AFC playoff picture, Week 13: Patriots, Texans game to watch

Every team has had its bye week. At Week 13, we’re into the crux of the NFL slate. We’re also counting the days until the playoffs are here.

But which teams are going to be in the dance, and which will be left to watch with the rest of us? Here’s how the AFC playoff picture looks as we approach Week 13:

1. New England Patriots (10-1)
2. Baltimore Ravens (9-2)
3. Houston Texans (7-4)
4. Kansas City Chiefs (7-4)
5. Buffalo Bills (8-3)
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5)
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7. Oakland Raiders (6-5)
8. Indianapolis Colts (6-5)
9. Tennessee Titans (6-5)
10. Cleveland Browns (5-6)

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New England and Houston play each other on Sunday night in a game rife with playoff implications. The Patriots are going to win the AFC East barring a huge collapse, but losing this game suddenly opens up the possibility of losing home-field advantage. New England could be caught by the Ravens — more on them below — and only lead the Texans by a game, with Kansas City on deck.

Speaking of Baltimore, it hosts the 10-1 San Francisco 49ers on Sunday afternoon. Nobody is hotter than the Ravens, who over the last five weeks have blown out the Patriots, Ravens, Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams. Lamar Jackson is the MVP favorite and the defense is playing lights out. However, this will be a very tough test.

The Chiefs are trying to firm up their hold on the AFC West with the Raiders coming to Arrowhead Stadium. If Kansas City wins, it’ll be up two games on Oakland along with the head-to-head tiebreaker, via season sweep. If the Raiders win, however, they jump into the divisional lead, and the Chiefs would be in a wild card scenario. Incredible.

Read: Tom Coughlin Non-Committal About Returning to Jags Next Season

Speaking of the wild card, the Bills are in action on Thanksgiving to take on the Dallas Cowboys. Buffalo has only beaten one team with a winning record this year, so the Cowboys are a tough task. However, a win for the Bills and they basically punch their ticket to the postseason barring a historic plummeting.

Pittsburgh and Cleveland will tangle at Heinz Field. This time, Myles Garrett is suspended and Mason Rudolph is benched. The winner has to feel good about where it is with four weeks left, while the loser — especially if it is the Browns — looks to be on the ropes at best.

Finally, the Colts and Titans play each other at Lucas Oil Stadium in a rematch from Week 2. If the Texans lose, the winner suddenly pulls into a tie for first place in the AFC South.