If the Patriots win the division but don’t secure the No. 1 seed in the AFC, they would play one of the three wild card teams to begin the playoffs on Wild Card Weekend. Entering Week 16, there are five teams that have a realistic chance to earn a wild card berth. Some of these teams might win their division.

The Steelers, meanwhile, got back in the W column last weekend with a victory over the Ravens after a two-game skid. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers found the fountain of youth, throwing for 284 yards and a touchdown, and the win has Pittsburgh sitting atop the AFC North by a half-game entering Monday night.

That's especially the case in the AFC, where there are two teams whose records stand out above the rest but who do not necessarily fit the traditional look of heavy favorites. Behind those teams (the Patriots and Broncos) is a group of eight squads that are fighting for five playoff spots -- two division titles and three wild cards.

The San Diego Padres are one of the best teams in the league right now, but they're bound to lose a few stars in free agency.

Entering Sunday's showdown against the New England Patriots, the Buffalo Bills' most likely first-round playoff opponent is the Pittsburgh Steelers.