NFL Playoff Bracket Picture 2024-25: AFC, NFC Standings After Week 10 SNF
The Kansas City Chiefs barely held on to their undefeated record on Sunday afternoon.
The No. 1 team in the AFC standings survived an upset bid from the Denver Broncos by blocking a field goal as time expired inside Arrowhead Stadium.
Denver's missed upset attempt certainly upset a few of the AFC's top Super Bowl contenders who don't often get to rely on Kansas City's divisional opponents to pick up ground in the standings.
The Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens will have to wait another week to gain any ground in the race for home-field advantage in the AFC.
Pittsburgh caused a shakeup at the top of the NFC standings with its win over the Washington Commanders.
Washington's loss combined with the Philadelphia Eagles' win over the Dallas Cowboys gave the Eagles the lead in the NFC East.
The Eagles and Commanders are two of four seven-win teams in the NFC going into Sunday night. The Detroit Lions can move to eight wins if they beat the Houston Texans.
Philadelphia, Washington and everyone else in the NFC are still chasing the Detroit Lions, who produced a thrilling come-from-behind to win beat the Houston Texans on Sunday night.
AFC Standings
1 of 2
Division Leaders
1. Kansas City (9-0)
2. Buffalo (8-2)
3. Pittsburgh (7-2)
4. Houston (6-4)
Wild-Card Race
5. Baltimore (7-3)
6. Los Angeles Chargers (6-3)
7. Denver (5-5)
8. Indianapolis (4-6)
9. Cincinnati (4-6)
10. New York Jets (3-7)
11. New England (3-7)
12. Tennessee (2-6)
13. Miami (2-6)
14. Las Vegas (2-7)
15. Cleveland (2-7)
16. Jacksonville (2-8)
Kansas City's last-second heroics on the blocked field goal kept it 1.5 games in front of the Bills for the AFC's top seed.
The Chiefs and Bills meet next Sunday in Week 11's marquee matchup, but even if the Bills win that home game, they will be behind the Chiefs because of the 1.5-game advantage.
That's why Denver's failed upset bid meant so much to the Bills' pursuit of the top seed. Buffalo plays the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions in three games after the Week 12 bye, so even if it eclipsed Kansas City, it might have had trouble keeping the top seed.
Kansas City and Buffalo are more than safe in their respective divisions, so their full focus will go to the fight for home-field advantage.
Pittsburgh and Baltimore will fight it out next Sunday as well for first place in the AFC North. The Steelers kept their slender edge over the Ravens with a road win in Washington.
Week 11 starts a run of four consecutive AFC North games for the Steelers, who have yet to play a division game.
The Houston Texans are still in a safe space atop the AFC South despite losing to Detroit in heartbreaking fashion on Sunday night. They hold a two-game lead over the Colts.
The Colts are better off chasing the wild-card in a weak field where only two of the three current teams are above .500.
NFC Standings
2 of 2
Division Leaders
1. Detroit (8-1)
2. Philadelphia (7-2)
3. Atlanta (6-4)
4. Arizona (6-4)
Wild-Card Race
5. Minnesota (7-2)
6. Washington (7-3)
7. Green Bay (6-3)
8. San Francisco (5-4)
9. Los Angeles Rams (4-4)
10. Chicago (4-5)
11. Seattle (4-5)
12. Tampa Bay (4-6)
13. Dallas (3-6)
14. New Orleans (3-7)
15. Carolina (3-7)
16. New York Giants (2-8)
Washington's loss allowed the Eagles to swoop in and take first place in the NFC East by way of their win over the Dallas Cowboys.
The Commanders dropped to the second wild-card spot after their Week 10 loss, which occurred four days before the top-of-the-division clash with the Eagles in Philadelphia.
Atlanta was the other division leader to lose in Sunday's early window, but Tampa Bay's defeat to San Francisco means the Falcons have a safe two-game lead still in the NFC South.
The 49ers were the biggest winner of the early slate in the wild-card race, as they vaulted up to eighth place with the victory in Christian McCaffrey's first game of the season.
San Francisco does not have the NFC West lead for now, as the Arizona Cardinals moved to 6-4 with a win over the New York Jets.
At minimum, the 49ers are squarely back into the wild-card race and their improvements with McCaffrey on the field should scare the teams currently occupying the wild-card spots.
The Niners have a few chances to separate from their competition in the coming weeks, starting with a Week 11 battle against Seattle and a Week 12 clash with Green Bay.
Everyone in the NFC is still looking up at the Lions, who miraculously came back to beat the Texans on Sunday night.
Detroit plays four of its next five games at home. The lone road contest in that stretch comes against the Colts. Five wins in five could happen for the Lions, which is the last thing anyone else in the NFC wants to hear.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
