(Photo : Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – SEPTEMBER 18: Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens runs for a fourth quarter landing in entrance of cornerback Xavien Howard #25 of the Miami Dolphins at M&T Bank Stadium on September 18, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland.
In the winding down of the NFL common season, the NFL playoff mix-up is revving up. If you check out the present NFL standings 2023, you will see issues are loads nearer than they appear. The ultimate two weeks of the NFL common season are going to have us all sitting on the perimeters of our seats as no workforce is de facto protected; making the phrase “any given Sunday” extra relevant than ever earlier than.
NFL Standings 2023: AFC Showdowns
Get prepared for these final two weeks, particularly within the AFC, as a result of it is about to be a wild experience. The American Football Conference holds so many playoff contenders that it nearly builds the argument so as to add extra groups to the playoff slate.
Starting on the high, we’ve the Baltimore Ravens and the Miami Dolphins. Baltimore simply got here off a decisive win towards the scary San Francisco 49ers. In this sport the Ravens protection made Niners quarterback Brock Purdy want he was Mr. Irrelevant once more and never within the MVP race. Now the Dolphins simply got here off a giant win towards the Dallas Cowboys, though it wasn’t as convincing as we’re used to in Miami wins.
We all acquired a present on Christmas because the Ravens performed the 49ers in a speculated Super Bowl preview, however now we get a possible AFC Championship preview with Miami heading to Baltimore for his or her matchup on New Years Eve. The Ravens stand at 12-3, whereas the Dolphins maintain an 11-4 document; which implies Miami has an opportunity to steal the one seed within the AFC.
And now, with all this concept of the Dolphins stealing the highest spot from the Ravens; Miami may additionally fall flat on their face and lose the AFC East Division Title. The Dolphins face fairly a gauntlet within the final two weeks; enjoying the Ravens this week and the Buffalo Bills the next.
As we point out the Bills, we are able to look into their AFC East run down the playoff stretch. The Bills are arguably the most well liked workforce within the AFC as they received 4 of their final 5 video games, with two of their wins coming towards the Super Bowl Champs Kansas City Chiefs and the common season champs Dallas Cowboys. If the Bills win this week towards the New England Patriots, they’ve an opportunity to snatch the division from Miami of their Week 18 showdown.
Related Article: NFL Standings 2023: NFC Fighting for Survival
Even Baltimore is not protected from playoff blunders within the ultimate two weeks because the Cleveland Browns are respiratory down their necks. The Browns, led by none aside from former Ravens Super Bowl Champ quarterback Joe Flacco, can knock the wind out of their sails. The Ravens play the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18, so the ultimate two video games for Baltimore might be fairly robust to tug out.
Now for the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs held the hopes of constructing the brand new NFL dynasty, however because it appears this 12 months, they’re taking like their receivers and dropping the ball. Anything can occur as soon as playoffs come round, however it might be odd to not fear a little bit bit about this workforce. The obsession of tight finish Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift is past a distraction together with quarterback Patrick Mahomes principally making an attempt to throw penalty flags extra typically than landing passes.
After falling to the AFC West division rivals Las Vegas Raiders, the Chiefs may very well be in bother of shedding the division title. The Raiders and Denver Broncos are positively on the surface wanting in because the eleventh and twelfth groups within the standings with a document of 7-8, however do have a slim likelihood of creating playoffs as a wild card and even stealing the division from the Chiefs. Their Chiefs’ subsequent two video games are towards the Cincinnati Bengals, who’ve notoriously given the Chiefs a tough time; and towards the Los Angeles Chargers, who simply went toe to toe with the Buffalo Bills.
NFL Standings 2023: Get Ready for Playoff Musical Chairs
Finally is the 5 workforce tie between the remainder of the AFC playoff contenders. The Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Cincinnati Bengals all have a document of 8-7 and are within the hunt for playoff spots. The Jaguars have essentially the most to lose as they share the identical document as their AFC South division rivals, the Colts and Texans. The Jags are positively limping to the tip of the common season as their quarterback Trevor Lawrence is enjoying by way of fairly just a few accidents in the direction of the tip of the season. The Colts are making a incredible run with backup quarterback Gardner Minshew, however did fall to the odd Atlanta Falcons this previous week. The Texans might need the most effective probabilities out of those two with their savior being rookie quarterback CJ Stroud probably coming back from a concussion damage this week.
The Steelers and Bengals proceed their brawl within the AFC North division. Both groups are lacking their beginning quarterbacks however proceed to grind out robust wins and keep aggressive in every sport. The Steelers having the sting between the 2, being that they simply defeated the Bengals in Week 16 by way of protection and extensive receiver George Pickens erupting for a monster sport.
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