As the season heads into the final half, the haves and have-nots are clear. But how will the season play out?
Ahead of Week 11, Yardbarker writers predict the final record and identify the most important game remaining for all AFC teams.
AFC East
BUFFALO BILLS (8-2) | Predicted final record: 13-4 | Buffalo has rattled off five consecutive wins for the first time since 1993 largely because of QB Josh Allen’s MVP-caliber season. However, the Bills haven’t beaten a team with a winning record, so this upcoming four-game stretch in which they’ll face Kansas City, San Francisco and Detroit will be crucial in determining whether they’re a legitimate Super Bowl contender. | Most important remaining game: vs. Kansas City (Nov. 17)
MIAMI DOLPHINS (3-6) | Predicted final record: (8-9 | 2024 is a lost season for Miami, but the offense has seemingly returned to form now that QB Tua Tagovailoa has healed from the concussion he suffered in Week 2. Over the past three games, the Dolphins are averaging the ninth-most points among teams (25.7), and if they maintain that level of efficiency, they have the potential to play spoiler in the playoff race. | Most important remaining game: vs. San Francisco (Dec. 22)
NEW YORK JETS (3-7) | Predicted final record: 7-10 | The panicked trade for WR Davante Adams has panned out just as poorly as the desperate decision to fire HC Robert Saleh, with the Jets continuing to hit shocking new lows each week. Still, considering New York only has one game remaining against a team with a winning record, it should stack enough wins to fall outside the top 10 in the 2025 NFL Draft, giving Jets fans one last heartache. | Most important remaining game: vs. Indianapolis (Nov. 17)
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (3-7) | Predicted final record: 5-12 | Rookie Drake Maye has shown flashes of being a franchise quarterback through his first five starts, which has helped New England win two of its past three games. Even so, Maye has already committed seven turnovers, and if those struggles persist, the Patriots probably won’t win many more games, especially since they have the third-most difficult remaining schedule, per Tankathon. | Most important remaining game: at Miami (Nov. 24) — Colum Dell
AFC West
DENVER BRONCOS (5-5) | Predicted final record: 9-8 | Denver has lost two straight, but it has the ninth-easiest remaining schedule, per ESPN’s Football Power Index. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix is steadily improving, completing 69 percent of his passes for five TDs and one interception over his past three games. |
Most important remaining game: vs. Kansas City (Jan. 5)
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (9-0) | Predicted final record: 16-1) | Don’t expect the Chiefs to join the 1972 Miami Dolphins and the 2007 New England Patriots as the only teams to finish the regular season undefeated in the Super Bowl era. Their schedule still features challenging matchups against the Texans (6-4), Steelers (7-2) and Bills (8-2), who on Sunday could snap Kansas City’s 15-game win streak dating to last season (including the playoffs). | Most important remaining game: at Buffalo (Nov. 17)
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (2-7) | Predicted final record: 3-14 | Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce hopes replacing recently fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy with Scott Turner will spark a turnaround, but it probably won’t. With Gardner Minshew remaining the starting QB, Vegas’ 25th-ranked scoring offense (18.7) will keep sputtering and the Raiders will keep losing. | Most important remaining game: vs. Denver (Nov. 24)
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (6-3) | Predicted final record: 11-6 | The Chargers are back in the playoff hunt after winning three of their past four, but they’re entering a tricky portion of their schedule. They host the Ravens (7-3) in Week 12 and have road games against the Chiefs (9-0) and Falcons (6-4) in Weeks 13 and 14, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they lose at least one of these games. | Most important remaining game: at Kansas City (Dec. 8) — Clark Dalton
AFC North
PITTSBURGH STEELERS (7-2) | Predicted final record: 11-6 | The Steelers are clinging to a slight lead in the AFC North, but they haven’t played a division opponent. The only non-division teams left on Pittsburgh’s schedule are the Kansas City Chiefs (9-0) and the Philadelphia Eagles (7-2), so Mike Tomlin’s squad could struggle the rest of the way. | Most important remaining game: at Baltimore (Dec. 21)
BALTIMORE RAVENS (7-3) | Predicted final record: 12-5 | The Ravens have played a brutal schedule that doesn’t get much easier down the stretch. Baltimore still must play two games against the Steelers, and its three non-division games are against the Eagles (7-2), Los Angeles Chargers (6-3) and Houston Texans (6-4). | Most important remaining game: vs. Pittsburgh (Nov. 17)
CINCINNATI BENGALS (4-6) | Predicted final record: 9-8 | The Bengals are much better than their 4-6 record suggests, but their only wins have come against teams with losing records. As good as QB Joe Burrow and WR Ja’Marr Chase have been, they haven’t made up for a defense that ranks 26th in the NFL in points allowed per game (26.2). | Most important remaining game: vs. Pittsburgh (Dec. 1)
CLEVELAND BROWNS (2-7) | Predicted final record: 4-13 | Jameis Winston injected needed life into the locker room by leading the Browns to an upset win against the Ravens in his first start, but he came back to earth with three interceptions in a blowout loss to the Chargers the following week. Winston’s volatile style of play could still propel Cleveland to two or three more wins down the stretch. | Most important remaining game: vs. Pittsburgh (Nov. 21) — Jack Dougherty
AFC South
HOUSTON TEXANS (6-4) | Predicted final record: 11-6 | The Texans have hit a rough patch, losing three of their past four games, and the offense is sputtering, mostly because of injuries. Nevertheless, the return of WR Nico Collins, who leads Houston in receiving yards (567) despite being sidelined since Week 5, should help the team get on track over the next four games, which are all against sub-.500 teams. | Most important remaining game: vs. Baltimore (Dec. 25)
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (4-6) | Predicted final record: 7-10 | After dropping their past two games with Joe Flacco at QB, the Colts are swallowing their pride and turning back to second-year QB Anthony Richardson for the remainder of the season. Richardson struggled mightily before his benching, but five of Indianapolis’ next seven opponents have a .300 winning percentage or worse, suggesting it has a realistic chance to finish the season strong. | Most important remaining game: vs. Detroit (Nov. 24)
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (2-8) | Predicted final record: 4-13 | Jacksonville, the worst-rated team by ESPN’s Football Power Index (-8.1), is on the fast track to securing the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft for the third time in five years. The Jaguars’ only wins this season have come against the Flacco-led Colts and the rebuilding Patriots, and with backup Mac Jones now starting QB, they’d be lucky to double their current win total. | Most important remaining game: at Las Vegas (Dec. 22)
TENNESSEE TITANS (2-7) | Predicted final record: 5-12 | Will Levis isn’t the long-term answer at QB, but if he continues to play clean football as he did in last week’s road loss to the Chargers, the Titans should string together late-season wins. Tennessee’s defense has the talent to stay competitive in every contest, as the unit ranks first in yards per game allowed (273.56). | Most important remaining game: at Houston (Nov. 24) — Colum Dell
