Updated AFC Playoff Picture entering Week 8: Steelers move up, AFC North takes over

The AFC playoff picture just got a bit tighter with the results around the league in Week 7. While the Kansas City Chiefs advance to 6-1 and remain a game up on the rest of the competition, teams 2-6 are extremely tight at the moment in terms of standings, and there are many hopeful teams just outside of the playoff picture.

Following their bye week, the Pittsburgh Steelers advanced to 4-2 on the season with an impressive upset win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 7. But they weren't the only AFC team that took care of business. With the Cincinnati Bengals on a bye, they fell further back behind the race as all three of their opponents in the AFC North advanced to win on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Miami Dolphins looked human on Sunday Night Football against a talented Philadelphia Eagles team. All of a sudden, they could be just a loss away from a drastic slide. Here's a look at the current AFC playoff picture entering Week 8, via NFL.com.

AFC Playoff Picture Week 8:

1. Kansas City Chiefs (6-1)
2. Miami Dolphins (5-2)
3. Baltimore Ravens (5-2)
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-2)
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2)
6. Cleveland Browns (4-2)
7. Buffalo Bills (4-3)

Who would have thought that the Buffalo Bills would be sitting all the way down at the seventh seed less than halfway through the 2023 season? This is what makes the NFL so exciting. Looking at the AFC playoff picture now, the Pittsburgh Steelers can be thankful that they currently own the head-to-head tiebreaker over both the Ravens and the Browns.

If the season ended today, the Chiefs would have the lone first-round bye in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs. Meanwhile, we would be getting a rematch of the Dolphins vs Bills game, the Ravens would host the Browns, and the Jaguars would host the Steelers.

Just outside of the playoff bubble are teams like the Houston Texans (3-3), New York Jets (3-3), and Cincinnati Bengals (3-3). In just a week's time, this playoff picture could alter drastically depending on the results we see around the league in Week 8.

In Week 8, the Steelers host the Jaguars. This will be a big game as Pittsburgh could potentially flip places with the Ravens. If Jacksonville loses, they could drop out of playoff seeding entirely with a Texans win. The Jags have already lost their lone head-to-head matchup with Houston earlier this season.

Things are starting to heat up in the AFC playoff picture and fans should be excited for the whirlwind that we would witness next. Stay tuned! Week 8 could get crazy.