The 2021 NFL season is ⅔ of the way done and the playoffs are around the corner. But the AFC still has no clear leading contender and the playoff picture changes every week.

The Baltimore Ravens sit at the top of the conference at 8-3 after a 16-10 win over the Cleveland Browns, an AFC North rival, on Sunday Night Football. Upcoming divisional matches against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals will be key in keeping their spot at #1.

As for the rest of the AFC North, the Bengals (7-4) currently are at #5 and are the Ravens’ biggest threat for the division title. The Browns have been plagued by inconsistency and are fighting for a wild card spot, while the Steelers face an uphill battle to finish over .500. 

After a 2-4 start, the New England Patriots have roared back, winning six games in a row to bring them to the #2 spot with a 8-4 record. They are also the top team in the AFC East, leaping over the 7-4 Buffalo Bills.

The Bills, currently in the #6 wild card spot, are one game behind the Patriots and fighting for the divisional title after starting the season off as Super Bowl contenders.

Another shakeup in the AFC came when the #1 Tennessee Titans dropped to #3 after a 36-13 loss to the Patriots on Sunday. The Titans, who are now 2-2 in their last four games without star running back Derrick Henry, are still the top team in the AFC South. But the Indianapolis Colts have rebounded to 6-6 and loom as a threat to the Titans.

But the AFC West has been the most consistently interesting division to watch. The Kansas City Chiefs have gone on a 4-game winning streak, ending their rough 3-4 start. They sit at #4 and the top of the AFC West after being written off early on.

The rest of the division is going to be a tight race. The Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, and Las Vegas Raiders all are 6-5. Of these three, the Chargers currently hold the #7 wild card spot, but this is by no means a safe hold.

The Chargers, Raiders, and Broncos all started the season strong, but have struggled over the middle part of the season. The Raiders in particular have had a rough patch after the resignation of head coach Jon Gruden. All three of these teams have plenty of work to do in order to make the playoffs.

Six more weeks remain in the season, and if they are anything like the season has been thus far, it will be a wild, unpredictable ride.