The New England Patriots will play the New York Giants on Monday Night Football to wrap up Week 13, and that is a huge game for New England, as a win would thrust them back to the top of the AFC standings and could keep themselves at a safe distance from the Buffalo Bills.
The Denver Broncos keep winning, and it really seems like the no. 1 seed in the AFC will be the Pats or the Broncos. However, the NFL has been super uncertain this year, so anything could truly happen at this point.
If we look further down the standings, the Wild Card race is only going to get more intense. Let's try to get some clarity on this conference with our updated AFC power rankings.
Broncos continue to hold top spot in updated AFC Power Rankings following Week 13
16. Las Vegas Raiders
Given the circumstances, the Raiders are the worst team in the AFC, as they tried to load up to win this year, and the complete opposite happened. The newly-acquired duo of Geno Smith and Pete Carroll has turned into one of the worst decisions by any team this past offseason.
15. Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans might be a solid three years away from becoming something in the AFC again, and that assumes they hit on this next coaching staff and bring in the right players.
14. Cleveland Browns
Well, at least the Cleveland Browns have Myles Garrett, right? The Browns keep losing but do have the blueprint on defense, so the emphasis should be on the offensive side of the ball this coming offseason.
13. New York Jets
The New York Jets are still fighting despite having below-average talent pretty much everywhere. The Jets do have a ton of NFL Draft capital, so that could spur things here in the coming seasons.
12. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals defeated the Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving and are actually still very much alive in the AFC North, but they do not control their own destiny and likely need to win out and get a ton of help to get into the postseason.
11. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers were once 4-1. Now 6-6, things are unraveling, and the streak of non-losing seasons could truly be on the line here in 2025. At the end of the day, this might be what the franchise needs.
10. Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are now 5-7 on the season and are actually beginning to look like a competent team. All of a sudden, they trail a team like the Kansas City Chiefs by just one game in the AFC standings. Here come the Dolphins?
9. Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are not a good football team - the roster talent is below-average, and the team simply cannot close out games anymore. KC is on the outside, looking in.
8. Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are saving their season after a 1-5 start, but a shaky loss to the Cincinnati Bengals makes me think this team isn't going to be much of a threat in the postseason if they even get there. Both Baltimore and Pittsburgh might be in a situation where it's either an AFC North title or no playoffs altogether.
7. Los Angeles Chargers
The LA Chargers have a bad offensive line and below-average depth. They are likely going to hang on to a Wild Card seed, but they won't win a playoff game this year.
6. Indianapolis Colts
The Colts are reeling at the wrong time, but they are still at least tied record-wise with the Jaguars for first in the AFC South, so they are by no means out of anything.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are now in possession of first place in the AFC South, but I do have concerns about the consistency of QB Trevor Lawrence. If nothing else, it's abundantly clear that the right coaching staff was brought in.
4. Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills blew out the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13 and got back on the right track. Still trailing the New England Patriots in the AFC East, Buffalo is running out of time to win the division.
3. Houston Texans
Here come the Houston Texans. Now 7-5 on the season, Houston is peaking at the right time, and their defense is just punishing. The Texans were once 0-3 and have since gone 7-2. I would pick them to stand atop the AFC South when it's all said and done.
2. New England Patriots
The New England Patriots will look to retain the best record in the NFL for themselves with a win over the New York Giants on Monday Night Football in Week 13, but the Pats' OL is banged up, and the Giants are getting Jaxson Dart back into the lineup.
1. Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are 10-2 on the season and now winners of nine in a row. It's hard to not rank Denver as the top team, as they are the best and most well-rounded club in the conference.