NFL Playoff Prediction: Projecting AFC Division Winners

The AFC division winners are clear. There are five games left, but circumstances and scheduling mean the division races are already over.

Here is who will win and why.

AFC East

Standings

1. Patriots 8-3

2. Jets 6-5

3. Bills 5-6

Winner: Patriots

The Patriots have a comfortable two-game lead on the division, and for all intents and purposes that is a three game lead. 

The New York Jets are alone in second place, and the Patriots have already beaten the Jets twice. That means New England gets the tiebreaker.

For the Patriots to not win the division, they would have to lose four of three of their next five while the Jets and/or Bills win out.

The Patriots next two games are against the Colts and then at the Redskins. They will not lose either of those. They will then only have to scrape one win out of their last three against the Broncos, Dolphins and Bills to clinch the division. And that is not asking too much of the Patriots.

AFC North

Standings

1. Ravens 8-3

2. Steelers 8-3

3. Bengals 7-4

Predicted Winner: Ravens

The Ravens will win the most closely contested division in the NFL. They have an easier schedule than the Steelers and Bengals, and they own the tiebreaker over the Steelers team they are currently tied with.

The Ravens have just one game left against a team with a winning record. They close the season at Cincinnati.

The Steelers have two games left against teams. They host Cincinnati, and then travel to San Francisco to take on the Steelers in Week 16.

This puts the Steelers in bad shape considering they have a better record than the Ravens to win the division.

Meanwhile, the Bengals have the most work to do, and they have the hardest schedule. They have three games remaining against teams with winning records.

AFC South

Standings

1. Texans 8-3

2. Titans 6-4

Winner: Texans

It is too much to ask of TJ Yates or the freshly-acquired Jake Delhomme for the Texans to make the playoffs, but it is going to happen anyway. 

Both QBs will have the benefit of playing with the third-ranked rushing attack, and the No. 1 defense, but that will not be enough.

The Texans' next two games are against the Falcons and then at the Bengals. They will lose both of these. Meanwhile, the Titans play at the Bills and then against the Saints.

The Titans will pick up a game in that stretch, and set up for a final showdown between the two. However, that matchup will be meaningless because the Texans will hold the tiebreaker on the Titans.

This tiebreaker will go all the way to record against common opponents, and the Texans have the edge.

AFC West

Standings

1. Raiders 7-4 

2. Broncos 6-5

Winner:  Raiders

This will be one comeback Tim Tebow is not able to pull off.

Both teams have two games remaining against teams with winning records. Each has one that would appear to be a certain loss. The Raiders have the Packers and the Broncos have the Patriots.

That leaves four games for both teams, three of which are against teams with losing records, that the Broncos have to make up one game.

The Raiders will win at least three of those games. They close against the Chiefs and the disintegrating Chargers. They will then just have to split between at the Dolphins and the Lions to get to 10 wins.

The Broncos would have to win all four of their games, excluding the Patriots to force a tie breaker, and that is too many miracles to ask from this team that is struggling to score points.