At the beginning of the season, I don't know that anyone expected the AFC to look like it did 10 years ago. But after 11 weeks into the season, that's exactly what it looks like.
The Patriots, Broncos, Steelers, and Colts are atop their respective divisions. While it would be way too early to say the mighty have fallen in the AFC, it's clear that some teams are firmly back in the mix, and even if the overall quality of the AFC is not as good as we expected, the new fighters in the arena could shake up the presumptive playoff picture considerably.
How do each of these AFC teams stack up against each other after 11 weeks? Our latest NFL Power Rankings ahead of Week 12 will take a look at what each team has done so far, and how big of a factor they might be going forward. As always, these rankings are purely subjective, but we include a number of factors, including record, head-to-head matchups, and overall talent.
NFL Power Rankings, Week 12: Broncos, Patriots on top of AFC after Week 11
16. Tennessee Titans
Over the course of the 2025 regular season, we've seen the Titans prove what most of us already knew going into the season: This is the worst team in the NFL. There's really no question about it at this point. Although the Titans may have their QB of the future in Cam Ward, there is very little on this roster to build around for the future.
Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi has a massive renovation project ahead of him in the 2026 offseason, and he knows it. It's helpful to have direction at the quarterback position, but Ward needs a better supporting cast around him ASAP.
15. New York Jets
The Jets have proven over the course of this season that they are most likely the top team in the AFC in need of a future franchise quarterback in next year's draft. Although the Jets don't have to limit themselves to just the NFL Draft option, they went with the reclamation project route in 2025 (Justin Fields), and it didn't work out.
The investment the Jets made in Fields is looking more like a waste of time than anything else, but this offseason was not the only option for them to solve that situation. Fields has now been benched for Tyrod Taylor, and the Jets have clearly taken a couple of steps backward this year (trading Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams) to hopefully take at least one step forward in the near future.
14. Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders have to be the most disappointing overall team in the AFC. The hiring of Pete Carroll looks like a disastrous move by this organization. The trade for Geno Smith has been a complete failure. It's taking Ashton Jeanty longer than overnight to be a star in the NFL.
At this point, I'm wondering if Pete Carroll is even going to get a second year with this organization. He's one of the oldest head coaches in the entire NFL, and with Geno Smith playing at a replacement level this season, is Carroll going to want to be around for a rebuilding project? Getting a bunch of the Seattle band back together in Vegas clearly wasn't a winning formula.
13. Cleveland Browns
It's wild to think the Browns could realistically be outside of the three worst teams in the AFC right now, but that just might be the case. The presence of Myles Garrett alone gives this team hope on a week-to-week basis. We saw them give the Ravens a decent fight last week, and I wonder if they'll be able to go on the road this week and take down the Raiders.
This week, we'll get our first look at Shedeur Sanders as the starter for this team. He'll be an injury replacement for Dillon Gabriel, who hasn't exactly been lighting it up since taking over for Joe Flacco. The Browns have to get a longer look at Sanders than just one game, but this will be his audition for the job moving forward.
12. Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins might still be way outside of the playoff race in the AFC at this point, but there's no question that this team has responded in a very positive way after parting ways with general manager Chris Grier, then trading away former first-round pass rusher Jaelan Phillips to the Eagles.
The Dolphins have blown out the Bills, they beat the Commanders in Madrid, and overall, they're playing for each other. That's a great sign for head coach Mike McDaniel, who looked like he was on the hot seat earlier this year. Now, he may have bought himself another season in Miami, at least if his guys can keep it up for another month or so.
11. Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals still have one of the worst defenses in the NFL, and we've seen on multiple occasions this season that nothing they do offensively -- regardless of who is playing quarterback -- is going to help all that much. The Bengals desperately need to figure things out on the defensive side of the ball, but that's not going to happen in-season or overnight.
The biggest news for this Bengals team right now is the return of quarterback Joe Burrow, who as of the time this post is being written, was a full participant at practice. Once again, the return of Burrow will mean absolutely nothing if the Bengals can't keep teams from scoring 40-plus points. We saw Joe Flacco light up the scoreboard multiple times this season in losses.
10. Houston Texans
Yet again this week, CJ Stroud is not going to play. Albeit, the Texans are taking on the Bills on a short week, but Stroud has been out since the middle of the Texans' Week 9 game against the Broncos. That is a major, major concern at this stage. Head injuries/concussions are not the same as knee injuries or any other body part. This is a huge area of concern for the organization going forward.
I don't want to bury the Texans at this point because they have done a nice job in the absence of Stroud, but going up against the Bills on Thursday will be a huge test and determining factor for whether or not they are actually able to make a run at the Wild Card.
9. Kansas City Chiefs
Sitting at 5-5 is not a position anyone expected the Kansas City Chiefs to be in. This is a team that lost just one game all of last season with the starters on the field, and only lost a second in the Super Bowl against the Eagles. Obviously, the Chiefs had flirted with disaster a little bit last season, winning a lot of one-score games but also playing a lot of teams tight that they should have probably blown out.
