Updated AFC playoff picture, Week 13: Patriots defense continues to dominate

At 10-1, the New England Patriots remain the kings of the conference when updating the AFC playoff picture after Week 13’s action.

A week after outlasting the Philadelphia Eagles 17-10, the New England Patriots put in another unstoppable shift on defense against an even better playoff-caliber team from the NFC East.

Bill Belichick held the Cowboys and former MVP candidate Dak Prescott to only 9 points, picking up an ugly 13-9 victory to run their record to 10-1. Though their lone loss came against a fellow AFC playoff bye team in the Baltimore Ravens, the Pats still have to be considered the best team in the conference.

Questions will continue to be asked of Tom Brady and the Patriots’ struggling offense, but with a defense this good, they can get away with barely scoring more than 10 points in a game.

Here is what the AFC playoff picture looks like in Week 13:

1. New England Patriots
2. Baltimore Ravens
3. Houston Texans
4. Kansas City Chiefs
5. Buffalo Bills
6. Pittsburgh Steelers

Bubble: Indianapolis Colts, Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Titans

There are a total of four 6-5 teams in the AFC right now, and only the Tennessee Titans picked up a convincing victory in Week 13. The Raiders playoff hopes are alive but hard to take seriously after a 34-3 loss to the New York Jets which ended in Derek Carr’s benching. Meanwhile, the Steelers also benched their quarterback after nearly losing to the winless Cincinnati Bengals.

In the AFC South, the Colts lost in primetime to the Texans but still look like the best bets to win the No. 6 seed by virtue of their quarterback advantage. But the Titans had the best Week 13, dominating the Jaguars behind four touchdowns from a surprisingly competent Ryan Tannehill, who has Tennessee looking like a real playoff threat.

Elsewhere, there are no changes. The Bills are in a Wild Card spot, but at 8-3, they have played more consistent football than either Houston or Kansas City. They may not have a star quarterback, but, like New England, they have a defense that can carry them to postseason success.