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AFC playoff picture, Week 16: Buffalo Bills stay put at 11

The Bills didn’t move up at all in the standings after their latest win.

The Buffalo Bills beat the Cleveland Browns but had almost every other outcome go against them Sunday. Last-minute wins by the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans as well as a close win by the Houston Texans made Buffalo’s uphill climb even more difficult. Here is how the AFC currently shakes out.

AFC Standings

1. New England Patriots (12-2^)
2. Oakland Raiders (11-3^)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-5)
4. Houston Texans (8-6, head-to-head win over TEN)
5. Kansas City Chiefs (10-4)
6. Miami Dolphins (9-5)
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7. Baltimore Ravens (8-6, 7-3 AFC)7
8. Tennessee Titans (8-6, 5-5 AFC, head-to-head win over DEN)
9. Denver Broncos (8-6, 5-5 AFC, head-to-head loss to TEN)
10. Indianapolis Colts (7-7, 4-6 AFC, 1-1 in common games vs BUF)
11. Buffalo Bills (7-7, 4-6 AFC record, 1-2 in common games vs IND)
12. Cincinnati Bengals (5-8-1*)
13. San Diego Chargers (5-9*)
14. New York Jets (4-10*)
15. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-12*)
16. Cleveland Browns (0-14*)

^ Clinched a playoff spot
* Eliminated from the playoff race.

(Here are the tiebreaker procedures if you’d like: http://www.nfl.com/standings/tiebreakingprocedures)

What it means

Buffalo should be able to pass the Colts this week with a win, as Indianapolis plays the Raiders who are fighting for a division crown and homefield advantage. A loss by the Broncos to the Chiefs would move Buffalo past them, as well, and up into ninth place. A fluky win by the Jaguars, who fired their coach Gus Bradley yesterday, could put the Bills in a tie with the Titans and even the teams in record vs common opponent. Without doing the math, I’m pretty sure Tennessee has a better strength of victory after wins over KC, Green Bay and Detroit. Buffalo won’t be able to pass Baltimore this week.

We’ll have a full elimination scenario post and rooting interests for you later this week, so stay tuned.