This year, the Chiefs' addiction to one-score games has burned them on multiple occasions. They just lost to the Denver Broncos and have fallen 4.5 games back to the Broncos in the AFC West. The Chiefs would be out of the playoffs if the season ended today. Things aren't getting any easier in Week 12 with the Colts coming to town, so the Chiefs need to refocus quickly.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers
Out of all the teams currently leading their respective divisions in the AFC, I like the Pittsburgh Steelers the least, as you can obviously tell here. The Steelers have not exactly been unimpressive but maybe just not the most convincing compared to some of the other teams in the AFC North.
They're 12th in the NFL in points scored offensively, 16th in points allowed defensively, and they have the 32nd-ranked pass defense so far this season. Aaron Rodgers is now dealing with what might be a minor injury, but at this point, the 6-4 Steelers just aren't passing the "eye test". Still, the results are what they are. If the season ended today, they'd not only be in the playoffs, but they'd be the 4th seed.
7. Baltimore Ravens
We all expected the Baltimore Ravens to quickly bounce back as soon as Lamar Jackson came back into the fray, and here we are. A team that was 2-5 just a handful of weeks ago is back to .500 at 5-5, and they're just one game behind the Steelers for first place in the AFC North.
Just like the Steelers this season, the Ravens haven't been overly "impressive," including their most recent win against the Browns. With that said, they have to be considered one of the most dangerous teams in the entire AFC with the way they've played in the past and the presence of an annual MVP candidate in Lamar Jackson under center.
6. Los Angeles Chargers
The 6-9 section of these AFC Power Rankings (and maybe even beyond that) are just loaded with teams that have solid records at this point, but we're not buying the fool's gold. The Los Angeles Chargers have found a way to win seven games already this season, but are we really buying this team as a contender in the AFC West right now?
Justin Herbert had just 81 passing yards and 21 rushing yards in a blowout loss to the Jaguars last weekend. Even though Herbert got banged up in that game, the Chargers' quarterback has been one of the most overhyped players in the league in 2025, and they have no running game to speak of to back him up. As always, the Chargers' primary issues revolve around the health of the team.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars
If the Jacksonville Jaguars can find a way to harness the way they played against the Chargers and Chiefs (heck, maybe just the whole AFC West that they've played up to this point), then they'd be in great shape the rest of the way. Jacksonville's performance against the Chargers was arguably their most impressive and dominant performance of the year.
The running game was outstanding, the defense shut down the Chargers, they created takeaways, they capitalized in the red zone, and they put their foot on the gas. Still, this is a team that has struggled this season with consistency. They've beaten some good teams, but this upcoming stretch against the Cardinals and Titans will prove whether this Jaguars team is for real, because those are two games they should absolutely win.
4. Buffalo Bills
When Josh Allen puts up a six-touchdown performance, you obviously remember what makes the Buffalo Bills a special team. It's #17. The Bills don't have the best all-around team in the NFL, but they have just enough to allow Josh Allen to do what he does best. If he can take over games, he can personally and individually outscore anyone. He is the epitome of putting the team on his back.
With that said, you can't help but wonder if the Bills missed their "window" with the previous roster they had in place. There's been a lot of change in Buffalo over the past couple of years, and I don't know if the roster the Bills have right now is good enough to get the job done late in January. We know Josh Allen can do it, but how long can he play Superman?
3. Indianapolis Colts
With the way Daniel Jones played the last couple of weeks heading into the Colts' bye, I really don't know what to think of this team. Are they going to have to try and drag Jones to the finish line? He was playing so well earlier this season, and then just an absolute explosion of old (bad) habits.
In the last two games against the Falcons and Steelers, Jones had a combined four interceptions and six fumbles. Although the Colts found a way to go 1-1 in those games with an overtime win against the Falcons, I'm no longer sold that this team's success is sustainable unless Jones can return to form.
Shane Steichen has to have his guys prepared, and he has to have Jones ready to go after the bye, because the Colts are going to face a ticked off Chiefs team in Kansas City in Week 12.
2. New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are currently tied for the longest winning streak in the NFL at eight straight games, and they've got a date with the Cincinnati Bengals this weekend to get it to nine. Out of all the contenders in the AFC, the Patriots have had one of the "easiest" schedules up to this point, and they've got one of the easier remaining schedules going forward.
But that doesn't matter. You play who's in front of you, and the results are what they are. The Patriots are well-coached under Mike Vrabel, which is no surprise at all. Drake Maye has taken a huge step forward this season, which also isn't a surprise whatsoever. The Patriots are one of the best teams in the NFL and a dangerous threat.
It'll be interesting to see if they have to face off against Joe Burrow in their last game before the bye week. They have a chance to be the first NFL team to reach 10 wins, which is wild considering how far this team had fallen post-Tom Brady.
1. Denver Broncos
It's time to acknowledge that the Denver Broncos are probably back, folks. The Broncos are on a much-deserved bye this week, but they had won seven straight games in 39 days before beating Kansas City in Week 11, a much-needed bit of proof that the dynasty could be over for Kansas City.
Back in the 2023 offseason, when the Broncos traded for Sean Payton, a lot of folks were wondering why any coach would want to come to the AFC West with Mahomes and Herbert in the division, much less to a team that made a huge mistake trading for Russell Wilson. Sean Payton has not only turned the culture around in Denver, but he's done his part to build a team to take down Kansas City.
The Broncos have won three of their last four games against the Chiefs, and should have won four in a row. They've won eight games in a row this season and have one of the most dominant defenses in the league.