AFC Playoff Picture: With road wins, Patriots, Steelers keep pace for top seed

The Steelers and Patriots stayed in lockstep at the top of the AFC playoff picture, but the Titans and Jaguars kept the heat on with wins of their own on Sunday. Prior to Monday’s Miami-Carolina game, here’s a look at how things shake out in the race for home field.



1. Steelers (7-2)
Remaining schedule: vs. Titans (6-3), vs. Packers (5-4), at Bengals (3-6), vs. Ravens (4-5), vs. Patriots (7-2), at Texans (3-6), vs. Browns (0-9)
Opponents record: 28-35 (.444)
The skinny: With road wins, Pittsburgh and New England stay on parallel tracks.

2. Patriots (7-2)
Remaining schedule: at Raiders (4-5), vs. Dolphins (4-4), at Bills (5-4), at Dolphins (4-4), at Steelers (7-2), vs. Bills (5-4), vs. Jets (4-6).
Opponents record: 34-29 (.540)
The skinny: Everything still pointing toward that December showdown with Pittsburgh.

3. Chiefs (6-3)
Remaining schedule: at Giants (1-8), vs. Bills (5-4), at Jets (4-6), vs. Raiders (4-5), vs. Chargers (3-6), vs. Dolphins (4-4), at Broncos (3-6).
Opponents record: 24-39 (.381)
The skinny: Between the Denver loss and Kansas City’s remaining slate, Sunday night pretty much finished the Broncos.

4. Titans (6-3)
Remaining schedule: at Steelers (7-2), at Colts (3-7), vs. Texans (3-6), at Cardinals (4-5), at Niners (1-9), vs. Rams (7-2), vs. Jaguars (6-3).
Opponents record: 31-34 (.477)
The skinny: With two seven-win teams and a one-win team looming, not sure anyone has a more diverse slate of opponents the rest of the way.

5. Jaguars (6-3)
Remaining schedule: at Browns (0-9), at Cardinals (4-5), vs. Colts (3-7), vs. Seahawks (6-3), vs. Texans (3-6), at Niners (1-9), at Titans (6-3).
Opponents record: 23-42 (.354)
The skinny: No one has an easier schedule down the stretch than Jacksonville.

6. Bills (5-4)
Remaining schedule: at Chargers (3-6), at Chiefs (6-3), vs. Patriots (7-2), vs. Colts (3-7), vs. Dolphins (4-4), at Patriots (7-2), at Dolphins (4-4).
Opponents record: 34-28 (.548)
The skinny: Those two games against Miami could mean the difference in whether or not they’ll make the playoffs.

In the hunt
7. Dolphins (4-4)*
Remaining schedule: at Panthers (6-3), vs. Bucs (3-6), at Patriots (7-2), vs. Broncos (3-6), vs. Patriots (7-2), at Bills (6-3), at Chiefs (6-3), vs. Bills (5-4)
Opponents record: 43-29 (.597)
The skinny: Including Monday, Miami has five games left against teams with six wins or more. Ouch.

8. Ravens (4-5)
Remaining schedule: at Packers (5-4), vs. Texans (3-6), vs. Lions (5-4), at Steelers (7-2), at Browns (0-9), vs. Colts (3-7), vs. Bengals (3-6)
Opponents record: 26-38 (.406)
The skinny: If the Ravens can get to those last three weeks at 7-6, they’ll still have a shot to make the postseason, considering the way their schedule winds up.

Rest of the field: 9. Raiders (4-5), 10. Jets (4-6), 11. Texans (3-6), 12. Bengals (3-6), 13. Chargers (3-6), 14. Broncos (3-6), 15. Colts (3-7), 16. Browns (0-9).

* — some opponents’ schedules do not include Monday’s Dolphins-Panthers game.