2023 NFL playoff picture: Ranking all 12 AFC wild card contenders, from surprising Texans to resilient Bengals

Week 13 in the NFL was certainly a wild one, as Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers upset the Kansas City Chiefs, the Arizona Cardinals blew out the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals shocked the Jacksonville Jaguars in overtime. 

The playoff picture is something everyone is paying attention to with the regular season winding down. We have quite the jumbled picture in the AFC, with seeds 5-10 all having a 7-5 or 6-6 record. Let’s discuss the 12 teams vying for wild card spots as we enter Week 14. Which ones are legitimate contenders, and which don’t have a realistic shot to even make the dance? 

Playoff simulation percentages via SportsLine

Division leaders

Miami Dolphins (AFC East, 9-3)Baltimore Ravens (AFC North, 9-3)Kansas City Chiefs (AFC West, 8-4)Jacksonville Jaguars (AFC South, 8-4)

Wild card contenders

12. New England Patriots (2-10)

Sunday’s 6-0 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers marked the Patriots’ fifth game this season scoring seven or fewer points. The Patriots had five such games in Tom Brady’s 283 starts with New England (H/T Yahoo Sports). The Patriots are the first team in the Super Bowl era to lose three straight games all while allowing 10 or fewer points. Where’s Bill Belichick getting traded this offseason?

Playoff chances: 0.0%

11. New York Jets (4-8)

The Jets went from Zach Wilson to Tim Boyle to Trevor Siemian, and now, no one knows who will start on Sunday. The Jets have scored 10 offensive touchdowns this season. That’s the fewest by any team through 12 games since the 1993 Bengals.

You know what pairs nicely with poor play on the field? Drama off the field of course. I would love to know what’s going on with Wilson and the Jets. The Athletic reported that Wilson is reluctant to start for the Jets even though New York is leaning toward making another change, but Robert Saleh said Wilson came into his office Monday and said he wants the job….


Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2023-nfl-playoff-picture-ranking-all-12-afc-wild-card-contenders-from-surprising-texans-to-resilient-bengals/

Author : Jordan Dajani

Publish date : 2023-12-05 14:26:11

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