Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots’ 26-20 win over the Cincinnati on Sunday may not have been the prettiest, but they all count the same. As a result, the team of head coach Mike Vrabel is now the first in the NFL this season to reach 10 victories on the year — a feat that also allowed them to take over the No. 1 spot in the AFC playoff picture.
The Patriots improving to 10-2 came on the same day as the Denver Broncos being on their bye and the Indianapolis Colts losing an overtime game 23-20 to the Kansas City Chiefs. This means that the team of head coach Mike Vrabel now has a leg up on both their rivals: they are leading the Colts by 1.5 games and enjoy a half-game lead over the Broncos.
With only the primetime games on Sunday and Monday left to be played, here is a look at the current AFC playoff picture:
On the bubble: 8. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5), 9. Houston Texans (6-5), 10. Kansas City Chiefs (6-5)
Not technically eliminated but let’s be real here: 11. Miami Dolphins (4-7), 12. Cincinnati Bengals (3-8), 13. Cleveland Browns (3-8), 14. Las Vegas Raiders (2-9), 15. New York Jets (2-9), 16. Tennessee Titans (1-10)
The Patriots moving into the top spot was not the only change to the AFC playoff picture on Sunday. The Ravens overtook the Steelers in the AFC North and are the new No. 4 seed, while the Bills dropped to No. 7 due to their loss on Thursday combined with the Jaguars outlasting the Cardinals in overtime.
