Predicting the NFL Playoffs Early: AFC Edition

The AFC is as wild and clustered as it's ever been in recent years.

Only two of the four divisions are clinched, and we're heading into the last two weeks of the season.

Tennessee seemed to have clinched the AFC South early on as it opened up the year at an impressive 10-0 before going 2-2 through the last four weeks. Pittsburgh and Baltimore battled it out in a controversial game that wound up going to the Steelers, along with the AFC North crown.

The AFC West and East are different stories, however.

In the West, the Broncos are leading the way at 8-6, but the 6-8 San Diego Chargers are not mathematically out of it, although they would need the Broncos to lose out, while they win out. The Chiefs and Raiders, as usual, are on the outside looking in.

In the East, there is a three-way tie for first place.

After a 5-1 start to the season, the Bills have collapsed and are now the only team out of the playoff hunt in the East. The defending AFC champion Patriots, the Jets, and the surprise of the year Miami Dolphins all sit at 9-5 with a shot to take the division.

The only problem for teams in the East is it's looking like only the division winner will make it in, as the Colts and Ravens are locks for the fifth and sixth seed if the Ravens can win out.

So, with that being said, here's how I see the AFC playoff picture shaping up.

1. Pittsburgh Steelers
2. Tennessee Titans
3. New York Jets
4. Denver Broncos
5. Indianapolis Colts
6. Baltimore Ravens

The Steelers and Titans play each other this week, and the winner of that game will have the benefit of playing at home through the playoffs. I think the Steelers win that game given all of the injuries the Titans are going through right now, while the Steelers are healthy and on a hot streak at the moment. The AFC playoffs go through Pittsburgh.

The New York Jets have fallen off a bit since beating the then-unbeaten Tennessee Titans. However, given their bit of luck against a falling Bills team to win that game, I think they ride the wave of emotion they're on right now all the way to the eastern crown.

The Broncos really only win by default. The AFC West is almost as bad as their NFC counterparts and Denver is really in the same boat as the Cardinals. They win because the rest of the division provides no competition.

With their win over the Jaguars this past Thursday, the Colts have solidified their seventh straight playoff appearance, Dungy's 10th dating back to his Tampa days (an NFL record), and become the scariest team in the playoffs.

The Ravens are another surprise team, not to the extent of the Dolphins, but they were not a team expected to be in the playoff picture at the beginning of the season. They control their own fate, as winning out puts them in the playoffs.

Now to the games.

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