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AFC Playoff Picture: Buffalo Bills control AFC East destiny

The Bills control the AFC East

Matt Warren is Associate Director of NFL coverage for SB Nation and previously covered the Bills for Buffalo Rumblings for more than a decade.

The Buffalo Bills control their own path to the AFC East crown. After consecutive wins for the Bills and consecutive losses for the New England Patriots, Buffalo is the leader in the race for the division.

With both teams at 9-6, the Bills are in first place. They split their head-to-head games, but the Patriots’ lost to the Miami Dolphins in Week 1 gives them a worse record in the AFC East. Buffalo’s 4-1 division record tops the Patriots’ 3-2 division record. The Bills play the New York Jets in Week 18 while the Patriots play the Dolphins, who are still alive in the playoff race.

If the Bills win their last two games against the Atlanta Falcons and Jets, they win the AFC East.

Around the AFC this weekend, the Chiefs, Titans, and Bengals all won to stay ahead of the Bills in the race for the number 1 seed. Buffalo is currently fourth.

In the wild card race, the Colts won to stay one game behind the Titans. The raiders pulled it out over the Broncos. The Chargers, Ravens, Browns, and Steelers lost.

We will update the rest of the AFC Playoff Picture as it unfolds this afternoon, but the most important thing is settled for now. The divisional leaders are listed first.

AFC East Standings

  1. Buffalo Bills (9-6, 4-1 AFC)
  2. New England Patriots (9-6, 3-2 AFC East)
  3. Miami Dolphins (7-7)*
  4. NY Jets (4-11)

AFC Standings

  1. Kansas City Chiefs (11-4)-yx
  2. Tennessee Titans (10-5)
  3. Cincinnati Bengals (9-6, 7-3 AFC)
  4. Buffalo Bills (9-6, 6-5 AFC)
  5. Indianapolis Colts (9-6, win over NE)
  6. New England Patriots (9-6, loss to IND)
  7. Baltimore Ravens (8-7, win over LAC)
  8. Los Angeles Chargers (8-7, win over LVR, loss to BAL)
  9. Las Vegas Raiders (8-7, loss to LAC)
  10. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7-1)
  11. Miami Dolphins (7-7)*
  12. Cleveland Browns (7-8, win over DEN)
  13. Denver Broncos (7-8, loss to CLE)
  14. New York Jets (4-11, win over HOU)zz
  15. Houston Texans (4-11, loss to NYJ)zz
  16. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-13)zz

y- Clinched division
x- Clinched playoffs
zz-Eliminated
*- Still to play this week