There are three 8-2 teams in the NFL. All of them reside in the AFC.
New England, Indianapolis and Denver are locked in a three-way tie atop the conference.
While Buffalo (6-3), Kansas City (5-4), Baltimore (4-5), and the Los Angeles Chargers (7-3) could very well be in the mix for that spot down the stretch, let’s focus on the three at the top.
Which team has the best chance to be the AFC’s top seed?
How do the Patriots stack up? Given how well they’re playing, the No. 1 seed is definitely on the table.
Here’s the tale of the tape:
Falcons Patriots Football
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel speaks with quarterback Drake Maye (10) during the second half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)AP
Patriots
Head coach: Mike Vrabel
Quarterback:Drake Maye
Points for: 265
Points against: 192
Points per game: 26.5
Points allowed per game: 19.2
Wins of note: Buffalo, Tampa Bay
Toughest remaining opponents: Buffalo, Baltimore
Current win streak: 7
Reason to believe: Head coach/QB
Reason to doubt: Lack of depth
Remaining schedule:
Thu, Nov 13 —vs NY Jets
Sun, Nov 23 —at Cincinnati
Mon, Dec 1 —vs NY Giants
Sun, Dec 14 —vs Buffalo
Sun, Dec 21 —at Baltimore
Sun, Dec 28 —at NY Jets
Sun, Jan 4 — vs Miami
My take: The Patriots are in the driver’s seat. Unlike the other two 8-2 teams, their road is paved. If they take care of business, just beating the teams they’re supposed to beat will get them to 13-4. That should be good enough to claim the top seed. Given how they’ve delivered at every crossroad and checkpoint, there’s no reason to suspect they won’t finish the job. They have the Coach of the Year favorite, and the MVP frontrunner. Tough to beat that. Beyond that, there’s something really special going on. You can see it on the field, and feel it in the locker room. At this stage, it’s hard to bet against Vrabel-Maye and a very good, well-coached Patriots football team.
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) plays during the first half of an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021.
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) plays during the first half of an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021.AP
Colts
Head coach: Shane Steichen
Quarterback: Daniel Jones
Points for: 321
Points against: 206
Points per game: 32.1 (tops in NFL)
Points allowed per game: 20.6
Wins of note: Denver, LA Chargers
Toughest remaining opponents: Kansas City, Jacksonville, Seattle, San Francisco
Current win streak: 1
Reason to believe: Jonathan Taylor
Reason to doubt: Remaining schedule
Remaining schedule:
Sun, Nov 23 — at Kansas City
Sun, Nov 30 — vs Houston
Sun, Dec 7 — at Jacksonville
Sun, Dec 14 — at Seattle
Mon, Dec 22 — vs San Francisco
Sun, Dec 28 — vs Jacksonville
Sun, Jan 4 - at Houston
My take: Much like the Patriots, they’ve had to prove themselves to the doubters every week. Having Daniel Jones at quarterback has also given reason for pause. Credit to Steichen for putting Jones in a position to succeed. And Jones’s stats (15 TD passes, 7 picks) are good, not great. But this situation isn’t like the Patriots. The quarterback isn’t the straw that stirs the drink. Running back Jonathan Taylor is having an MVP-type campaign. He’s the lynchpin. The Colts needed every bit of his 244 rushing yards to take down Atlanta Sunday. The Eagles won the Super Bowl last year riding Saquon Barkley. I’m just not sold the Colts can keep up the pace with the AFC leaders given their remaining schedule and their reliance on Taylor.
Broncos Texans Football
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) scrambles out of the pocket under pressure from Houston Texans defensive end Danielle Hunter (55) in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)AP
Broncos
Head coach: Sean Payton
Quarterback: Bo Nix
Points for: 235
Points against: 173
Points per game: 23.5
Points allowed per game: 17.3
Wins of note: Philadelphia
Toughest remaining opponents: Kansas City (twice), Green Bay, Jacksonville, LA Chargers
Current win streak: 7
Reason to believe: Their defense
Reason to doubt: Remaining schedule
Remaining schedule:
Sun, Nov 16 — vs Kansas City
Sun, Nov 30 — at Washington
Sun, Dec 7 — at Las Vegas
Sun, Dec 14 — vs Green Bay
Sun, Dec 21 — vs Jacksonville
Thu, Dec 25 — at Kansas City
Sun, Jan 4 — vs LA Chargers
My take: They’ve been squeaking by in games of late. Payton’s experience at the helm is certainly a plus. He’s won a Super Bowl and Coach of the Year honors. He’s done a great job bringing Nix along. The Broncos defense? A difference-making unit. That group will keep the Broncos in every game. That said, having two games against the Chiefs and finishing with a KC-Chargers combo will make-or-break them down the stretch. The one advantage that might help their cause, is having four of the last seven games at Mile High. But even with that, all four opponents in those games have winning record and will be fighting to solidify playoff spots.
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