AFC Tiebreaker Scenarios for Patriots, Dolphins, Steelers, Titans Heading Into Week 18

As the NFL barrels toward the postseason, there were multiple results on Sunday that drastically shifted the playoff picture in the AFC. None were more impactful than the Patriots taking down the Dolphins to move back into possession of the final wild-card spot, along with the Jets’ loss to the Seahawks to eliminate New York from contention.

New England had lost four of its past five games before notching a 23–21 home victory over Miami, improving its record to 8–8 on the season. Now, Bill Belichick and the Patriots control their own destiny and can secure a playoff spot with a win next week at Buffalo.

Of course, the rest of the postseason scenarios for the AFC are not quite so simple. Here’s a look at the current playoff picture, and what each of the teams on the bubble need to do next week to get into the field.

1. Chiefs (13–3)

2. Bills (12–3)

3. Bengals (11–4)

4. Jaguars (8–8): This one is simple: the Jaguars and Titans will play for the AFC South title on Sunday. Jacksonville has won four straight, including a 36–22 win at Tennessee in Week 14.

5. Ravens (10–5)

6. Chargers (10–6)

7. Patriots (8–8): New England needs to win at Buffalo on Sunday to clinch a postseason berth. Should the Patriots lose, the Dolphins would get in with a win over the Jets.

In the hunt:

8. Dolphins (8–8): Miami needs to beat the Jets at home on Sunday, combined with a Patriots loss to the Bills.

9. Steelers (7–8): The Steelers are still alive, but need a lot of help to leap into the field. Combined with wins over the Ravens in Week 17 and the Browns in Week 18, they’ll need both the Dolphins and Patriots to lose next Sunday to secure the No. 7 seed.

10. Titans (7–9): If the Titans beat Jacksonville, they’d become just the fourth team in NFL history to win their division with a losing record.