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AFC NEWS AND NOTES
AFC PLAYOFF PICTURE TAKING SHAPE
The countdown begins as the NFL calendar turns to December.
Among the teams seeking to strengthen their position in a tight AFC playoff race are the Kansas City Chiefs (9-2), who host the Denver Broncos (9-2) on Sunday (CBS, 4:25 ET). The winner of Chiefs-Broncos would control their own destiny in hopes for the AFC West title and No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs with four games remaining.
Chiefs first-year head coach ANDY REID, who led the Eagles to nine postseason appearances in 14 seasons, including five NFC Championship Game appearances and one trip to the Super Bowl, is aware of what awaits.
"This is what's fun about this business," says Reid. "You get to this time of the year and you're in the hunt, what a beautiful thing that is. You remember where this thing started, way back in February and March. You have an opportunity where these games mean something. That's the exciting part of it."
Patriots head coach BILL BELICHICK, who has guided his team to an NFL-best 47-8 (.855) record in December since 2000, knows the importance of the coming weeks.
"I would say that the season for us is kind of starting now," says Belichick. "What happens this year will be determined by what happens in the next five weeks. This is where this team and every other team will define itself."
The remaining strength of schedule for the 14 AFC teams either in or within one game of a playoff spot:
AFC EAST
TEAM
NEW ENGLAND (8-3)
NEW YORK JETS (5-6)
MIAMI (5-6)
BUFFALO (4-7)
OPP. RECORD
20-35 (.364)
26-29 (.473)
27-28 (.491)
20-35 (.364)
WEEK 13
at Houston (2-9)
Miami (5-6)
at New York Jets (5-6)
Atlanta (2-9)
WEEK 14
Cleveland (4-7)
Oakland (4-7)
at Pittsburgh (5-6)
at Tampa Bay (3-8)
WEEK 15
at Miami (5-6)
at Carolina (8-3)
New England (8-3)
at Jacksonville (2-9)
WEEK 16
at Baltimore (5-6)
Cleveland (4-7)
at Buffalo (4-7)
Miami (5-6)
WEEK 17
Buffalo (4-7)
at Miami (5-6)
New York Jets (5-6)
at New England (8-3)
AFC NORTH
TEAM
CINCINNATI (7-4)
PITTSBURGH (5-6)
BALTIMORE (5-6)
CLEVELAND (4-7)
OPP. RECORD
24-30-1 (.445)
26-28-1 (.482)
28-26-1 (.518)
26-29 (.473)
WEEK 13
at San Diego (5-6)
at Baltimore (5-6)
Pittsburgh (5-6)
Jacksonville (2-9)
WEEK 14
Indianapolis (7-4)
Miami (5-6)
Minnesota (2-8-1)
at New England (8-3)
WEEK 15
at Pittsburgh (5-6)
Cincinnati (7-4)
at Detroit (6-5)
Chicago (6-5)
WEEK 16
Minnesota (2-8-1)
at Green Bay (5-5-1)
New England (8-3)
at New York Jets (5-6)
WEEK 17
Baltimore (5-6)
Cleveland (4-7)
at Cincinnati (7-4)
at Pittsburgh (5-6)
AFC SOUTH
TEAM
INDIANAPOLIS (7-4)
TENNESSEE (5-6)
OPP. RECORD
25-30 (.455)
27-28 (.491)
WEEK 13
Tennessee (5-6)
at Indianapolis (7-4)
WEEK 14
at Cincinnati (7-4)
at Denver (9-2)
WEEK 15
Houston (2-9)
Arizona (7-4)
WEEK 16
at Kansas City (9-2)
at Jacksonville (2-9)
WEEK 17
Jacksonville (2-9)
Houston (2-9)
AFC WEST
TEAM
DENVER (9-2)
KANSAS CITY (9-2)
SAN DIEGO (5-6)
OAKLAND (4-7)
OPP. RECORD
25-30 (.455)
28-27 (.509)
33-22 (.600)
34-21 (.618)
WEEK 13
at Kansas City (9-2)
Denver (9-2)
Cincinnati (7-4)
at Dallas (6-5)
WEEK 14
Tennessee (5-6)
at Washington (3-8)
New York Giants (4-7)
at New York Jets (5-6)
WEEK 15
San Diego (5-6)
at Oakland (4-7)
at Denver (9-2)
Kansas City (9-2)
WEEK 16
at Houston (2-9)
Indianapolis (7-4)
Oakland (4-7)
at San Diego (5-6)
WEEK 17
at Oakland (4-7)
at San Diego (5-6)
Kansas City (9-2)
Denver (9-2)
* *
NFC NEWS AND NOTES
PLAYOFF RACES IN FULL SWING AS NFC CLUBS VIE FOR POSITION
As the NFL enters Week 13, there are 24 teams either in or within one game of a playoff spot, including 10 in the NFC.
