AFC playoff picture: Buffalo Bills win AFC East, claim No. 2 seed

Here's where the AFC playoff picture stands after Week 18:

yz – 1. Baltimore Ravens (13-4), AFC North champions:They brought home the division crown, conference first-round bye and home-field advantage by pummeling Miami in Week 17 ... meaning the only objective Saturday against Pittsburgh was to avoid major injuries. Mission seemingly accomplished for resting QB Lamar Jackson and Co. Remaining schedule: will face lowest-seeded remaining AFC playoff team in divisional round of playoffs

y – 2.Buffalo Bills (11-6), AFC East champion: They ended the regular season on a five-game heater, sufficient to ensure a fourth consecutive division title. Week 14 win at Arrowhead vaults the Mafia past K.C. Now it's back to Western New York and some apparently frightful Great Lakes weather. Remaining schedule: vs. Steelers

y – 3. Kansas City Chiefs (11-6), AFC West champions: It took longer than usual, but they secured their eighth consecutive division crown while locking into the third seed. Their Week 17 victory also eliminated the Bengals and Broncos. Now, they finally get to welcome former WR Tyreek Hill home to Arrowhead. Remaining schedule: vs. Dolphins

y – 4.Houston Texans (10-7), AFC South champions: Rookie QB C.J. Stroud and Co. survived and advanced in Indianapolis on Saturday night while clinching a berth, their first since 2019. Houston upgraded to AFC South champions Sunday courtesy of the Jaguars' loss. The Texans' win eliminated Indianapolis. Remaining schedule: vs. Browns

x – 5. Cleveland Browns (11-6), wild card No. 1: They graduate to postseason for the third time since their 1999 rebirth and travel back to Houston, where they beat the C.J. Stroud-less Texans two weeks ago. Remaining schedule: at Texans

x – 6. Miami Dolphins (11-6), wild card No. 2: Quite a season-ending skid for a team that struggles against good opponents and on the road. And after coughing up the AFC East lead Sunday night, the Fins are relegated to frigid Kansas City next week, their inferior record in conference games dropping them below Cleveland. Remaining schedule: at Chiefs

x – 7. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7), wild card No. 3: They took care of business Saturday in suboptimal weather conditions in Baltimore, beating the top-seeded Ravens. Then the Jags pitched in Sunday, their loss also assuring Pittsburgh a playoff date. Now the Steelers will try to win their first playoff game in seven years. Remaining schedule: at Bills

x – clinched playoff berth

y – clinched division title

z – clinched first-round bye and home-field advantage

USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: AFC playoff picture: Buffalo Bills win AFC East