ClutchPoints
Three AFC teams had a bye during Week 12, but a lot of movement happened in the standings regardless. The top teams are scratching and clawing with all of their might to make the postseason, whereas the conference’s bottom dwellers seem more focused on preparing for the NFL Draft. So, how does the AFC playoff picture look with six weeks to go?
The Denver Broncos had their bye week during Week 12, which allowed the New England Patriots to leapfrog them and land at the top of the AFC standings. The Patriots were the biggest spenders in free agency, and it has led to direct results. Drake Maye is playing like an MVP, too, as he currently has the second-shortest odds to win the NFL’s most prestigious individual award.
The Patriots are currently riding a nine-game winning streak, although some may discredit their success because their strength of schedule has been underwhelming. The Broncos have been hot as of late as well, and they could look even better coming off of the bye. They have eight straight wins in their own right, and Patrick Surtain and Alex Singleton will provide reinforcements to one of the best defensive units in the NFL. Denver is currently on pace to break the single-season sack record.
The Indianapolis Colts still lead the league in points per game (31), and they are second in yards (4,224). Daniel Jones has turned his career around, Jonathan Taylor has looked unstoppable this season, and the defense is well-rounded, especially after the trade for Sauce Gardner. The team has started to fade as of late, though. They’ve been forced to overtime in each of their last two games, most recently losing in extra time to the Kansas City Chiefs. Before the back-to-back overtime appearances, the Colts lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, too. Many viewed the Colts’ early-season run as fraudulent, and that may be proving true late in the year.
The fourth divisional leader in the AFC is the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens were 1-5 and nearly completely out of the postseason picture earlier this year. They struggled without Lamar Jackson, but they are back to their winning ways since his return. With five straight wins, the Ravens have taken control of the AFC North.
All three of the teams currently slated to earn Wild Card...
