AFC Playoff Picture, Week 6: Ravens, Texans keep hot on the Chiefs' heels

Sure, it's still mid-October and we've still got over half the NFL regular season left to play, but it's never too early to take a look at how the playoff picture is stacking up. Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens rolled in their early MVP showcase against Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders, while the Houston Texans looked every bit the part of Super Bowl contenders while throttling the New England Patriots as the AFC North and AFC South races begin to take shape. (The AFC East and West, meanwhile, remain as murky as ever, with some very big games on tap.)

AFC playoff picture after Week 6: Ravens, Texans keep rolling

Below are the updated AFC standings after the 1 p.m. ET games in Week 6. The Chiefs retain the top seed, but the Texans and Ravens both put pressure on Kansas City with wins on Sunday afternoon. The Bills remain in the fourth seed atop the AFC East pending Monday night's huge clash with the New York Jets, while the Indianapolis Colts' win over the Tennessee Titans has them in possession of the third and final Wild Card spot.

• No. 1: Kansas City Chiefs (5-0, 1st AFC West)
• No. 2: Houston Texans (5-1, 1st AFC South)
• No. 3: Baltimore Ravens (4-2, 1st AFC North)
• No. 4: Buffalo Bills (3-2, 1st AFC East)
• No. 5: Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2, first Wild Card)
• No. 6: Denver Broncos (3-2, second Wild Card)
• No. 7: Indianapolis Colts (3-3, third Wild Card)

Key AFC matchups that shaped Week 6

The biggest early game in the AFC came in Baltimore, where the Ravens outlasted Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders to notch a fourth straight win after their 0-2 start and strengthen their hold on the AFC North. Derrick Henry continued to run wild, racking up 132 yards and two TDs on 24 carries, while Lamar Jackson cracked the 300-yard passing mark yet again and Baltimore's defense held the dangerous Daniels to just 22 rushing yards on six carries.

Elsewhere, the Houston Texans took care of business in decisive fashion on the road, swarming Drake Maye in his first NFL start en route to a 41-21 win over the New England Patriots. C.J. Stroud threw for just 192 yards, but Joe Mixon busted loose for 102 yards on the ground in his return to the lineup and Houston's defense forced four turnovers.

Teams on the rise after Week 6

The Ravens secured the third seed with their win over Washington, moving a half-game ahead of the rival Pittsburgh Steelers at 4-2. The other big movement came from an unexpected source: With a 20-17 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Joe Flacco and the Indianapolis Colts are now in possession of the final Wild Card spot at 3-3. Indy holds a half-game edge over a number of 2-3 teams, including the New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders and Miami Dolphins, while the Los Angeles Chargers are in the eighth spot at 2-2.

The battle for the AFC Wild Card spots

It's an awfully bunched-up Wild Card picture at the moment, with the Steelers and Broncos currently the two non-division leaders above .500 at 3-2. (Pittsburgh holds the tiebreaker over Denver thanks to their 13-6 head-to-head win back in Week 2.) This is very much subject to change, though, with the Chargers taking on the Broncos in Week 6. The Steelers are in action against the 2-3 Raiders, and the result of both games could shake up the Wild Card picture even further. The Dolphins are on a bye in Week 6, while the Jets could bypass the Wild Card spots entirely and grab the lead in the AFC East with a Monday night win over the Bills.

Games to keep an eye on as the AFC playoff race tightens

Next week brings several critical matchups, starting with the four division leaders. The Chiefs will put their perfect record on the line as they travel to San Francisco to take on the 49ers, while the Texans take on the Packers at Lambeau Field and the Ravens have a road trip against a dangerous Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that just dropped 51 points on the New Orleans Saints. In the Wild Card picture, Sean Payton leads the Broncos against his former team in New Orleans, Aaron Rodgers and the Jets face the Steelers and the Dolphins take on the Colts.