2021 NFL Playoff Picture Week 14 - 5 AFC teams battling for the wild card spots

The 2021 NFL postseason is fast approaching and the race in the AFC is an exciting one. That's true from the No 1 seed all the way down. 13 teams are still right in the mix, and the wild card spots feature a thrilling race that could see teams swap spots all the way until the end of Week 18.

Every single division in the AFC remains up for the taking, but let's look at five teams currently in the Wild Card race heading into Week 14.

5 NFL teams in the AFC wild card race

#5 - Indianapolis Colts, 7-6

The Indianapolis Colts have enjoyed a fantastic turnaround following a 1-4 start to the season. Carson Wentz has settled in and running back Jonathan Taylor is playing at an MVP level.

The Colts are currently 7-6 heading into a bye this week. That means they can sit back and see how all the competition plays out as they look to rise up from the ninth overall spot in the AFC standings.

Three play-action throws from Carson Wentz in a win over the Houston Texans:

*Hitting the deep out on time
*Stepping up on a nicely-designed in cut
*Setting the front foot when throwing to the left https://t.co/olX9dU7Ua1

One knock against the Colts is that they do have some easy victories this year. They have beaten the New York Jets, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Houston Texans (twice). But they also have overtime losses against tough NFL foes in the Baltimore Ravens and the Tennessee Titans. This type of season basically sums up how it has been for every AFC contender in 2021.

The Colts are also just one win behind the Titans in the AFC South standings. But Tennessee fo own the head-to-head tiebreaker. Yet, even if the Colts get stuck in the wild card jam, they can still find a way to win the division if the Titans falter down the stretch.

#4 - Pittsburgh Steelers, 6-5-1

The Pittsburgh Steelers just keep hanging around in what seems to be Ben Roethlisberger's final season in town and perhaps in the NFL overall. The team started 1-3, and when all hope seemed lost, won four in a row to get to 5-3. They are 1-2-1 since then and find themselves eighth overall in the AFC heading into Week 14.

Most sacks in the NFL year by year:

2017: Steelers (56)
2018: Steelers (52), Chiefs (52)
2019: Steelers (54)
2020: Steelers (56)
2021: Steelers (37) https://t.co/yiHwpeVMaE

Their remaining schedule includes the Minnesota Vikings, the Tennessee Titans, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens. That is not easy by any means, but the Steelers are so up-and-down this year that it is tough to predict which version of them will show up on a weekly basis.

For example, they were embarrassed by the Cincinnati Bengals only two weeks ago. The final score was 41-10 and it looked like the Steelers were done for good. They took down Baltimore on Sunday and now have a quick turnaround on Thursday against a Vikings team that has just lost to the Detroit Lions.

Anything is possible if Roethlisberger can provide competent play under center and if the defense plays tough like it did against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens.