Week 10 AFC Playoff Picture: KC Chiefs Have Company Atop Conference Standings
The Kansas City Chiefs have lost just two of their first nine games, which is good for the top record in the AFC as the club's bye week continues.
It's been a bit of a tumultuous stretch of games for Andy Reid's club, as things haven't necessarily gone swimmingly on the offensive side of the ball. Conversely, Steve Spagnuolo's defense has been one of the very best in the league all season long. The middle ground is a team that is strong, yet flawed.
With the postseason beginning to take more of a focus, which teams are threats to Kansas City in the conference? Are there any clubs set to potentially rise or fall in the coming weeks? Let's take a look at the Week 10 AFC playoff picture and find out.
1: Kansas City Chiefs (7-2)
Despite the ups and downs, the Chiefs still control their own destiny in the AFC. That's a big deal entering a Week 10 bye, as the Baltimore Ravens (more on them in a second) can technically jump ahead because they actually play this week. Kansas City and Baltimore don't play one another in the regular season, though, so the one-seed in the conference is the Chiefs' for the taking either way. Up next is a Week 11 Super Bowl LVII rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles.
2: Baltimore Ravens (7-2)
The Ravens' offseason changes appear to be working, as the defense is as strong as ever and quarterback Lamar Jackson is resembling his MVP self from multiple seasons ago. Baltimore ranks fourth in offensive DVOA through nine weeks and has some tough games remaining on the schedule, so the team's legitimacy will undoubtedly be put to the test. As of now, John Harbaugh's squad appears to have the makings of a scary contender.
3: Jacksonville Jaguars (6-2)
A team that has squared off against the Chiefs multiple times over the past calendar year, the Jaguars have rattled off five wins in a row after starting the season 1-2. This is a young, feisty group led by head coach Doug Pederson. Jacksonville is firmly in the second or third tier of AFC contenders, but its goal moving forward is to prove that it's right up there with the top dogs in the league. A Sunday matchup with the San Francisco 49ers will be a good test.
4: Miami Dolphins (6-3)
The Dolphins had a chance to be taken seriously this past weekend in Germany, but their offense got shut down by the Chiefs. Miami won't be viewed as a Super Bowl-caliber squad until it has success against high-level teams. With that said, Mike McDaniel is still one of the league's most creative and thorough offensive minds and the defense is on the rise. The Dolphins probably won't go away quietly — they're competitive and could turn out to be scary.
5: Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3)
The Mike Tomlin streak may be continuing for yet another year, as the Steelers find themselves two games above .500 through nine weeks. Pittsburgh's defense is formidable, although the Matt Canada-Kenny Pickett combo on offense is alarmingly bad and projects to hold the franchise back in 2023-24. Facing two divisional opponents over the course of their next three games, that stretch might make or break the Steelers' season.
6: Cleveland Browns (5-3)
A lot of what was said about the Steelers could also apply to the Browns. This might be the NFL's best defense, but quarterback Deshaun Watson has yet to tap back into the form he flashed when he was a member of the Houston Texans organization. Until he consistently plays better football, this team is nothing more than a decent-to-good one. Cleveland's next two contests are against Baltimore and Pittsburgh, so the pressure is on to preserve a potential playoff run.
7: Cincinnati Bengals (5-3)
Despite the Bengals' No. 7 ranking in the AFC, this team isn't remotely the same one that started the 2023 campaign 1-3. Cincinnati has since won four games in a row, with quarterback Joe Burrow looking more and more like his 2022 self after working through a calf injury. The Bengals' wide receiver health and margin for error are iffy at the moment, but write them off at your own risk.
Close but no cigar: Buffalo Bills (5-4), Houston Texans (4-4), Los Angeles Chargers (4-4), New York Jets (4-4)
Of this group, Buffalo is pretty easily the biggest threat to the Chiefs. Josh Allen has shown in the past that he can go toe-to-toe with Patrick Mahomes, although he's experiencing a bit of a down year in his own right. Houston, Los Angeles and New York all have their respective pluses and minuses, with none of them coming off as pesky opponents come playoff time.
