The New England Patriots protected their lead atop the AFC standings in Week 11 with a 17-10 road win over the Philadlphia Eagles, improving their record to 9-1.
The defending Super Bowl champs suffered their first loss in Week 9 with a lackluster 37-20 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens, but they recovered nicely after a Week 10 bye to keep their grip on the conference's No. 1 seed. Tom Brady and Co.'s margin error remains is razor thin because the Ravens have the tiebreaker advantage as a result of their head-to-head win two weeks ago.
Speaking of the Ravens, if it wasn't already clear they're a legit Super Bowl contender, quarterback Lamar Jackson made it quite evident Sunday by leading a 41-7 trouncing of the Houston Texans.
The Texans dropped from the No. 3 seed to the No. 6 seed as a result of this defeat, and they lead the Oakland Raiders for this second wild-card spot because of the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Raiders extended their win streak to three games with a 17-10 victory versus the winless Cincinnati Bengals.
The Colts earned a comfortable 33-13 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars to move back into the AFC South lead.
The Kansas Chiefs have the AFC West lead over the Raiders (via the head-to-head tiebreaker) entering their Monday night matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers. It's basically a must-win game for the Chargers, who are 4-6.
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The Buffalo Bills continue to ride a soft schedule to a potential wild card berth. Buffalo beat the Miami Dolphins 37-20 on Sunday.
The NFC race is going to be asbolutely wild down the stretch. There are five teams with an 8-3 record or better, and the fight for the top two seeds -- and the first-round playoff bye they came with -- will be a lot of fun to watch.
Here's the updated NFL playoff picture after Sunday's Week 11 games.
AFC
1. New England Patriots, 9-1 (AFC East leader)
2. Baltimore Ravens, 8-2 (AFC North leader)
3. Indianapolis Colts, 6-4 (AFC South leader)
4. Kansas City Chiefs, 6-4 (AFC West leader)
5. Buffalo Bills, 7-3 (First Wild Card)
6. Houston Texans, 6-4 (Second Wild Card
In the Hunt
7. Oakland Raiders 6-4
8. Pittsburgh Steelers, 5-5
9. Tennesee Titans, 5-5
NFC
1. San Francisco 49ers, 9-1 (NFC West leader)
2. Green Bay Packers, 8-2 (NFC North leader)
3. New Orleans Saints, 8-2 (NFC South leader)
4. Dallas Cowboys, 6-4 (NFC East leader)
5. Seattle Seahawks, 8-2 (First Wild Card
6. Minnesota Vikings, 8-3 (Second Wild Card)
In the Hunt
7. Los Angeles Rams, 5-4
8. Philadelphia Eagles, 5-5
9. Carolina Panthers, 5-5
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