Baltimore Ravens Pass New England Patriots In 2019 NFL Standings, AFC East Undecided As Bills Lurk

The two teams at the top of the AFC standings switched spots in Week 13. The Baltimore Ravens (10-2) passed the New England Patriots (10-2) for the No.1 seed in the conference, taking control of their own destiny in pursuit of home-field advantage in the postseason until Super Bowl LIV.

Baltimore defeated the San Francisco 49ers (10-2) Sunday, handing the NFC’s No.1 seed just their second loss of the 2019 NFL season. New England lost on the road against the Houston Texans (8-4), who maintained their one-game lead atop the AFC South.

The Ravens own the tiebreaker over the Patriots. Baltimore became the first team to beat the defending champions when they topped New England 37-20 in Week 9.

The Patriots have earned a first-round bye in each of the last nine years with eight straight trips to the AFC Championship Game. New England beat the Kansas City Chiefs (8-4) on the road in last season’s conference title game to clinch their third consecutive Super Bowl appearance.

Kansas City is two games behind the Ravens and Patriots after essentially wrapping up the AFC West with a victory over the Oakland Raiders (6-6). Kansas City beat Baltimore in Week 3, and they will visit Gillette Stadium for a matchup with New England in Week 14.

The Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5) trail the Ravens by two games in the AFC North. In the midst of a dominant eight-game winning streak, Baltimore appears well on its way toward a division title and a first-round bye.

The Patriots have work to do before clinching another AFC East title. New England is only a game ahead of the Buffalo Bills (9-3) in the division.

Buffalo defeated the Dallas Cowboys (6-6) on Thanksgiving, likely securing a wild-card spot, at worst. The Bills will visit New England in Week 16 in a game that could potentially decide the AFC East.

A difficult stretch could knock Buffalo out of the division race before that meeting with the Patriots. The Bills host the red-hot Ravens in Week 14 before visiting Pittsburgh in Week 15.

New England won in Buffalo 16-10 in Week 4.

The Patriots have won 10 straight AFC East championships. The Bills last won the division in 1995.