The New Orleans Saints have the toughest remaining schedule among those NFC clubs, facing opponents with a combined 34-21 (.618) mark.
"From here on in, the only statistic that matters is winning games," says head coach BRUCE ARIANS of the 7-4 Arizona Cardinals. "Whatever we have to do as a football team to win a game, that's all that matters."
The remaining strength of schedule for the 10 NFC teams either in or within one game of a playoff spot:
NFC EAST
TEAM
DALLAS (6-5)
PHILADELPHIA (6-5)
OPP. RECORD
24-30-1 (.445)
27-27-1 (.500)
WEEK 13
Oakland (4-7)
Arizona (7-4)
WEEK 14
at Chicago (6-5)
Detroit (6-5)
WEEK 15
Green Bay (5-5-1)
at Minnesota (2-8-1)
WEEK 16
at Washington (3-8)
Chicago (6-5)
WEEK 17
Philadelphia (6-5)
at Dallas (6-5)
NFC NORTH
TEAM
CHICAGO (6-5)
DETROIT (6-5)
GREEN BAY (5-5-1)
OPP. RECORD
23-30-2 (.436)
22-31-2 (.418)
25-30 (.455)
WEEK 13
at Minnesota (2-8-1)
Green Bay (5-5-1)
at Detroit (6-5)
WEEK 14
Dallas (6-5)
at Philadelphia (6-5)
Atlanta (2-9)
WEEK 15
at Cleveland (4-7)
Baltimore (5-6)
at Dallas (6-5)
WEEK 16
at Philadelphia (6-5)
New York Giants (4-7)
Pittsburgh (5-6)
WEEK 17
Green Bay (5-5-1)
at Minnesota (2-8-1)
at Chicago (6-5)
NFC SOUTH
TEAM
NEW ORLEANS (9-2)
CAROLINA (8-3)
OPP. RECORD
34-21 (.618)
28-27 (.509)
WEEK 13
at Seattle (10-1)
Tampa Bay (3-8)
WEEK 14
Carolina (8-3)
at New Orleans (9-2)
WEEK 15
at St. Louis (5-6)
New York Jets (5-6)
WEEK 16
at Carolina (8-3)
New Orleans (9-2)
WEEK 17
Tampa Bay (3-8)
at Atlanta (2-9)
NFC WEST
TEAM
SEATTLE (10-1)
ARIZONA (7-4)
SAN FRANCISCO (7-4)
OPP. RECORD
32-23 (.582)
33-22 (.600)
27-28 (.491)
WEEK 13
New Orleans (9-2)
at Philadelphia (6-5)
St. Louis (5-6)
WEEK 14
at San Francisco (7-4)
St. Louis (5-6)
Seattle (10-1)
WEEK 15
at New York Giants (4-7)
at Tennessee (5-6)
at Tampa Bay (3-8)
WEEK 16
Arizona (7-4)
at Seattle (10-1)
Atlanta (2-9)
WEEK 17
St. Louis (5-6)
San Francisco (7-4)
at Arizona (7-4)
