The Oakland Raiders are tied for the division lead in the AFC West, but they are also only a game back of the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC wild card race.
Things are starting to heat up in the AFC playoff picture as the weather starts to cool down a bit. We have made it to Week 14 of the 2017 NFL season, meaning we are in the home stretch. This is the final quarter of the season and yes, the Oakland Raiders (6-6) are definitely in the mix for a playoff spot in the AFC.
While they are in a three-way tie with the Kansas City Chiefs (6-6) and the Los Angeles Chargers (6-6) for first place in the AFC West, Oakland is only a game back of the second wild card spot in the AFC with four games remaining.
Let’s take a look at the AFC standings heading into Week 14 and see where the Silver and Black stack up in the conference.
AFC standings entering Week 14
- Pittsburgh Steelers (10-2)
- New England Patriots (10-2)
- Tennessee Titans (8-4)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-6)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4)
- Baltimore Ravens (7-5)
- Los Angeles Chargers (6-6)
- Buffalo Bills (6-6)
- Oakland Raiders (6-6)
- New York Jets (5-7)
- Miami Dolphins (5-7)
- Cincinnati Bengals (5-7)
- Houston Texans (4-8)
- Indianapolis Colts (3-9)
- Denver Broncos (3-9)
- Cleveland Browns (0-12)
If the season ended after Monday Night Football in Week 13, here are the six teams that would make the AFC playoffs. The Pittsburgh Steelers (10-2) would get the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs as the AFC North division winner. They edge out the New England Patriots (10-2) for the top spot in the AFC by having a better strength of victory. New England would get a first-round by as the No. 2 seed as the AFC East winner.
The Tennessee Titans (8-4) would be the No. 3 seed in the AFC as the AFC South winner. They have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4) in the AFC south race. Kansas City would be the AFC West champion and the No. 4 seed by having a better record in the division over Los Angeles and Oakland. The two wild card teams would be Jacksonville as the No. 5 seed and the Baltimore Ravens (7-5) would get the last spot in.
There is another 6-6 team in the AFC that is one game back of the Ravens in the wild card picture. That would be the Buffalo Bills (6-6). Los Angeles is in seventh place in the AFC by having the head-to-head victory over Buffalo. The Chargers also had a head-to-head victory over the Raiders. Buffalo has the head-to-head tiebreaker over Oakland, so Buffalo is in eighth place and the Raiders are in ninth entering Week 14.
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Three teams are 5-7 on the year in the AFC and are two games back of the Ravens for the last wild card sport. Those teams are the New York Jets (5-7), the Miami Dolphins (5-7) and the Cincinnati Bengals (5-7). New York edges Miami by having a better record in the AFC East to be in 10th place. Miami has a better record in AFC play over the Bengals to be in 11th place. Cincinnati finds itself in 12th place.
The Houston Texans (4-8) are three games back of the Ravens and sit in 13th place in the AFC. Two teams are 3-9 and barely alive in the AFC wild card race. Those teams are the Indianapolis Colts (3-9) and the Denver Broncos (3-9). Indianapolis has a better record in AFC play, so the Colts are in 14th place while the Broncos are in 15th place. Already eliminated from playoff contention are the Cleveland Browns (0-12). Poor Browns.
Next: 5 Raiders to watch vs. Chiefs in Week 14
Overall, the Raiders are right in the thick of things in the AFC playoff picture. Sure, they are on the outside looking in, but having two games left in the division could be enough to catapult them in by the time Week 17 is in the books.