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The Ravens are now in control of their playoff lives.
Games against Houston and Cleveland definitely make things easier, though Baltimore may want to play a little better — offensively speaking — in those final two outings. As it stands, two wins and they're definitely in. Even with one win, they could be in. Here's how the AFC playoff race looks as of now:
| AFC team | Record | Division |
|---|---|---|
| 1. New England Patriots (AFC East champ) |
11-3-0 | 3-1-0 |
| 2. Denver Broncos (AFC West champ) |
11-3-0 | 5-0-0 |
| 3. Indianapolis Colts (AFC South champ) |
10-4-0 | 5-0-0 |
| 4. Cincinnati Bengals | 9-4-1 | 3-2-0 |
| 5. Pittsburgh Steelers | 9-5-0 | 3-2-0 |
| 6. Baltimore Ravens | 9-5-0 | 2-3-0 |
| 7. Kansas City Chiefs | 8-6-0 | 2-3-0 |
| 8. San Diego Chargers | 8-6-0 | 2-3-0 |
| 9. Buffalo Bills | 8-6-0 | 3-2-0 |
| 10. Houston Texans | 7-7-0 | 3-2-0 |
| 11. Miami Dolphins | 7-7-0 | 3-2-0 |
| 12. Cleveland Browns | 7-7-0 | 2-3-0 |
| 13. New York Jets | 3-11-0 | 0-4-0 |
| 14. Tennessee Titans | 2-12-0 | 1-3-0 |
| 15. Oakland Raiders | 2-12-0 | 1-4-0 |
| 16. Jacksonville Jaguars | 2-12-0 | 0-4-0 |
The Steelers hold the Wild Card edge right now due to division record. But Baltimore will move up if Pittsburgh loses to the Chiefs and the Ravens beat the Texans this week. The Bengals host the Broncos next, meaning things could get very interesting on the Ravens side of things.
If Pittsburgh and Cincinnati both lose, with Baltimore winning, the Ravens are all of a sudden in control for the AFC North. And then they could wrap up the division by defeating Cleveland in the season-finale. The Ravens need at least either Pittsburgh or Cincinnati to lose this week, though. If both win, then there's no chance to win the division.
If all three teams win in Week 16, the Ravens can still move up in the playoff standings after the last week as the Steelers and Bengals conclude the season with one another. Winning both of these games is what's most important for the Ravens at this time because, as everyone knows, anything can happen in the playoffs regardless of where a team is seeded.
A couple of weeks ago it was a matter of things falling in the right manner for the Ravens to get into the playoffs. Now, a division title is up for grabs.
If the Ravens take care of business, things should fall into place for them one way or another.