AFC playoff picture, Week 14: Ravens-Browns battle

The AFC playoff picture is shaping up to be wild down the stretch, with a slew of important games happening in Week 14.

1. New England Patriots (9-4)
2. Tennessee Titans (8-4)
3. Baltimore Ravens (8-4)
4. Kansas City Chiefs (8-4)
5. Los Angeles Chargers (7-5)
6. Cincinnati Bengals (7-5)
7. Buffalo Bills (7-5)
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8. Indianapolis Colts (7-6)
9. Las Vegas Raiders (6-6)
10. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6-1)
11. Cleveland Browns (6-6)
12. Denver Broncos (6-6)

There are a few games worth noting this weekend, but we start in the AFC North.

On Sunday, the Browns are hosting the Ravens in a must-win for the home team. Cleveland is trying to get over .500 after its bye week, which was preceded by a loss to Baltimore on Sunday Night Football in Week 12. In that tilt, Lamar Jackson tossed our interceptions but still won, 16-10. Another win for the Ravens here, and they pull into a tie for the No. 1 seed.

Meanwhile, the AFC West sees a similar battle in Kansas City, with the Chiefs welcoming in the Raiders. These teams met back in Week 10, with Andy Reid’s squad winning 41-14. Patrick Mahomes went off that night, throwing for more than 400 yards and totaling five touchdown passes, while Travis Kelce went over the 100-yard mark. If the Raiders lose here, much like the Browns, they’re all but finished. Kansas City is trying for its sixth consecutive win.

In the AFC South, the Titans are coming off their bye week to take on the two-win Jacksonville Jaguars. With a victory, Tennessee would move two full games ahead of the idle Colts in the division, and after sweeping Indianapolis, would only need a combination of two victories or two Colts defeats to clinch at least one home game.

Elsewhere, the Bills try to get back in the win column against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Buffalo has gone 3-4 in its last seven games, including a loss on Monday night to the Patriots, who are on their bye week.

There are a few other interconference matchups, including the San Francisco 49ers invading Cincinnati, the Chargers playing host to the New York Giants, and the Detroit Lions visiting the Broncos. The Bengals are hoping to avoid a second straight loss at the worst time, while Los Angeles and Denver are simply hoping to cash in on what should be an easy week for both.

Lastly, we already saw the Steelers, who lost on Thursday night to the Minnesota Vikings. They’ll be in action again next Sunday, hosting the Titans in a huge clash.