NFL standings 2023: Jaguars chasing Chiefs, Ravens in AFC race

The Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens are the teams to catch in the AFC.

The defending Super Bowl champs got their seventh win of the year when they traveled to Germany to hand the Miami Dolphins a 21-14 loss. Then the Ravens breezed through the Seahawks to even things up at the top of the conference.

For the Jacksonville Jaguars, a Week 9 bye meant their five-game win streak was on a temporary hiatus. While a dramatic, come-from-behind for the Houston Texans tightened the AFC South race a bit, the Chiefs’ win may be the result that has the most impact on Jacksonville’s year in the long run.

Here’s what the standings look like around the AFC with the 1 p.m. slate of games in Week 9 in the books:

AFC South

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: 6-2

2. Houston Texans: 4-4

3. Indianapolis Colts: 3-5

4. Tennessee Titans: 3-5

With the Jaguars watching from home on bye, the Texans closed the gap a little bit in the AFC South by pulling off a miraculous win against the Buccaneers.

AFC East

1. Miami Dolphins: 6-3

2. Buffalo Bills: 5-3

3. New York Jets: 4-3

4. New England Patriots: 2-7

The door is open for the Buffalo Bills to take over first place in the AFC East. All they have to do is get a Sunday night win against the suddenly red hot Cincinnati Bengals.

AFC North

1. Baltimore Ravens: 7-2

2. Pittsburgh Steelers: 5-3

3. Cleveland Browns: 5-3

4. Cincinnati Bengals 4-3

The NFL’s best division continues to be really tough to beat. After the Steelers beat the Titans on Thursday, the Ravens and Browns both won in blowouts Sunday. The Bengals will try to make it a clean sweep for the AFC North when they host the Bills on Sunday night.

AFC West

1. Kansas City Chiefs: 7-2

2. Los Angeles Chargers: 3-4

3. Las Vegas Raiders: 3-5

4. Denver Broncos: 3-5

The Chargers can get back to .500 if they get a win Monday against the Jets, but it doesn’t seem like it’ll matter much in the AFC West race. The Chiefs are way ahead and don’t look like they’re in danger of falling back to Earth.

If the AFC playoffs started today...

1. Kansas City Chiefs: 7-2

2. Baltimore Ravens: 7-2

3. Jacksonville Jaguars: 6-2

4. Miami Dolphins: 6-3

5. Pittsburgh Steelers: 5-3

6. Cleveland Browns: 5-3

7. Buffalo Bills: 5-3

On the outside looking in:

• New York Jets: 4-3

• Cincinnati Bengals: 4-3

• Houston Texans: 4-4

The Chiefs and Ravens are out in front with the Jaguars now all alone in third.

Story originally appeared on Jaguars Wire