2021 NFL Playoff Picture Week 14 - 5 AFC teams battling for wild card spots
Now that Week 14 of the NFL is done, we are getting clarity on all the wild card spots. Playoff spots are especially at a premium for teams that have not been head and shoulders above the other teams this year, but are coming to get some sort of game going to make the postseason.
The AFC is bunched tight, especially with regards to the wild card spots. Now, when we are considering wild card spots, we are ignoring the top four of each division that have an automatic berth. Similarly, if any of the second-placed teams in a division, like the Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC West, have the same win-loss ratio (8-5 in this example) as the top teams in another division, like the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North, we are considering them direct entries and not in play for wild card spots.
Also read: NFL Power Rankings Week 15: Where does every AFC team stand?
This exercise leaves us with five teams, each with a 7-6 record in the AFC, fighting for wild card spots in the conference.
Teams currently occupying wild card spots
#1 - Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are back in playoff contention, mainly due to the exploits of Jonathan Taylor. The presumptive nominee for NFL MVP this year has been responsible for much of the workload that sees the Colts in contention for wild card spots.
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Against Super Bowl favorites such as the Tennessee Titans and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Colts have lost by three and seven points respectively and given a good account of themselves. These are the Colts' only two losses in their last eight games. It points to strong form leading into the end of the season as they look to lock down one of the wild card spots.
#2 - Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills were Super Bowl favorites for much of the early part of the season. Josh Allen was balling hard and the defense was the meanest across yards and points. Then they faced the Indianapolis Colts, where Jonathan Taylor showed the rest of the league how they could be defeated, and now they find themselves behind them in the wild card spots calculation.
The Bills have lost three of their last four games, but their performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would have given them heart as they pulled off a comeback for the ages in regular time, only to then lose in overtime.
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They will be looking to use their experience from last season, when they went all the way to the AFC Championship game, to good effect, and make their way to the playoffs via the wild card spots.
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