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The NFL has 13 weeks of action in the books, and we’re now heading down the final stretch of the regular season with the calendar flipped to December. Just five weeks remain in the 2024 regular season, and the playoff picture is starting to crystalize.
The Kansas City Chiefs have already secured a spot in the postseason, as did the Buffalo Bills after clinching the AFC East title on Sunday night. Those two will continue to duke it out for top seeding in the conference. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans also have a firm grasp of first place in their respective divisions, making the wild-card race in the AFC that much more important.
After the Cincinnati Bengals fell to the Steelers on Sunday, we’ve eliminated them from these wild-card rankings now that they are 4-8. Still, five teams are vying for three wild-card spots as we begin the mad dash toward the end of the year. And we’ll stack them up against one another with our rankings below.
Before we get into the rankings, however, let’s take a look at where the AFC playoff race stands coming out of Week 13.
Alright, let’s get to the rankings!
1. Baltimore Ravens (8-5)
Even after dropping their matchup to the Eagles on Sunday, we’ll still give Baltimore the top spot. They own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Chargers and now have a nicely timed bye in Week 14 to rest up for the final month. Lamar Jackson has largely played at an MVP level this season and is the top quarterback among these five teams. Meanwhile, Derrick Henry could be a vital addition to the offense as the weather starts to become a factor in these late-season games. While Baltimore’s defense — particularly the secondary — leaves little to be desired, they are playing better as of late. Now, the big question is whether or not Justin Tucker — who missed two field goals and an extra point on Sunday — can get back on track.
2. Los Angeles…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2024-nfl-playoff-picture-ranking-top-afc-wild-card-contenders-from-ravens-to-colts/
Author : Tyler Sullivan
Publish date : 2024-12-03 14:00:00
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