Up to date AFC Playoff image, AFC Wild Card standings: Titans move Chiefs in Week 8

Let’s verify the heartbeat on the AFC Playoff Image and AFC Wild Card standings after the Titans moved previous the Chiefs in Week 8.

Now that we’re eight weeks into the season, it seems the NFL Playoff Picture on the AFC aspect of the bracket is beginning to come into focus.

There’s nonetheless loads of soccer left to be performed, however any little motion is starting to turn out to be an increasing number of vital. For example, the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs have been on a bye week this Sunday however fell within the AFC Playoff Image due to the Tennessee Titans successful.

It’s prone to be a brief change relatively than a shift in energy, however something occurring with the Chiefs and Titans is doing so in a vacuum. Proper now the AFC belongs to the Buffalo Payments, and a dominant efficiency on Sunday Evening solely additional solidifies that notion.

The AFC is extraordinarily top-heavy, because the Baltimore Ravens are the fourth-best workforce and are beginning to hit a stride. They’ll at all times play Ravens Soccer — which is able to usually contain quite a lot of bizarre stuff — however John Harbaugh has persistently made Baltimore a workforce to fret about and the higher Lamar Jackson will get the scarier the entire unit turns into.

Up to date AFC Playoff Image after Week 8

Right here’s why the Chiefs falling within the AFC Playoff Image is important: subsequent week the No. 2 seed within the convention is on the road. It was anticipated that the Titans would beat Houston this Sunday, however Tennessee and Kansas Metropolis sq. off on Sunday Evening Soccer subsequent weekend.

With each groups sitting at 5-2, that recreation will probably be for an all-important tiebreaker that would come into play later within the 12 months. Kansas Metropolis already misplaced a tiebreaker to the Buffalo Payments and would dig itself right into a gap if it misplaced one other.

The AFC Playoff Image is larger than the Chiefs and Titans, although. With a win in Detroit, the Miami Dolphins have bounced again and are again within the image. Cincinnati can transfer into the No. 7 seed with a win on Monday Evening Soccer and the New England Patriots are lingering on the cusp of the bubble.

Right here’s what the AFC playoff bracket would appear to be if the postseason began as we speak:

1. Buffalo Payments (5-1)
2. Tennessee Titans (5-2)
3. Kansas Metropolis Chiefs (5-2)
4. Baltimore Ravens (5-3)
5. New York Jets (5-3)
6. Miami Dolphins (5-3)
7. Los Angeles Chargers (4-3)

Based mostly on these standings, right here’s what the playoff matchups would appear to be for the primary weekend of motion:

• (2) Tennessee Titans vs. (7) Cincinnati Bengals
• (3) Kansas Metropolis Chiefs vs. (6) Miami Dolphins
• (4) Baltimore Ravens vs. (5) New York Jets

AFC Wild Card standings after Week 7 (Up to date after Sunday Evening Soccer)

Beneath the fold of the AFC Playoff Image, the Cincinnati Bengals are again within the combine. The Tremendous Bowl runner-ups bought off to a rocky begin to the 12 months however dominated the Atlanta Falcons in Week 7, a efficiency that appears to point the offense is awake. Joe Burrow seems just like the MVP candidate he was in 2021 and the Bengals seem to have shaken off the Tremendous Bowl hangover — for now.

Cincinnati bought some assist from the workforce they beat within the playoffs final 12 months. Tennessee walloping the Colts knocked Indianapolis out of the playoff image for now and opened up a path for groups like Miami and New England to leap them.

For now, right here’s what the Wild Card standings appear to be after Week 7:

fifth Seed: New York Jets (5-3)
sixth Seed: Miami Dolphins (5-3)
seventh Seed: Los Angeles Chargers (4-3)

On The Bubble
Cincinnati Bengals (4-3)
New England Patriots (4-4)
Indianapolis Colts (3-4-1)

In The Hunt
Denver Broncos (3-5)
Las Vegas Raiders (2-5)
Cleveland Browns (2-5)
Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6)
Pittsburgh Steelers (2-6)
Houston Texans (1-5-1)

AFC Playoff Image Tiebreaker Eventualities

With so many groups tied within the standings, a handful of tiebreakers come into play primarily based on numerous elements associated to the schedule.

• Ravens win the tiebreaker over Cincinnati primarily based on head-to-head win proportion.
• Bengals maintain the tiebreaker Miami primarily based on head-to-head win proportion.
• Dolphins maintain a tiebreaker over New England primarily based on head-to-head win proportion.