It\u2019s been more than two months since the New England Patriots lost a football game. After falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3, the Patriots have rattled off nine consecutive wins, the latest coming Sunday with a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, to surge to the top of the AFC standings. The 10-2 Patriots, the first team to reach double digits in the win column, are in the driver\u2019s seat to secure the No. 1 seed in the AFC for the first time since 2017.<\/p>\n
They got an assist in that pursuit from the Chiefs, as Kansas City kept its own playoff hopes alive by knocking off the AFC South-leading Indianapolis Colts in overtime. Indianapolis was tied with New England in the loss column before Sunday\u2019s defeat but has slipped to 8-3. Meanwhile, the Chiefs secured a much-needed win, but they\u2019re still on the outside of the playoff picture right now.<\/p>\n
Over in the NFC, the Philadelphia Eagles blew a 21-point lead against the Dallas Cowboys and are looking up at the Los Angeles Rams in the standings. Los Angeles waxed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 34-7 on Sunday night and is in control of its destiny as the only two-loss team in the NFC.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s take a look at what else happened around the NFL in Week 12.<\/a><\/p>\n Listed odds to make the playoffs, win the division and secure the No. 1 seed are all via The Athletic\u2019s NFL Projection Model, created by Austin Mock. Go check out our NFL Playoff Simulator<\/a> to play out your favorite team\u2019s path to the playoffs.\u00a0<\/p>\n New England Patriots<\/p>\n Good teams usually need to win a couple of weird games every season, and that’s about how you could describe the Patriots’ 26-20 survival in Cincinnati<\/a>. However, injuries are starting to mount in the trenches, with defensive tackle Milton Williams (ankle) already on injured reserve and left tackle Will Campbell (knee) and left guard Jared Wilson (ankle) carted off Sunday. It would be tough to sustain this level of play without their standout rookie linemen.<\/p>\n Next three weeks:<\/strong><\/a> vs. Giants, bye, vs. Bills<\/p>\n Denver Broncos<\/p>\n Here’s a bizarre trend the Broncos must buck: They’ve lost the turnover battle in five of their nine victories this season. No one else entered Sunday with more than two such wins this season. Suffice it to say, that’s not a strategy worth testing as the stakes continue to rise.<\/p>\n Next three weeks<\/a>: <\/strong>at Commanders, at Raiders, vs. Packers<\/p>\n Indianapolis Colts<\/p>\n The Colts’ top-ranked offense closed their overtime loss against the Chiefs with four consecutive three-and-outs. This was a golden opportunity for the Colts to show they’re capable of closing out a high-quality opponent, but they instead blew a 20-9 lead<\/a> in the fourth quarter. And as the Colts attempt to win their first AFC South title since 2014, that was just the start of a daunting stretch to close the season.<\/p>\n Next three weeks<\/a>: <\/strong>vs. Texans, at Jaguars, at Seahawks<\/p>\n Baltimore Ravens<\/p>\n When the Ravens improved \u2014 again, improved \u2014 to 2-5, they became the betting favorites to overtake the Steelers, who looked shaky themselves at 4-3. The Ravens caught them before Thanksgiving<\/a> and could have a hold on the AFC North in a couple of weeks if they’re able to take the first of two upcoming meetings with their longtime rivals.<\/p>\n Next three weeks<\/a>: vs. Bengals, vs. Steelers, at Bengals<\/p>\n Los Angeles Chargers<\/p>\n The Chargers were 7-4 last season before closing with four wins in six games to reach the playoffs. They’ve got only a one-game cushion on three wild-card hopefuls, so the Chargers are likely to need a similar finish to reach the postseason again. This could be the first time since 2006-09 the Chargers have made the playoffs in consecutive seasons.