The Kansas City Chiefs (4-4) closed out Week 8 with an important victory over the New York Giants (2-6) on “Monday Night Football,” climbing their way back to .500. Following a surprisingly rough start, Patrick Mahomes and the defending conference champions are on the edge of a crowded AFC playoff picture.

In the NFC, five of the seven postseason berths seem to be all but locked up before the midway point of the 2021 NFL season. That’s not at all the case in the AFC, where the top 11 teams are separated by just two games in the standings.

Kansas City is one of four teams that sits a half-game out of the playoffs in Week 9. The New England Patriots (4-4), Cleveland Browns (4-4) and Denver Broncos (4-4) are all right behind the No. 7 seed Los Angeles Chargers (4-3) for the conference’s final wild-card spot.

The Tennessee Titans (6-2) are all alone atop the AFC standings on a four-game winning streak. Tennessee’s win over the Indianapolis Colts (3-5) in Week 8 gave it a commanding three-game lead in the AFC South. The news, however, isn’t all good for the No. 1 seed, which just lost Derrick Henry indefinitely and has to visit the Los Angeles Rams (7-1) in Week 9.

The Las Vegas Raiders (5-2), Baltimore Ravens (5-2), and Buffalo Bills (5-2) enter Week 9 as the AFC’s other division leaders.

Buffalo has a 1.5-game edge in the AFC East over New England, the only real threat in the division. The rivals still have two head-to-head meetings on the schedule. The Patriots have won three of their last four games. New England’s only loss during that stretch is a defeat in overtime against the Dallas Cowboys (6-1).

The Raiders lost their one matchup with the Chargers and still haven’t faced the Chiefs. Both Los Angeles and Kansas City are given better betting odds to win the AFC West than Las Vegas. Coming off a bye, the Raiders are favored in their Week 9 matchup with the New York Giants (2-6).

Baltimore has a tenuous half-game lead over the Cincinnati Bengals (5-3) in a competitive AFC North. The Bengals took control of the division with an impressive 41-17 win in Baltimore in Week 7, but Cincinnati lost its spot as the AFC’s No. 1 seed because of an upset at the hands of the New York Jets (2-5). The Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3) beat the Browns to climb back into the playoff picture and take hold of the AFC’s No. 6 seed.

The Bengals host the Browns Sunday in a pivotal AFC North matchup.

Patrick Mahomes Chiefs Buccaneers
Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs looks to pass in the fourth quarter during their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on Nov. 29, 2020, in Tampa, Florida. Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
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