2023-10-22 20:39:06
The Jacksonville Jaguars won a fourth straight game when they beat the New Orleans Saints on Thursday. The team’s back-to-back losses in September are far in the rear view mirror and the Jaguars now sit 5-2 with their playoff aspirations very much in tact.
It has helped Jacksonville’s chances that no other team in the AFC South has been able to stay above .500. The closest are the Houston Texans, who remain at 3-3 after a Week 7 bye.
The Indianapolis Colts had a chance to stay a game behind the Jaguars, but gave up a go-ahead touchdown with 15 seconds left in a wild, 39-38 shootout loss to the Cleveland Browns.
There’s plenty of football left to be played, including three more divisional games for the Jaguars, but here’s where things currently stand in the AFC South and the rest of the NFL after the 1 p.m. ET slate of games in Week 7:
AFC South
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Jacksonville Jaguars: 5-2
Houston Texans: 3-3
Indianapolis Colts: 3-4
Tennessee Titans: 2-4
Both the Texans and Titans were off this week and the Jaguars took care of business Thursday, so the only AFC South team playing Sunday were the Colts.
Next week, the Jaguars will travel to play the Pittsburgh Steelers while the Texans will face the winless Carolina Panthers on the road. Jacksonville will travel to play in Houston three days after Thanksgiving in Week 12.
AFC East
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Miami Dolphins: 5-1
Buffalo Bills: 4-3
New York Jets: 3-3
New England Patriots: 2-5
The Bills’ issues run a lot deeper than jet lag. New England snapped a three-game losing streak with a 29-25 win against Buffalo.
With two losses in their last three games, the Bills are giving the Dolphins the chance to start pulling away. A Sunday night road game against the Eagles will determine if Miami seizes that opportunity.
AFC North
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Baltimore Ravens: 5-2
Cleveland Browns: 4-2
Pittsburgh Steelers: 3-2
Cincinnati Bengals: 3-3
The Ravens entered the weekend as the AFC North leader and stayed there by blowing the doors off the Lions in a 38-6 win. Things were far less smooth for the Browns, but they did enough to stay a half-game behind Baltimore and out in front of the wild card race.
AFC West
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Kansas City Chiefs: 5-1
Las Vegas Raiders: 3-4
Los Angeles Chargers: 2-3
Denver Broncos: 1-5
The only AFC West team that played in the 1 p.m. games were the Raiders, who suffered an embarrassing 30-12 loss to the Tyson Bagent-led Bears. The division has belonged to the Chiefs for close to a decade at this point and that doesn’t look like it’s changing in 2023.
If the AFC playoffs started today…
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Kansas City Chiefs: 5-1
Miami Dolphins: 5-1
Baltimore Ravens: 5-2
Jacksonville Jaguars: 5-2
Cleveland Browns: 4-2
Pittsburgh Steelers: 3-2
Buffalo Bills: 4-3
Jacksonville didn’t catch the Ravens in Week 7 and it remains to be seen if the Jaguars will make up ground on the Chiefs and/or Dolphins for the top seeds. Kansas City is playing the Chargers in a game that kicked off at 4:25 p.m. ET and the Dolphins will play the Eagles on Sunday night.
If the NFC playoffs started today…
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San Francisco 49ers: 5-1
Philadelphia Eagles: 5-1
Detroit Lions: 5-2
Atlanta Falcons: 4-3
Dallas Cowboys: 4-2
Seattle Seahawks: 3-2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 3-3
The Lions fell out of the three-way tie at the top of the NFC with their blowout loss. The Eagles will try to stake their claim for the No. 1 seed Sunday night and the 49ers will have a chance to stay on top Monday night.
Story originally appeared on Jaguars Wire
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