As of December 17, here’s how the AFC playoff race stands.
Teams are listed by seed, team, overall record, division record, conference record, and their final two opponents. (Note: All games will be played Sunday afternoons unless otherwise noted.)
DIVISION LEADERS
1. yx-Baltimore, 12-2, 3-1, 8-2; at Cleveland, Pittsburgh
2. x-New England, 11-3, 4-0, 7-3; Buffalo (Sat. afternoon), Miami
3. yx-Kansas City, 10-4, 5-0, 8-3, at Chicago, Los Angeles Chargers
4. Houston, 9-5, 4-1; 8-3, at Tampa Bay (Sat. afternoon), Tennessee
WILD-CARD SPOTS
5. x-Buffalo, 19-4, 3-1, 7-3, at New England (Sat. afternoon), New York Jets
6. Pittsburgh, 8-6, 3-2, 6-4; at New York Jets, at Baltimore
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
7. Tennessee, 8-6, 2-3, 6-5; New Orleans, at Houston
8. Cleveland, 6-8, 2-2, 5-5, Baltimore, at Cincinnati
9. Oakland, 6-8, 2-2, 4-6; at Los Angeles Chargers, at Denver
ALIVE: None
ELIMINATED: Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Denver, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Jets, Miami, Cincinnati
IF THE SEASON ENDED TODAY … THE FIRST-ROUND MATCHUPS
Pittsburgh at Kansas City & Buffalo at Houston
FIRST-ROUND BYES
Baltimore, New England
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NOTE: In the Divisional (second) round, the top seed will play the lowest surviving seed from Wild Card Weekend, while the second seed will play the highest surviving seed from Wild Card Weekend.
x – clinched a playoff berth
y – clinched a division title
z – clinched home-field advantage throughout AFC playoffs
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About Joe Platania
Veteran Ravens correspondent Joe Platania is in his 45th year in sports media (including two CFL seasons when Batlimore had a CFL team) in a career that extends across parts of six decades. Platania covers sports with insight, humor, and a highly prescient eye, and that is why he has made his mark on television, radio, print, online, and in the podcast world. He can be heard frequently on WJZ-FM’s “Vinny And Haynie” show, alongside ex-Washington general manager Vinny Cerrato and Bob Haynie. A former longtime member in good standing of the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association and the Pro Football Writers of America, Platania manned the CFL Stallions beat for The Avenue Newspaper Group of Essex (1994 and ’95) and the Ravens beat since the team’s inception — one of only three local writers to do so — for PressBox, The Avenue, and other local publications and radio stations. A sought-after contributor and host on talk radio and TV, he made numerous appearances on “Inside PressBox” (10:30 a.m. Sundays), and he was heard weekly for eight seasons on the “Purple Pride Report,” WQLL-AM (1370). He has also appeared on WMAR-TV’s “Good Morning Maryland” (2009), Comcast SportsNet’s “Washington Post Live” (2004-06), and WJZ-TV’s “Football Talk” postgame show — with legend Marty Bass (2002-04). Platania is the only sports journalist in Maryland history to have been a finalist for both the annual Sportscaster of the Year award (1998, which he won) and Sportswriter of the Year (2010). He is also a four-time Maryland-Delaware-District of Columbia Press Association award winner. Platania is a graduate of St. Joseph’s (Cockeysville), Calvert Hall College High School, and Towson University, where he earned a degree in Mass Communications. He lives in Cockeysville, MD.
