The NFL has officially hit the midway point of its regular season, and the Kansas City Chiefs are in very unfamiliar territory. There's still plenty that can and will change over the two most important months of the league calendar, but as we get set to enter the thick of November, it’s time to look at the updated playoff seeding.
The current conference standings in the AFC show Kansas City would be left out of the playoff field if the postseason were to start today. With that in mind, let's see which AFC teams are currently in playoff spots.
### AFC Playoff Standings after Week 9
If the playoffs were starting this week, here is what the AFC field would look like.
* 1 seed: Indianapolis Colts (7-2)
* 2 seed: New England Patriots (7-2)
* 3 seed: Denver Broncos (7-2)
* 4 seed: Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3)
* 5 seed: Buffalo Bills (6-2)
* 6 seed: Los Angeles Chargers (6-3)
* 7 seed: Jacksonville Jaguars (5-3)
As we enter Week 10, the current AFC division leaders are likely not who anyone expected to be in those spots at this point in the year. The Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots both sit at 7-2. Their remarkable turnarounds have been largely believable. But as we get deeper into the season, each team will have to prove itself against a stiffer schedule to end the season.
The Denver Broncos were liked as a playoff team entering the season. Led by their defense, can they find the offensive success to come through when it matters most? As for the other division leader, the Pittsburgh Steelers are likely to continue being a roller coaster until the playoff field is finalized.
Obviously, the Buffalo Bills have the pedigree of the current Wild Card teams. They will still have to battle immensely to pass the Patriots for the AFC East crown. A win over the Chiefs certainly gives them some added momentum, though.
As for the Los Angeles Chargers and the Jacksonville Jaguars, there are clear flaws in parts of their squads. Each has key wins over Kansas City so far, however. The Chiefs will get another shot at the Bolts in Kansas City in December. Will the historical blues that have plagued the Chargers and Jaguars follow them into the crunch time of the season?
### Teams on the outside of the AFC Playoff Picture
Let's turn our attention to the rest of the AFC standings. Here is how things stack for teams currently on the outside of the playoff field.
* 8th: Kansas City Chiefs (5-4)
* 9th: Houston Texans (3-5)
* 10th: Baltimore Ravens (3-5)
* 11th: Cincinnati Bengals (3-6)
* 12th: Las Vegas Raiders (2-6)
* 13th: Cleveland Browns (2-6)
* 14th: Miami Dolphins (2-7)
* 15th: New York Jets (1-7)
* 16th: Tennessee Titans (1-8)
The Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens have the most firepower to eventually earn a playoff spot after spending time on the outside looking in. Lamar Jackson’s return from injury led to Baltimore steamrolling the hapless Miami Dolphins in Week 9. Even while Jackson was out, the sportsbooks still had faith that they could turn it around once he returned. Despite a two-game deficit behind the Steelers, the Ravens are still favored to win the AFC North.
Kansas City is at a new crossroads. [They’re having more fun than last season](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6755354/2025/10/28/chiefs-patrick-mahomes-fun-commanders/), as the players have said. Despite more losses than last year, they believe they have what it takes to still reach their ultimate goal. But of course, the urgency is greater sitting at 5-4. The way in which they respond to close out November will likely tell us what kind of run K.C. is capable of this season. Even if they do not win the division, their ability to flip the switch come playoff time will still put a sense of fear into any postseason opponent they face. The Chiefs will have to get there first to accomplish that.
Houston seems to be the only other team that could make a turnaround to reach the playoffs. The hope lies solely within their hard-hitting defense. C.J. Stroud is now in concussion protocol, and even before he got hurt, the offensive line remained a major weakness for the Texans. Can they find a way to reverse course in time to challenge for a wild card?