NFL Playoff Picture: Denver Broncos Lead Oakland Raiders In AFC West

The AFC West is, essentially, a two-team race, with the Denver Broncos holding a one-game lead over the Oakland Raiders through 14 weeks. And, of course, there's the Tim Tebow fellow, who always seems to be a lightning rod, and always seems to finish on the winning side of the equation, for whatever reason. But here we are, with the Broncos holding the No. 4 seed in the AFC as it stands now, and the Raiders on the outside looking in.

At 8-5, the Broncos are the lowest-seeded division leader through 14 weeks, trailing three 10-3 teams in the AFC. And in the wildcard, the Pittsburgh Steelers currently lead the way at 10-3, as well. Still, the winner of the AFC West is guaranteed a top-four seed, and the Broncos are that team with three games to go.

The Raiders are one-game back of the final AFC wildcard spot and at the bottom of a three-way mess of teams chasing that spot. Joining Oakland are the Tennessee Titans and Cincinnati Bengals, with each team holding a tiebreaker over the Raiders. With four teams -- and potentially a fifth in the 6-7 San Diego Chargers -- vying for one wildcard spot, it may be AFC West crown or best for the three division teams still in contention.