AFC Playoff Picture, Week 13

The NFL playoffs are just around the corner, and though most New England fans seem to think the playoffs are just a formality this year, plenty of teams are still chasing that shiny Lombardi Trophy. With that in mind, here's a look at how the AFC playoff race is stacking up at this point in the season...

Seed	Team	Record	Div.	Conf.
1	New England Patriots	11-0	4-0	8-0
2	Indianapolis Colts	9-2	3-0	5-2
3	Pittsburgh Steelers	8-3	4-0	6-2
4	San Diego Chargers	6-5	2-1	5-3
5	Jacksonville Jaguars	8-3	2-2	6-2
6	Cleveland Browns	7-4	3-2	5-4
--	Tennessee Titans	6-5	2-2	3-4
--	3 teams tied at	5-6

TIEBREAKERS:

• None that matter this week.
  

A few things became clearer this week in the AFC.

For starters, the New England Patriots may not be quite so infallible. Their struggles on Sunday night against the then-.500 Eagles show that an NFL team with the right weapons has a shot at ending their chances of telling Mercury Morris where he could stick his Super Bowl ring -- if Morris still had that ring, that is.

In addition, the Indianapolis Colts will be a much better team when all their receivers (and their starting left tackle) are healthy. Even the return of Anthony Gonzalez made the Colts look like something close to the world-beaters they were at the start of the season. Yes, that was against the pitiful Falcons, but a road win is a road win in the NFL, and when Marvin Harrison and Tony Ugoh return and get back into playing shape, the Colts still have the best shot of beating the Pats -- perhaps even in Foxborough in January.

However, the Jacksonville Jaguars still have an outside shot at the AFC South title if they win in Indy on Sunday. Either way, the Jags seem to have the inside track toward the #5 seed and a visit to the AFC West winner in January. So far, the Jags are 3-0 against the AFC West with only Oakland left to play. Beyond the Colts, their remaining schedule has at least three very winnable games for them -- maybe four, if it rains again in Pittsburgh when they go there to play the Steelers. That team's offensive line couldn't block Lot's wife. Horrible.

Nobody's remaining schedule is easier, though, than the Cleveland Browns'. Romeo's boys are 7-4 and finish the season with home games against the Bills and 49ers and road games against the Cardinals, Jets and Bengals. Only Tennessee is within a game of the Browns, and they're in a tailspin right now. Did anyone watching as the Steelers pummeled the Browns in Week 1 think that Cleveland had a prayer this year? I sure didn't.

THIS WEEK'S IMPACT GAMES (All Times Eastern):

• Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts (SUN, 1:00 PM, CBS): Here's your game of the week. A Jaguars win gives them a legitimate shot at dethroning the Colts in the AFC South, while a Colts win gives them the inside track toward the division title and a first-round bye.
  
  
• Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans (SUN, 1:00 PM, CBS): The other big AFC South tilt may decide whether Tennessee still has a chance at that #6 seed. Houston is rising, but they lost a potential tiebreaker to the Browns last Sunday, which makes that horse really dark.
  
  
• San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs (SUN, 1:00 PM, CBS): We're still waiting for these Chargers to salt away this division like they're supposed to, but it's starting to look like the Xmas Eve Chargers-Broncos game will be the actual division title game.
  
  
• Buffalo Bills at Washington Redskins (SUN, 1:00 PM, CBS): After a three-giveaway performance against the Jags, J.P. Losman gives way to Trent Edwards yet again, but can the rookie circle the wagons against what's sure to be an emotional Redskins team?
  
  
• Cleveland Browns at Arizona Cardinals (SUN, 4:05 PM, CBS): The Browns have shown the ability to score on just about anyone, but their defense is still leaking points. A win in Arizona could potentially give them a two-game lead on all opponents.
  
  
• Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders (SUN, 4:15 PM, CBS): The Broncos laid a massive egg when they kicked to Devin Hester last Sunday. Can they redeem themselves and get back into the playoff race?
  
  
• Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers (SUN, 8:15 PM, NBC): Despite holding the tiebreaker, Pittsburgh's lead over the Browns seems slimmer every week. They need a win against an archrival looking to play spoiler.
  
  
• New England Patriots @ Baltimore Ravens (MON, 8:30 PM, ESPN): Despite their close shave in Philadelphia, the only real question is whether Ray-Ray's posse will try to shiv Randy Moss in the parking lot.

Bookmark this page and visit it every Tuesday at noon EST for the latest AFC playoff picture. Click here for the latest NFC playoff picture.