2024 AFC Postseason Guide: Everything you need to know about each team

For the fourth consecutive season, a total of 14 teams (7 per conference) are in the running to reach Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, Nevada. When it comes to the AFC, every club that managed to win at least 10 games managed to earn a postseason invitation.

Here’s a glance at each of the seven teams and in order of seeding. The Baltimore Ravens finished with the NFL’s best record (13-4) this past season.

1. Baltimore Ravens (13-4)

Coaching Resume: John Harbaugh is 11-9 in postseason play.

Postseason Resume: Ravens are making their 15th overall playoff appearance (15th since merger), 16-12 in postseason play (16-12 since merger).

Notable: Baltimore is the AFC’s top seed for the first time since 2019. That year, Lamar Jackson was the NFL MVP, but the team lost to the Titans in the divisional round. This year, Baltimore led the league in sacks (60) and gave up the fewest points in the league (280). Three of the club’s losses came at home. Jackson finished this season with career bests in completion percentage (67.2) and passing yards (3,678).

2. Buffalo Bills (11-6)

Coaching Resume: Sean McDermott is 4-5 in postseason play.

Postseason Resume: Bills are making their 23rd overall playoff appearance (19th since merger), 18-20 in postseason play (16-18 since merger).

Notable: The Bills are making their fifth straight playoff appearance, their fourth in a row as AFC East champions, and are riding an NFL-best five-game winning streak. The team has gotten the usual big year from quarterback Josh Allen as a passer and runner, but running back James Cook has had a monster season with 1,5672 yards from scrimmage and six TDs. Allen finished with 22 of the club’s 28 turnovers.,

3. Kansas City Chiefs (11-6)

Coaching Resume: Andy Reid is 22-16 in postseason play (10-9 with Eagles, 12-7 with Chiefs).

Postseason Resume: Chiefs are making their 26th overall playoff appearance (22nd since merger), 20-21 in postseason play (15-19 since merger).

Notable: A year ago, the Chiefs led the NFL in total yards per game and points per contest. This season, Andy Reid’s club is ninth in total offense and 15th in scoring, totaling 125 fewer points than in 2022. Reid’s team lost twice as many games as it did a year ago when it won Super Bowl LVII. The good news is that only the Ravens allowed fewer points than Kansas City, which also ranked second in total defense.

4. Houston Texans (10-7)

Coaching Resume: DeMeco Ryan is making his first postseason appearance as an NFL head coach.

Postseason Resume: Texans are making their 7th overall playoff appearance (7th since merger), 4-6 in postseason play (4-6 since merger).

Notable: The Texans won 10 games this season after finishing with a combined 11-38-1 record from 2020-22. Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for 4,108 yards and 23 scores in 15 games this season, but did not play when Houston hosted the Browns in Week 16 and fell, 36-22. This is the Texans’ seventh playoff appearance in 13 seasons dating back to 2011, and all have come via Houston winning the AFC South.

5. Cleveland Browns (11-6)

Coaching Resume: Kevin Stefanski is 1-1 in postseason play.

Postseason Resume: Browns are making their 26th overall playoff appearance (13th since merger), 12-21 in postseason play (5-12 since merger).

Notable: Browns totaled a league-high 37 turnovers and are the first team to lead the NFL in this category and reach the playoffs since the 2003 Rams. Cleveland gave up the fewest total yards per game in the league for the first time dating back to the 1970 merger. Quarterback Joe Flacco played in five games this season, throwing at least two touchdown passes and at least one interception in each of those contests.

6. Miami Dolphins (11-6)

Coaching Resume: Mike McDaniel is 0-1 in postseason play.

Postseason Resume: Dolphins are making their 25th overall playoff appearance (25th since merger), 20-22 in postseason play (20-22 since merger).

Notable: The franchise is making just its fifth playoff appearance since 2001 and hasn’t won a postseason game since the 2000 wild card round. The Dolphins are 3-0 lifetime vs. the Chiefs in the postseason but haven’t met in the playoffs since 1994. Tua Tagovailoa is one of four quarterbacks in 2023 to start their first playoff game. Earlier this season, Kansas City defeated Miami, 21-14, in Week 9 at Frankfurt.

7. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)

Coaching Resume: Mike Tomlin is 8-9 in postseason play.

Postseason Resume: Steelers are making their 34th overall playoff appearance (33rd since merger), 36-27 in postseason play (36-26 since merger).

Notable: The Steelers have lost four straight playoff games dating back to 2017, by a combined score of 171-117. The team has allowed 36, 45, 48, and 42 points, respectively, in those setbacks. Only the Texans (14) committed fewer turnovers than Pittsburgh (16). The Steelers are the only team in the 2023 playoffs with a negative scoring differential (minus-20). Mike Tomlin’s team owns a 5-3 road record this season.