(Dec. 12, 2006) -- With three weeks remaining in the regular season, 13 of 16 AFC clubs are squeezed together in the conference's playoff picture. The San Diego Chargers are the lone team among the 16 to have clinched a postseason berth, earning the AFC West crown last week.
Baltimore (10-3), Indianapolis (10-3) and New England (9-4) all have an opportunity to clinch division titles this week. Nine other clubs are wedged together between 8-5 and 6-7, toiling for a division championship or wild-card berth.
"The only thing that matters is us," said Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, whose team stands at 8-5 and controls its own playoff destiny. The final three games on the Bengals' schedule places the team at Indianapolis, at Denver and home against Pittsburgh.
"Nothing around us really affects what we do," Lewis said. "If we're a playoff team, we have to prove it by beating playoff teams. Those are the teams we're competing with. Those are the teams we get to play the next three weeks. We have no better opportunity than to go play, win the games, and everything else will take care of itself."
Following are the records of AFC playoff contenders, their remaining games and their wins and losses against other AFC playoff hopefuls:
AFC EAST
| TEAM/GAMES VS. CONTENDERS | OVERALL | DIV. | CONF. | Week 15 | 16 | 17 |
| NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS | 9-4 | 4-2 | 5-4 | Hou | At Jac | At Tenn |
| Wins: Buf (2), NYJ, Mia, Cin; Losses: Den, Ind, NYJ, Mia | ||||||
| NEW YORK JETS | 7-6 | 3-2 | 5-5 | At Min | At Mia | Oak |
| Wins: Tenn, Buf, Mia, NE; Losses: NE, Ind, Jac, Buf | ||||||
| BUFFALO BILLS | 6-7 | 2-3 | 4-5 | Mia | Tenn | At Bal |
| Wins: Mia, NYJ, Jac; Losses: NE (2), NYJ, Ind, SD | ||||||
| MIAMI DOLPHINS | 6-7 | 1-3 | 3-6 | At Buf | NYJ | At Ind |
| Wins: Tenn, NE, KC; Losses: Pit, Buf, NE, NYJ, Jac | ||||||
AFC NORTH
| TEAM/GAMES VS. CONTENDERS | OVERALL | DIV. | CONF. | Week 15 | 16 | 17 |
| BALTIMORE RAVENS | 10-3 | 3-1 | 7-2 | Cle | At Pit | Buf |
| Wins: SD, Cin, Ten, Pit, KC; Losses: Den, Cin | ||||||
| CINCINNATI BENGALS | 8-5 | 4-1 | 6-3 | At Ind | At Den | Pit |
| Wins: KC, Pit, Bal; Losses: NE, Bal, SD | ||||||
| PITTSBURGH STEELERS | 6-7 | 2-2 | 4-6 | At Car | Bal | At Cin |
| Wins: Mia, KC; Losses: Jac, Cin, SD, Den, Bal | ||||||
AFC SOUTH
| TEAM/GAMES VS. CONTENDERS | OVERALL | DIV. | CONF. | Week 15 | 16 | 17 |
| INDIANAPOLIS COLTS | 10-3 | 3-2 | 7-2 | Cin | At Hou | Mia |
| Wins: Hou, Jac, Tenn, NYJ, Den, NE, Buf; Losses: Tenn, Jac | ||||||
| JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS | 8-5 | 2-3 | 5-4 | At Tenn | NE | At KC |
| Wins: Pit, NYJ, Tenn, Mia; Losses: Ind, Buf | ||||||
| TENNESSEE TITANS | 6-7 | 3-2 | 3-6 | Jac | At Buf | NE |
| Wins: Ind; Losses: NYJ, SD, Mia, Ind, Jac, Bal | ||||||
AFC WEST
| TEAM/GAMES VS. CONTENDERS | OVERALL | DIV. | CONF. | Week 15 | 16 | 17 |
| SAN DIEGO CHARGERS* | 11-2 | 4-2 | 9-2 | KC | At Sea | Arz |
| Wins: Tenn, Pit, Cin, Den (2), Buf; Losses: Bal, KC | ||||||
| KANSAS CITY CHIEFS | 7-6 | 3-1 | 3-6 | At SD | At Oak | Jac |
| Wins: SD, Den; Losses: Cin, Den, Pit, Mia, Bal | ||||||
| DENVER BRONCOS | 7-6 | 3-3 | 7-4 | At Arz | Cin | SF |
| Wins: KC, NE, Bal, Pit; Losses: Ind, SD (2), KC | ||||||
