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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Adam Stites

NFL standings 2023: AFC South lead will be on the line in Week 12

The Jacksonville Jaguars took care of business Sunday at EverBank Stadium, cruising through the Tennessee Titans for a 34-14 blowout win in Week 11.

While the victory pushed the Jaguars’ record to 7-3 and kept them atop the AFC South standings, the Houston Texans stayed hot on their heels by getting a 21-16 win against the Arizona Cardinals. That sets up a duel for first place in the division next week in Houston.

With the Texans already owning one win over the Jaguars this year, a season sweep would secure the tiebreaker and put them on top if they can improve to 7-4 next week.

Here’s what the standings and playoff picture look like around the AFC with only the Super Bowl rematch on Monday night left in Week 11:

AFC South

Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
  1. Jacksonville Jaguars: 7-3
  2. Houston Texans: 6-4
  3. Indianapolis Colts: 5-5
  4. Tennessee Titans: 3-7

The Jaguars and Texans both got wins while the Colts were on bye. It already looked like a two-horse race and that continues to be the case after Week 11.

AFC East

Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
  1. Miami Dolphins: 7-3
  2. Buffalo Bills: 6-5
  3. New York Jets: 4-6
  4. New England Patriots: 2-8

The Dolphins didn’t blow out the Raiders, but they did enough to get a 20-13 win and stay on top of the AFC East. The Bills’ blowout win against the Jets kept the race close, though.

AFC North

Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
  1. Baltimore Ravens: 8-3
  2. Cleveland Browns: 7-3
  3. Pittsburgh Steelers: 6-4
  4. Cincinnati Bengals: 5-5

A win over the Bengals kept the Ravens out in front, but it’s the season-ending injuries for the Browns’ Deshaun Watson and Bengals’ Joe Burrow that make the race feel like not much of a race at all. Cleveland stayed close by beating Pittsburgh on Sunday, though.

AFC West

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
  1. Kansas City Chiefs: 7-2
  2. Las Vegas Raiders: 5-6
  3. Denver Broncos: 5-5
  4. Los Angeles Chargers: 4-6

The Chiefs are well out in front of a division that still can’t get another team over .500. While Kansas City will play Monday night against the Eagles, the Broncos were the only AFC West team to win Sunday.

If the AFC playoffs started today...

Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
  1. Kansas City Chiefs: 7-2
  2. Baltimore Ravens: 8-3
  3. Jacksonville Jaguars: 7-3
  4. Miami Dolphins: 7-3
  5. Cleveland Browns: 7-3
  6. Houston Texans: 6-4
  7. Pittsburgh Steelers: 6-4

Outside looking in:

  • Buffalo Bills: 6-5
  • Indianapolis Colts: 5-5
  • Cincinnati Bengals: 5-5
  • Denver Broncos: 5-5

The Jaguars could get a little help from the Eagles on Monday night if they can drop the Chiefs back to 7-3. For now, the Jaguars are sitting in a tie with the Dolphins for the third seed and the tiebreaker currently belongs to Jacksonville via strength of victory.

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