New NFL playoff picture: Patriots and Raiders are still battling atop the AFC

The New England Patriots and Oakland Raiders are still tied for the best record in the AFC, but this week the Patriots took back the top spot in the playoff picture. Following a 22-17 win over the New York Jets, the Patriots improved to 9-2 overall and 7-1 in the conference. The 9-2 Raiders fell to No. 2 despite a big 35-32 win over the Carolina Panthers because they are 6-1 in the AFC, losing out to the Patriots on a tiebreaker.

However, it remains a tight race the No. 1 spot in the AFC. For Oakland, a team that just locked up its first winning season since 2002, it is still well within reach.

After a Sunday Night Football matchup with a wild overtime finish, the Kansas City Chiefs sit at 8-3, just one game behind the Raiders and one game ahead of the Broncos. The loss was enough to force Denver out of the last playoff spot for the time being.

The Miami Dolphins take Denver’s spot in the playoff picture this week. Miami got its sixth straight win on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, and improved to 7-4. The Broncos are also 7-4 now, but the Dolphins are 5-3 in AFC play, while the Broncos are just 4-3. Miami’s superior record within the conference pushes the Dolphins ahead of the Broncos in the standings.

The Broncos, the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5), Buffalo Bills (6-5) and Tennessee Titans (6-6) are currently on the outside looking in as the postseason lineup takes shape. If the teams ahead of them make one misstep, any of these teams in the hunt could make their way into one of the two wild card spots.

The Baltimore Ravens slid into the top spot in the AFC North following a 19-14 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. The Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers sit at 6-5, but Baltimore owns the head-to-head tiebreaker. The two rivals have a rematch in Week 16 at Pittsburgh which could decide the division.

Besides their second game against the Ravens, the Steelers have two more division games, against the Bengals and Browns, on the schedule. Depending on those outcomes and what the Ravens do over the next few weeks, the Steelers could be back in play to win the division.

The AFC South is also far from set in stone. The Houston Texans are clinging to the top spot, but they have been inconsistent this season. Houston is coming off two consecutive losses, to the Raiders and the Chargers. The Titans could still sneak into the postseason if Marcus Mariota keeps playing at a high level, and the Indianapolis Colts are just one game behind at 5-6.

Tennessee beat the Bears on Sunday, winning 27-21, and even though the Colts lost big to the Steelers on Thanksgiving, the Texans’ position in the division is far from secure at this point.

Through Week 12, only the winless Cleveland Browns have been mathematically eliminated from AFC playoff contention, but postseason hopes are dimming quickly for the 2-9 Jacksonville Jaguars, the 3-8 New York Jets and the 3-7-1 Cincinnati Bengals.

Here’s a look at the current playoff standings in the AFC:

Just outside: Denver Broncos (7-4), Buffalo Bills (6-5), Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5), Tennessee Titans (6-6)