NFL Standings, Week 8: Chiefs stand pat in AFC West

In Week 8, the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars squared off in London, the New England Patriots traveled to East Rutherford to play the New York Jets, the Tennessee Titans visited the Houston Texans, and the Cleveland Browns hosted the Cincinnati Bengals, while the Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, and Buffalo Bills all faced NFC teams.

Here is what the AFC Standings look like after Week 8:

Before the start of Week 8, the Buffalo Bills remained the favorites to come out of the AFC and advance to Super Bowl LVII. FiveThirtyEight (QB Adjusted) had the Buffalo Bills as the team with the best chance to win the Super Bowl out of all AFC teams with a 28% chance to win it all. After Buffalo, the Kansas City Chiefs were at 14%, the Cincinnati Bengals were at 6%, and then the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans were both at 3%.

The Baltimore Ravens went into Raymond James Stadium and beat the Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football. The Denver Broncos bested the Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL’s final London game of the season. The New England Patriots topped the New York Jets after intercepting Zach Wilson several times. The Las Vegas Raiders were shut out in New Orleans. The Pittsburgh Steelers got crushed in Philadelphia by the Eagles.

The Miami Dolphins held off the Lions to win 31-27. The Malik Willis-led Tennessee Titans beat the Houston Texans. The Indianapolis Colts blew a fourth-quarter lead to the Washington Commanders and lost. The Buffalo Bills defeated the Packers 27-17. The Cleveland Browns took down the Cincinnati Bengals on Halloween.

Lamar Jackson and the Ravens earned their second consecutive win in a game that might have said more about a reeling Buccaneers team than it did Baltimore. The Jaguars’ playoff dreams may be finished, while the Broncos may have resurrected theirs. The Patriots bounced back, while the Jets’ magic carpet ride may be coming to an end. The Raiders may be broken on offense.

The Steelers got boat raced by the only remaining unbeaten team in the NFL but their playoff hopes are still just as dead as when they entered the week. The Dolphins’ offense may be capable of beating anyone, although they went up against a terrible defense. The Titans are all of a sudden in contention for the #1 seed again, while the Texans should start scouting C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young, and Will Levis.

Frank Reich’s job might not be safe as the Colts suffer another brutal defeat. The Bills looked a little sloppy coming off their bye and still won by 10 points. If Monday night was any preview of what life would be like without Ja’Marr Chase for the Bengals, the Bengals could be in for a couple of weeks, while the Browns may not be dead in the playoff race.

After Week 8, seven teams in the AFC have a losing record, seven teams have a winning record, and two teams are sitting at 0.500. According to FiveThirtyEight, the Buffalo Bills are still the team with the best chance to win the Super Bowl out of all AFC teams with a 27% chance to win it all. After Buffalo, the Kansas City Chiefs are at 14%, the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans are both at 4%, while the Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins are each at 2%.

In the race for the #1 seed in the AFC, per FiveThirtyEight, the Bills currently have the best chance to finish atop the conference in the regular season standings at 71%, with the Chiefs second at 17%. After Buffalo/Kansas City, the following teams are the Ravens, Titans, and Dolphins all at 3%.

Before Week 8, it was believed that the Bills and Chiefs would run away with the Top 2 seeds in the AFC. Although that’s still likely the case, the 5-2 Titans are now a win away from being in sole possession of the #2 seed in the conference, while a win against the Chiefs on Sunday gives them a huge edge down the road. The AFC playoff race is alive and well as the only teams that appear to be finished are the Texans, Steelers, Jaguars, and Raiders. One of those teams could go on a huge run but that appears unlikely. If Kansas City can get through the next three weeks (vs. Titans, vs. Jaguars, and @ Chargers) 3-0 to climb to 8-2, they’ll likely be a shoo-in to finish with at least the #2 seed in the AFC.