AFC Playoff Picture: Ravens Keep Winning, Keeping Pressure On Patriots
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Baltimore Ravens keep on winning, which keeps adding more pressure to the Patriots atop the AFC standings.
Baltimore improved to 9-2 on the season with their 45-6 shellacking of the L.A. Rams on Monday Night Football, their seventh straight victory. Lamar Jackson remains unstoppable, throwing five touchdowns against Los Angeles, giving him 16 total scores (13 through the air, three on the ground) over the last four games.
Here's a quick glance at the playoff picture in the AFC:
AFC Playoff Picture
1. New England Patriots 10-1
2. Baltimore Ravens 9-2
3. Houston Texans 7-4
4. Kansas City Chiefs 7-4
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5. Buffalo Bills 8-3
6. Pittsburgh Steelers 6-5
In The Hunt
7. Oakland Raiders 6-5
8. Indianapolis Colts 6-5
9. Tennessee Titans 6-5
The Patriots hang on the the No. 1 seed, but the Ravens are right there ready to take advantage of any New England misstep. Baltimore's Week 9 win over New England gives them the tiebreaker over the Patriots, so if the Ravens win out and the Patriots drop a game along the way, Baltimore will take over that No. 1 seed.
Kansas City had their bye week and remain the No. 4 seed, making them the likeliest opponent for the Patriots in the AFC Divisional Round (assuming the standings stay as-is over the next five weeks). After the Pats visit the 3-seeded Texans on Sunday night, they'll host the Chiefs at Gillette in Week 14. Three of New England's next five opponents are AFC playoff teams.
Here is a look at the remaining schedules for the Patriots, Ravens, Texans and Chiefs:
Patriots: @ Houston (7-4), vs. Kansas City (7-4), @ Cincinnati (0-11), vs. Buffalo (8-3), vs. Miami (2-9)
Ravens: vs. San Francisco (10-1), @ Buffalo (8-3), vs. New York Jets (4-7), @ Cleveland (5-6), vs. Pittsburgh (6-5)
Texans: vs. New England (10-1), vs. Denver (3-8), @ Tennessee (6-5), @ Tampa Bay (4-7), vs. Tennessee (6-5)
Chiefs: vs. Oakland (6-5), @ New England (10-1), vs. Denver (3-8), @ Chicago (5-6), vs. L.A. Chargers (4-7)
The Ravens keep winning, and that means the Patriots cannot afford a misstep over the next five weeks if they want the road to Super Bowl LIV to go through Foxboro.