AFC playoff picture: Ravens move into the No. 1 spot after Chiefs lose to Eagles
There’s a new No. 1 team in the AFC, as Baltimore has ascended in the AFC playoff picture after the Chiefs’ 21-17 loss to the Eagles on Monday night.
The Ravens are 8-3 and looking like the best team in the AFC after a 38-20 win over the Bengals on Thursday night.
John Harbaugh’s team took a big step forward with their dominating win over the Bengals.
In the AFC, Cleveland outlasted Pittsburgh with Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback, while Miami, Jacksonville, and Buffalo all came away with huge wins.
Here’s an updated look at the AFC playoff picture after Kansas City’s loss.
1. Baltimore Ravens (8-3), 1st AFC North
The Ravens are the new No. 1 team in the AFC after the Chiefs 21-17 loss to the Eagles on Monday night.
Baltimore has a matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers before the Week 13 bye.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (7-3), 1st in AFC West
Kansas City is now the No. 2 team in the AFC after a 21-17 loss to Philadelphia on Monday night.
Patrick Mahomes played well enough for the Chiefs to win, but costly drops down the stretch doomed the home team.
They’ll look to rebound against the Ravens in Week 12.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (7-3), 1st in AFC South
After getting beatdown by the 49ers in Week 10, Jacksonville turned around and handed out a 34-14 beatdown of their own to their AFC South rival Tennessee. A strength-of-victory tiebreaker keeps the Jaguars at No. 3 ahead of Miami.
They’ll travel to Houston on Sunday for a matchup that could decide the division.
4. Miami Dolphins (7-3), 1st in AFC East
They haven’t defeated an elite team, and could be 11-3 before a huge matchup against the Cowboys on Christmas Eve.
Jalen Ramsey’s acquisition paid off in a big way on Sunday, as the All-World cornerback make a spectacular play in the end zone to pick off an Aidan O’Connell pass with 22 seconds left, helping the Dolphins holdoff the Las Vegas Raiders’ fourth-quarter comeback and overcome three turnovers for a 20-13 win.
Tua Tagovailoa was 28 of 39 with 325 yards, two touchdowns and an interception for Miami. He also lost his third fumble of the season on a scramble on the Dolphins’ opening drive.
Star wide receiver Tyreek Hill caught his league-leading eighth touchdown of the season and had 146 yards on 10 catches.
5. Cleveland Browns (7-3), 2nd in AFC North
Rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson rallied the Browns to a last-second 13-10 win over Steelers on Sunday maintaining their fifth place hold in the AFC playoff race.
The former UCLA star completed four straight passes on a clutch drive to set up Dustin Hopkins’ 34-yard field goal with 2 seconds left that gave Cleveland a 13-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
6. Houston Texans (6-4), 2nd in AFC South
C.J. Stroud threw for 336 yards with two touchdowns, and the Texans overcame his season-high three interceptions to beat the Cardinals 21-16 on Sunday.
Stroud’s 2,962 yards passing are the fourth-most ever in a player’s first 10 games, and he joined Joe Burrow as the only rookies in NFL history with 300 or more yards passing in three consecutive games.
Houston (6-4) has already doubled their win total from last season and have won three games in a row for the first time since a nine-game streak in 2018.
If the season ended today, DeMeco Ryan’s group would be the sixth seed in the AFC.
Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4), 3rd AFC North
Pittsburgh was outgained for the 10th straight week and QB Kenny Pickett (106 yards) was outplayed by rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson, as Cleveland’s top-ranked defense forced 9 Steelers punts.
The Steelers fell to 49-15 against rookie QBs since 1970.
Looking to inspire his team, Mike Tomlin announced that OC Matt Canada has been fired.
