NFL Standings & Playoff Picture: Steelers, Chiefs, Texans, Bills Fighting For Wild Card Spots in AFC

By Damon Salvadore First Posted: Nov 24, 2015 12:10 PM EST

This has been one of the most balanced years in NFL history. So many .500 teams hold playoff spots or are still in the playoff mix. With six games left to play, there's still so much time for things to unfold, especially in the AFC wild card race.

As of right now the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs hold the two wild card spots in the AFC. The Chiefs began the season a dreadful 1-5 but have currently won their last four consecutive games despite the fact that Jamaal Charles is out for the season. The 5-5 Chiefs hold the No. 6 seed in the AFC over the Houston Texans, Buffalo Bills and New York Jets because they have a superior record in the conference. The Chiefs are 4-2 against AFC teams while the Bills are 5-4 and the Texans are 4-3.

The Chiefs and Bills play each other this upcoming weekend in arguably the most critical game of the year. The winner of that game will have six wins, thus be in the driver's seat.

As for the Texans, they are in a much different situation. The Texans don't have to get a wild card spot to get a guaranteed playoff spot because they play in a terrible division. The AFC South doesn't have a single team with a winning record in it at the moment, so it's more likely that the Texans win the division than make a wild card. The Texans are tied with the Indianapolis Colts at 5-5, but the Colts hold the tiebreaker because they won the first matchup back in Week 5. The Colts and Texans will face off again in Week 15. Even the Jacksonville Jaguars are still alive in the AFC South at 4-6. It looks like 8-8 will win that division.

The Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos are each 8-2 and lead their respective divisions. However the Bengals are a spot higher because they have a 7-1 record against AFC teams. The Broncos have a 4-2 record in the conference. That leaves the Colts at the No. 4 seed.

The Oakland Raiders and New York Jets are also in the mix. Both of these teams had quality starts but are in the middle of a slump. The Jets began the season 4-1, but they have lost four of their last five games and are now 5-5 at the No. 9 seed in the conference. The Raiders have proceeded to lose five of their last seven games after a terrible loss to the Detroit Lions. Now 4-6, things don't look great for the Raiders, but they still have a chance to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2002-03 season.

If the season were to end today the New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals would get a bye week in the playoffs. The Broncos would play the Chiefs in the wild card round while the Colts take on the Steelers in Indianapolis.

AFC Standings