We’re now through Week 10 of the 2024 NFL season. While things are far from solidified, the contenders are beginning to separate from the pretenders in the AFC playoff picture.
Through nine games, the Kansas City Chiefs, winners of the last two Super Bowls, are the standout team in the AFC with a perfect record. One of the more surprising teams in the AFC this season has been the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are coming off a major victory over the Washington Commanders this past weekend and hold first place in the AFC North.
The AFC will have seven teams filling out its side of the playoff bracket. Here, we’ll look not only at the four current division leaders and three Wild Card teams but also two more on the bubble. So, let’s get started.
1. Kansas City Chiefs (9-0, 1st in AFC West)
What more can be said about the Chiefs? They just continue to find ways to win and edge out teams in close games. In Week 10, they may have had their wildest finish yet, blocking a Broncos field goal to seal the victory. The Chiefs, led by Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, are on a truly historic run this season, having not lost a game since Christmas of last season.
2. Buffalo Bills (8-2, 1st in AFC East)
On a collision course with the Chiefs are the current No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs, the Buffalo Bills. They’ll host Kansas City in Week 11 in a major AFC showdown. In the regular season, things tend to go Josh Allen and Buffalo’s way, but when these two meet in the playoffs, it’s a different story. The Bills will look for any edge they can.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers, (7-2, 1st in AFC North)
No one expected the Steelers to be here at this point. But here they are, in first place in the highly contested AFC North. Even the transition from Justin Fields to Russell Wilson, despite having a winning record, hasn’t seemed to faze Mike Tomlin’s team. The Steelers and their No. 2 ranked scoring defense could be a dangerous team in the AFC playoffs this season.
4. Houston Texans (6-4, 1st in AFC South)
The Houston Texans should have a fairly easy road to claiming the AFC South this year, as they’re currently the only team in the division with a winning record. However, they’re coming off a gut-wrenching loss to the Lions on Sunday Night Football, where they held a 16-point lead at halftime. Losing Stefon Diggs for the season definitely hurts, but with C.J. Stroud and one of the best passing defenses in the NFL, they could still make a lot of noise in the AFC playoffs this year.
5. Baltimore Ravens (7-3, 2nd in AFC North)
The Baltimore Ravens at times feel like the best team in the league; however, they’re currently holding the first non-division winner Wild Card spot. Outside of their Week 1 loss to the Chiefs, their other two losses—to the Browns and Raiders—are rather puzzling. If Lamar Jackson and the team hope to make another AFC playoff run, they’ll have to do it with perhaps the most difficult remaining schedule in the NFL. The Ravens’ upcoming games include road matchups against the Steelers and Chargers, a home game against the Eagles, another road game against the Giants, followed by home games with the Steelers and Browns, and a challenging road trip to face the Texans.
6. Los Angeles Chargers (6-3, 2nd in AFC West)
Jim Harbaugh has his Chargers right where many expected in his first season in Los Angeles. Led by a stingy defense and a run-heavy offense, this team has been infused with Harbaugh’s signature style. Second place in the AFC is nothing to complain about, especially considering the Chiefs' dominance. However, the Chargers also face a challenging stretch ahead, with home games against the Bengals and Ravens, followed by road matchups with the Falcons and Chiefs, then back home for the Buccaneers and Broncos, before closing out with road games against the Patriots and Raiders.
7. Denver Broncos (5-5, 3rd AFC West)
Sean Payton and the Broncos suffered an absolute heartbreaker against the Chiefs in Week 10. This team is starting to come together, though. At 5-5, they currently hold the seventh and final seed in the AFC playoffs. The question is will they be able to hold onto it because behind them is some stiff competition. Bo Nix, who is improving by the week, will need to lead them in.
8. Indianapolis Colts (4-6, 2nd in AFC South)
If not for uncertainty at the quarterback position, the Colts could be one of the best teams in the AFC. Anthony Richardson clearly isn’t ready, and Joe Flacco has finally begun to show his age after a resurgent season last year. The Colts are still in the playoff race but are just on the outside looking in as the first team out.
9. Cincinnati Bengals (4-6, 3rd in AFC North)
The Bengals have played like a playoff team, but they haven’t won consistently enough to be considered among the top seven teams in the AFC. In what felt like a must-win game last Thursday night against the Ravens in an AFC North rivalry matchup, Cincinnati fell short by one point after opting to go for two instead of kicking for a tie that would have likely taken the game to overtime. This decision seems to capture the story of Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ season so far. They’re not out of the AFC playoff race just yet. If they can go on a run in these later months, they could be a team to watch closely.
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