Week 15 AFC Playoff Picture: KC Chiefs Looking To Take Care of Business

Coming off a game in which the Kansas City Chiefs botched their chance to take control of the AFC's No. 1 playoff seed, Andy Reid's team didn't help itself in Week 14 either.

By dropping Sunday's outing versus the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City remained the three-seed in the conference but is now two wins behind the Baltimore Ravens and a win behind the Miami Dolphins. A favorable upcoming schedule does provide an opportunity for the Chiefs to win out, but they'll need some outside help to land that elusive first-round bye. Playoff races are heating up throughout the NFL, and that's no different for Patrick Mahomes and company.

With the postseason approaching, 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 15 AFC playoff picture and find out.

1: Baltimore Ravens (10-3)

A Los Angeles Rams upset in Week 14 would have helped the Chiefs out, but the Ravens came away with a thrilling overtime victory. Lamar Jackson and Baltimore remain one of the scariest threats in the NFL and have won seven of their last eight games. The schedule doesn't get any easier for the one-seed, though, as the Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers await.

2: Miami Dolphins (9-4)

Speaking of the Dolphins, Week 14's upset loss to the Tennessee Titans snapped a three-game winning streak. Miami's question marks surrounding its ability to beat good teams remain through 13 games, although those inquiries should be answered soon. In Weeks 16-18, a stretch against the Dallas Cowboys, Ravens and Buffalo Bills could shape the entire season for Mike McDaniel's club.

3: Kansas City Chiefs (8-5)

It's been tough sledding for the Chiefs since their 6-1 start to the season. A 2-4 span will put a damper on any club's chances for the top overall seed in the conference, yet there's still hope for Kansas City. A pretty weak closing schedule (at the New England Patriots, home against the Las Vegas Raiders and Cincinnati Bengals, at the Los Angeles Chargers) opens the door for Reid's team to take care of business and let the other chips fall where they may. This is the position the Chiefs find themselves in.

4: Jacksonville Jaguars (8-5)

Doug Pederson's Jaguars were riding a five-game winning streak into the Week 9 bye, but things haven't been going smoothly since then. Jacksonville is 2-3 post-bye, including back-to-back losses against possible AFC playoff opponents. That, combined with quarterback Trevor Lawrence's high-ankle sprain, places a pretty significant importance on this weekend's game against the Ravens. It's a massive opportunity for both clubs to send a statement.

5: Cleveland Browns (8-5)

After losing two games in a row, the Cleveland Browns responded by pulling off a four-point victory over the Jaguars on Sunday. Despite having a revolving door situation at quarterback for most of the year and an offense that doesn't punch nearly as hard as the defense, the Browns now have Joe Flacco playing inspired football under center. It's a surprising development that is paired with a not-so-daunting closing schedule. Even with their shortcomings, Cleveland has a solid chance to lock up an AFC wild card spot.

6: Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6)

Another franchise with an underwhelming offense but a very stout defense this year, the Pittsburgh Steelers have suddenly lost some serious momentum in recent weeks. Consecutive losses to bad teams at this stage of the season will tend to do that. Luckily (or not?) for Mike Tomlin's club, back-to-back games versus the Indianapolis Colts and Bengals serve as prime opportunities to remain locked into a playoff spot while also potentially pushing others down a bit.

7: Indianapolis Colts (7-6)

Even after a Week 14 loss to the Bengals, what Gardner Minshew and the Colts are doing is quite impressive. Since starting 3-5, Indy is 4-1 and has some very winnable games left on its schedule. All of a sudden, however, Saturday's game against the Steelers borders on must-win territory. After that, back-to-back contests versus the Atlanta Falcons and Las Vegas Raiders provide some bounce-back openings before closing with the Texans.

Close but no cigar: Houston Texans (7-6), Denver Broncos (7-6), Cincinnati Bengals (7-6), Buffalo Bills (7-6)

Houston and Denver just recently played against one another, with the Texans coming out on top. Both clubs are intriguing wild card hopefuls and remain squarely in the picture but need to take care of business in the coming weeks. Without Joe Burrow, the Bengals are still surprisingly competitive. Buffalo's Week 14 win over the Chiefs kept its season alive, and Sean McDermott's team may be the most dangerous of all the fringe playoff contenders in the AFC.

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