1. Denver Broncos (11-2, AFC West)
2. New England Patriots (11-3, AFC East)
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4, AFC South)
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6, AFC North)
The Denver Broncos received a little breathing room atop the AFC early in Sunday’s slate, thanks to New England’s four-point loss to Buffalo. Despite two touchdowns and 148 yards from rookie Trey’Veon Henderson, the Pats could not overcome an interception from Drake Maye, seven penalties for 65 yards, and a three-touchdown performance from Bills QB Josh Allen.
The Broncos have a late afternoon showdown with the Green Bay Packers, in which a loss could bring them and New England back to a tie atop the AFC.
5. Los Angeles Chargers (10-4)
The Texans continued to build momentum entering the postseason, hanging 40 on Arizona. CJ Stroud looked the best he has all season with three touchdowns while second-year back Jawhar Jordan eclipsed 100 yards. Games against the Chargers and division rival Indianapolis may decide whether DeMeco Ryans’ crew heads to the playoffs or if the Colts survive injuries to their starting and backup quarterbacks to make it in.
8. Indianapolis Colts (8-5)
9. Baltimore Ravens (7-7)
11. Kansas City Chiefs (6-8)
And with that, the Chiefs’ decade of dominance ends, not with a bang, but with a three-point loss to the Chargers at home. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a left knee injury that head coach Andy Reid admitted “didn’t look good,” only exacerbating what has been a disappointing, frustrating season for the defending three-time AFC champions. While not mathematically eliminated yet, it is nearly impossible to imagine a scenario where they recover and play in the postseason.
12. Cincinnati Bengals (4-10)
14. Cleveland Browns (3-11)
15. Tennessee Titans (2-11)
16. Las Vegas Raiders (2-12)
