The road to the playoffs in the AFC
Six teams in each conference – four division winners and two wild cards – make the playoffs. The two division winners with the best records in each conference earn first-round byes.
The Patriots currently occupy the No. 2 spot in the race for playoff spots in the AFC. They currently hold the tiebreaker over Houston by virtue of their Week 1 victory over the Texans in Foxborough. They also hold the tiebreaker over Kansas City thanks to a Week 6 win, so should the teams finished tied the Patriots would have the edge. While the Chargers are also tied at 8-3, they currently sit in second place behind the Chiefs in the AFC West and would therefore be a wild card if the playoffs began today.
Here's a look at the current postseason picture in the AFC:
Team   * *Record Div.       AFC      Remaining schedule
Chiefs   9-2         3-0         7-1        at Oak., Bal., LAC, at Sea., Oak.
Patriots 8-3         3-0         6-2        Min., at Mia., at Pit., Buf., NYJ
Texans  8-3         3-1         6-2        Cle., Ind., at NYJ, at Phi., Jax.
Steelers 7-3-1     3-1-1     4-3-1 LAC, at Oak., NE, at NO, Cin.
Chargers 8-3Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2-2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 5-2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â at Pit., Cin., at KC, Bal., at Den.
Ravens 6-5Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2-3Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â at Atl., at KC, TB, at LAC, Cle.
In the hunt
Colts      6-5         2-1         5-4         at Jax., at Hou., Dal., NYG, at Ten.
Dolphins 5-6Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2-1Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 4-4Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Buf., NE, at Min., Jax., at Buf.
Bengals 5-6         1-3         3-4         Den., at LAC, Oak., at Cle., at Pit.  Â
Broncos 5-6Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2-2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 3-5Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â at Cin., at SF, Cle., at Oak., LAC
Titans    5-6         2-2         3-6         NYJ, Jax., at NYG, Was., Ind.
Browns 4-6-1     2-1-1     3-4-1     at Hou., Car., at Den., Cin., at Bal.
