With just one NFC matchup left on the NFL’s Week 8 schedule, it’s a good time to take a look at the updated AFC playoff picture after the Kansas City Chiefs’ season-altering loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday afternoon.
Right now, the Bills are in the driver’s seat to earn a postseason bye and the conference road to Super Bowl LXI goes through New Highmark Stadium. The Chiefs’ game against Buffalo on Thanksgiving night could be Kansas City’s last chance to stay alive for the No.1 seed.
Jacksonville currently sits as the lowest seed among the division leaders due to an early bye week, but the Jaguars lead the NFL in point differential (+85) and look like the most complete team in the conference right now.
Denver’s 3-1 record in the AFC so far gives them the current leg against Pittsburgh (3-2).
The Patriots currently hold the tiebreaker over another 5-3 AFC playoff contender — the Cleveland Browns — due to a 5-1 record against conference opponents compared to Cleveland’s 3-3 mark.
The Chiefs are also 5-1 against AFC teams so far, giving them a leg up on the Bengals, who are 4-2 in the conference.
Cincinnati lost its first head-to-head matchup with division-leading Pittsburgh, but the rematch is in a few weeks and could vault the Bengals into the top-4 seeds.
The remaining AFC teams with records at or above .500 could make things interesting on any given Sunday, but don’t feel as threatening as the seven teams currently in the playoff picture.
The Chiefs will still play the Bills, the Bengals, and the Patriots this season.