Updated AFC playoff picture after Ravens, Texans pick up big wins in Week 6

Of course, it's still mid-October and we still have over half of the NFL regular season left, but it's never too early to take a look at the playoff situation. Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens went up against Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in their early MVP show, while the Houston Texans looked like real Super Bowl contenders and the New England Patriots looked like real Super Bowl contenders before the AFC North and AFC South races began distressed form. (The AFC East and West, meanwhile, remain as unclear as ever, with some very big games coming up.)

Below are the updated AFC rankings after the 1 p.m. ET games in Week 6. The Chiefs remain atop, but the Texans and Ravens are both putting pressure on Kansas City with wins on Sunday afternoon. The Bills remain at the top of the AFC East in fourth place until Monday night's big clash with the New York Jets, while the Indianapolis Colts clinched the third and final Wild Card spot by defeating the Tennessee Titans.

The AFC's biggest early game came in Baltimore, where the Ravens overtook Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders to earn their fourth straight win after their 0-2 start and solidify their hold on the AFC North. Derrick Henry continued to run wildly, rushing for 132 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries, while Lamar Jackson broke the 300-yard passing mark 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 crucial fashion, overwhelming Drake Maye in his first NFL start en route to a 41-21 victory over the New England Patriots. CJ Stroud threw for just 192 yards, but Joe Mixon was able to break free for 102 yards on the ground when he returned to the lineup and Houston's defense forced four turnovers.

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

Right now, the wild card picture is horribly mixed up, with the Steelers and Broncos currently the two leaders outside the division at 3-2. (Pittsburgh is in a tiebreaker against Denver thanks to its 13-6 head-to-head win in Week 2.) That could change, however, as the Chargers face the Broncos in Week 6. The Steelers are in action against the 2-3 Raiders, and the outcome of both games could further shake up the Wild Card picture. The Dolphins have a bye in Week 6, while the Jets could bypass the Wild Card spots entirely and take the lead in the AFC East with a win Monday night over the Bills.

Next week brings several crucial matchups, starting with the four division leaders. The Chiefs will put their perfect record on the line when they travel to San Francisco to face the 49ers, while the Texans take on the Packers at Lambeau Field and the Ravens take a road trip against a dangerous Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that is currently Lost 51 points to 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.