 wins that do not make the playoffs in the 2025 NFL Season.
The AFC truly feels wide open, and it hasn't felt like this in quite some time. Let's take a quick look at the playoff picture in the conference as Week 13 continues.
Patriots and Broncos in total control in AFC Playoff Picture
Bye: (1) New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are 10-2 on the season and currently have the no. 1 overall seed in the AFC. This would guarantee them homefield advantage and a bye, which only belongs to the top seed ever since the NFL went to the seven-team playoff format.
(7) Buffalo Bills @ (2) Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills played in the Wild Card Round during the 2024 NFL Season, but that game was in Buffalo, and the Bills blew out the Broncos. With the circumstances being what they are right now, the Broncos would likely be able to win this one and win their first playoff game since Super Bowl 50.
(6) Jacksonville Jaguars @ (3) Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts do not seem to be trending in the right direction, and I would not be shocked if they totally lost the AFC South lead in the coming weeks. As of now, they would host the Jacksonville Jaguars, a frisky team sitting at 7-4, just one game behind the Colts.
Indy also has a pretty tough schedule to end the 2025 NFL Season, so this division could really flip upside down in the coming weeks.
(5) Los Angeles Chargers @ (4) Pittsburgh Steelers
This would honestly be one of the more underwhelming playoff games in recent memory, as neither the Chargers nor Steelers are very scary at all - neither team is very good at the moment, and the Chargers have been banged-up for a while now.
Los Angeles would probably win this one, as Pittsburgh just does not have a good enough roster to be playing competitive playoff football, and I am not sure they'd be able to hold on to the AFC North lead, either.