Incredibly, there are only seven weeks remaining in the 2024 regular-season. There is obviously still a lot to be decided. None of the 16 teams in the American Football Conference have been eliminated from playoff contention. That may not be the case very much longer, as six team have already lost eight or more games.
That latter fact includes the Cleveland Browns, a wild card team a year ago in the midst of a miserable season. Speaking of the AFC’s 2023 playoff field, how are the clubs doing this year in their quest to get back to the postseason? The fine folks at NFL.com keep a continuous watch on the playoff picture (click here), and that includes each club’s current percentage when it comes to playoff possibility.
The enclosed exercise is a bit different, with a look at last year’s postseason field in the AFC.
Ranking the AFC’s 2023 playoff teams and their postseason chances in 2024
1. Buffalo Bills (9-2)
The team is riding a six-game winning streak, owns a 3-0 record within the division, and has built a 7-2 record vs. the conference. The Buffalo Bills are tied with the Chiefs for the most wins in the conference (9), and the club is well on its way to a fifth consecutive AFC East title. That’s because the Miami Dolphins (4), New York Jets (3) and New England Patriots (3) have combined for only 10 wins.
Sean McDermott’s club is off this week, and may very well wind up being the first team in the entire league to wrap up a division title this year. Finally, the last time Buffalo was the top seed in the AFC playoffs was back in 1993.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (9-1)
Andy Reid’s defending Super Bowl champions lost for the first time this season in Week 11, but still own the best record in the AFC. However, while the AFC East-leading Bills are the only team in their division with a winning record, the Chiefs have both the Los Angeles Chargers (7-4) and Denver Broncos (6-5) nipping at their heels.
Kansas City has already posted wins over both clubs, and like Buffalo owns a 3-0 record vs. their divisional rivals. After this week’s appearance at Carolina, the Chiefs close the season with six straight games within the conference—including current division leaders Houston and Pittsburgh.
3. Houston Texans (7-4)
DeMeco Ryans’ club has stubbed its cleats too often this season, especially against the top-level teams in the NFC. Nonetheless, they share the same distinction as the Buffalo Bills (who Houston beat earlier this season), as they are the only team in their division with a winning record. The Texans’ closest pursuer is 5-6 Indianapolis, who Houston has already swept this year.
Similar to Buffalo and Kansas City, Ryans’s squad owns a 3-0 divisional record, host the 2-8 Titans on Sunday, then travels to Jacksonville in Week 13. Houston made seven playoff appearances since 2011. The team still hasn’t reached the AFC title game.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-2)
There was much made about the Steelers’ schedule in the offseason, in particular when it came to the club’s last eight games. That’s because Mike Tomlin’s team would not face a division foe until Week 11, while the other two contests were against perennial playoff teams Philadelphia and Kansas City.
However, Pittsburgh now owns a one-and-a-half game lead in the AFC North over the defending division champion Baltimore, and on Thursday night battles the Browns in Cleveland. The latter already has a win over the Ravens this season. Tomlin’s club has been a bit of a surprise, but there’s still a lot of work ahead of it.
5. Baltimore Ravens (7-4)
They owned the best record in the National Football League in 2023 with a 13-4 mark. John Harbaugh’s club has already matched that loss total from a season ago, there are a few other ominous numbers that are certainly cause for concern when it comes to the defending AFC North champions.
After allowing an NFL-low 280 points in ’23, the Ravens have already surrendered 271 points in 11 games. Baltimore has only 11 takeaways in as many contests, after tying for the NFL lead with 31 takeaways a season ago. The real concern is the team’s 4-4 record within the AFC, as well as a 2-2 mark vs. their divisional neighbors.
6. Miami Dolphins (4-6)
Because the AFC is somewhat of a mess at the moment, the Dolphins have somehow managed to stay afloat in the playoff race. Yes, Mike McDaniel’s club has already lost as many games as it did a year ago when the team finished 11-6 and claimed a wild card berth. Entering Week 12, only seven of the 16 teams in the conference were above .500.
The ‘Fins simply have to keep winning, and hope that teams such as the 6-5 Broncos and the 5-6 Colts (who beat the Dolphins in Week 7) stumble more than once. All told, Miami owns a 3-4 conference record, Denver is 2-4 and Indianapolis is 4-4 vs. AFC competition this year.
7. Cleveland Browns (2-8)
Kevin Stefanski might have been named the NFL Coach of the Year in both 2020 and 2023, but he won’t be a repeat winner this season. The Browns have arguably been the biggest disappointment in the league this year, and have already lost two more games than they did all of last season.
Still, the club is more than capable of playing spoiler, witness Cleveland’s 29-24 surprise of the visiting Ravens in Week 8. Keep in mind that the Browns’ final seven games are all vs. AFC teams, including a pair with the Steelers. The Broncos, Chiefs, Bengals, Dolphins, and Ravens make up the other five opponents, all playoff contenders.