The AFC North is almost certainly going to have just one playoff team, and it is likely to be one of these two teams. They still have two head-to-head games remaining on the schedule, including a Week 18 game in Pittsburgh.
Both teams are 6-6 and neither one is going into this game looking overly impressive. There are also significant injury concerns with both quarterbacks as Pittsburgh’s Aaron Rodgers and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson are both dealing with injuries.
They are flawed teams backing into the game, but it is still a massive game that will dramatically change the AFC North race.
It was only a few weeks ago that the Colts were 7-1 and looked to be in complete control of the AFC South.
Now they have lost three of their past four games, find themselves tied for the top spot with Jacksonville and have Houston just one game behind them.
The rest of their schedule is also daunting as they play one more game against Houston, both games against Jacksonville and also non-division games against the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers. Will they even win any of them? Could they go from the No. 1 seed in the AFC to out of the playoffs entirely? It is not out of the question to think that they could finish in third place in the division the way things are going and the way the remaining schedule looks.
The big question with the Bears in the first half was the fact they had not really beaten any good teams, and in fact were blown out by the two potential playoff teams they played. It created some questions as to what they would do with their second-half schedule that featured an extensive list of playoff contenders.
They made a big statement over the past two weeks with wins over the Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles.
Now they are getting another big test on Sunday against a Packers team that is looking like a top contender in the NFC.
It is the third game of the weekend where first place is on the line.
If the Bears win this game, there should be no more questioning of them or their schedule. They will be legit.
Another week, another pivotal game for the Chiefs and the playoff chances. After losing to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving the Chiefs now find themselves in a position where they have almost no margin for error the rest of the way. Even one more loss could be enough to knock them out of the playoffs this season. That would be unheard of based on the preseason expectations and what they have done in the Andy Reid-Patrick Mahomes era.
Houston, meanwhile, can not only strengthen its wild-card chances, but also keep pace in the AFC South race. The Texans defense might be the best unit in the AFC and that alone makes them a difficult team to deal with right now.