<\/p>\n Next three weeks:<\/strong><\/a> vs. Raiders, vs. Eagles, at Chiefs<\/p>\n Jacksonville Jaguars<\/p>\n The Jaguars climbed into the No. 6 seed by riding the full gamut with quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who had 256 yards, three touchdowns, three interceptions and a lost fumble that was returned for a touchdown in a 27-24 overtime victory against the Arizona Cardinals. Lawrence also followed his third pick with a perfect touchdown drive to give the Jags a 24-21 fourth-quarter lead. They’re now just a game behind the Colts, with both matchups with their AFC South rival still on the docket, and it’s all there for the taking in coach Liam Coen’s debut season.<\/a><\/p>\n Next three weeks: <\/strong><\/a>\u00a0at Titans, vs. Colts, vs. Jets<\/p>\n Buffalo Bills<\/p>\n The Bills have lost three of their last four road games, which is problematic after falling behind the Patriots by a couple of games in the standings. And the Bills are going to have to face their demons<\/a> with three of their next four games on the road, including a Week 15 showdown in Foxboro. The Bills better figure out their road woes if they’re going to make the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season.<\/p>\n Next three weeks: <\/strong><\/a>\u00a0at Steelers, vs. Bengals, at Patriots<\/p>\n In the hunt<\/p>\n EliminatedLos Angeles Rams<\/p>\n The Rams have won six in a row to seize the NFC’s top seed, and they’ve got style to match the substance. They’re 6-2 against current playoff teams, so they aren’t just beating up inferior opponents. Aside from a tricky, upcoming five-day stretch against the Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks, the rest of the Rams’ schedule looks manageable relative to what they’ve already endured.<\/p>\n Next three weeks:<\/strong><\/a> at Panthers, at Cardinals, vs. Lions<\/p>\n Philadelphia Eagles<\/p>\n The Eagles have been their own worst enemy this season after building huge leads, with Sunday’s 24-21 loss to the Cowboys as merely the latest example. The Eagles nearly coughed up a 21-point advantage to the Bucs in Week 4 and blew a 14-point edge in a Week 5 loss to the Broncos and a 21-point lead Sunday to the Cowboys. Coincidentally, the blown leads could eradicate their tiebreaker over the Rams, which the Eagles earned in Week 3 with a 19-point comeback.<\/p>\n Next three weeks:<\/a> <\/strong>vs. Bears, at Chargers, vs. Raiders<\/p>\n Chicago Bears<\/p>\n The Bears are an astounding 6-1 in games decided by 5 points or less, and the loss was against the Minnesota Vikings in the opener. Who knows how they’ll fare during their challenging closing stretch, but the Bears’ performance in close games<\/a> at least indicates they shouldn’t be intimidated over the final six weeks.<\/p>\n Next three weeks:<\/strong><\/a> at Eagles, at Packers, vs. Browns<\/p>\n Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/p>\n The Bucs have lost four of five, including three straight, to open the door for the surging Carolina Panthers, who can jump into first place in the NFC South on Monday if they beat the San Francisco 49ers. The Bucs’ schedule levels out with three consecutive home games against teams with losing records, but their season might ultimately come down to their two tilts against the Panthers in the final three weeks.<\/p>\n Next three weeks:<\/strong><\/a> vs. Cardinals, vs. Saints, vs. Falcons<\/p>\n Seattle Seahawks<\/p>\n Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba leads the NFL<\/a> with 1,313 receiving yards, and he’s on pace for 2,029 this season, which would make him the first 2,000-yard receiver in league history. But that might also be an ominous accomplishment. Since 2006, Stefon Diggs (Bills, 2020) and Cooper Kupp (Rams, 2021) are the only players to lead the NFL in receiving yards and then win a playoff game.<\/p>\n Next three weeks:<\/strong><\/a> vs. Vikings, at Falcons, vs. Colts<\/p>\n Green Bay Packers<\/p>\n The Packers got themselves right<\/a> with wins against the New York Giants and the Vikings, but now it’s time to find out who they really are. They have a chance to finish off a sweep of the Lions on Thanksgiving before a four-game stretch against teams on the rise. The Packers (2-0) are the only NFC North team without two division losses, and they might need to maintain that distinction to reach the postseason.<\/p>\n\n