AFC playoff picture 2016: Patriots are on top while Chiefs take over the No. 2 seed

With Week 14 in the books, the AFC playoff picture has all but taken shape.

Sunday’s AFC South game in Indianapolis, where the Texans (7-6) swept their season series with the Colts (6-7), has put Houston in control of its own destiny for the final three games. That doesn’t necessarily mean the race for the AFC South is over, though.

The Titans are currently tied at 7-6 with the Texans and are only behind in the division race thanks to a Week 4 loss in Houston. The two rivals will meet again in Week 17 with the AFC South title potentially on the line. Still, the Titans will have to win on the road at Kansas City and Jacksonville before looking toward their regular season finale. The Texans, meanwhile, will get the Jaguars and Bengals in Houston before heading to Tennessee.

The race for the AFC South is essentially teetering between a runaway and a photo finish, which would make the AFC West its polar opposite.

With Thursday’s victory over the Raiders, Kansas City (10-3) has put itself squarely in the No. 2 seed with Oakland (10-3) hanging onto the No. 5 seed. The Raiders will have to go on the road twice to face the Chargers and Broncos in the final three weeks with a home game against Indianapolis sandwiched in between. Kansas City will have to face the Chargers and Broncos, too, but the only road game it has left is at San Diego in Week 17.

Denver (8-5) currently holds the sixth seed, but that may not be the case after Monday night. If the Ravens pull off a win in New England, Baltimore (7-5) would bump the Steelers (8-5) from the No. 3 seed to the No. 6 seed — putting the Broncos on the outside looking in.

Pittsburgh kept its playoff and division hopes alive with a wild win in Buffalo that saw Le’Veon Bell score three touchdowns while Ben Roethlisberger threw three interceptions. With the victory and the Ravens’ loss to the Patriots, the Steelers took over the top spot in the AFC North. That sets them up nicely for a road game at Cincinnati before welcoming the Ravens and Browns to Pittsburgh in the final two weeks.

The Patriots are back in the No. 1 seed in the AFC. New England would’ve had a chance to clinch the AFC East on Monday, but Miami (8-5) was able to hold off a late rally by the Cardinals (5-7-1) to remain the No. 7 seed.

The Bills, Bengals and Chargers are all technically still in the hunt, but will need an enormous amount of help.

Just outside: Miami Dolphins (8-5), Baltimore Ravens (7-6), Tennessee Titans (7-6), Indianapolis Colts (6-7), Buffalo Bills (6-7)