AFC playoff picture entering Week 15

It’s a week before Christmas, but one AFC team already received one of the top items on its wish list: A playoff berth.

The New England Patriots put the wraps on their seventh straight AFC East title last week and now can focus on securing a first-round bye and the conference’s No. 1 seed.

Your Denver Broncos, meanwhile, lost more than a game last Sunday as the 15-12 defeat at the hands of the Oakland Raiders knocked them down to the No. 3 seed and kept the on-a-roll Kansas City Chiefs in the hunt for the AFC West crown.

Anyway, your full AFC playoff picture entering Week 15:

No. 1 seed: x-New England Patriots (11-2)

• Remaining schedule: Titans, at Jets, at Dolphins
• On the line this week: The Patriots clinch a first-round bye with a win Sunday and a Broncos’ loss.

No. 2 seed: Cincinnati Bengals (10-3)

• Remaining schedule: at 49ers, at Broncos, vs. Ravens
• On the line this week: Despite their loss last week to the Steelers, Cincy still has a two-game lead atop the AFC North and can clinch the division with a Pittsburgh loss. Regardless, a win in San Fran clinches a playoff berth for the Bengals.

No. 3 seed: Denver Broncos (10-3)

• Remaining schedule: at Steelers, vs. Bengals, vs. Chargers
• On the line this week: The Orange & Blue win the AFC West for a fifth straight year with a victory Sunday and a Chiefs’ loss. The Broncos also can wrap up a postseason berth with a win.

No. 4 seed: Indianapolis Colts (6-7)

• Remaining schedule: Texans, at Dolphins, vs. Titans
• On the line this week: No clinching scenarios, but they can get a clear leg up in the AFC South by beating the Texans and sweeping the season series.

No. 5 seed: Kansas City Chiefs (8-5)

• Remaining schedule: at Ravens, vs. Browns, vs. Raiders
• On the line this week:C. now has reeled off seven straight victories to erase a 1-5 start but needs to keep winning with a pair of fellow 8-5 teams hot on its heels.

No. 6 seed: New York Jets (8-5)

• Remaining schedule: at Cowboys, vs. Patriots, at Bills
• On the line this week: The J-E-T-S get the nod here because of their 6-4 conference record while the Steelers are at 5-4, but that advantage disappears if both teams win this weekend as N.Y. is playing its final inter-conference game.

In the hunt: Steelers (8-5), Raiders (6-7), Bills (6-7), Texans (6-7), Jaguars (5-8)

Eliminated: Dolphins (5-8), Ravens (4-9), Chargers (3-10), Browns (2-10), Titans (3-10)

If the season ended today: Wild-card round – (3) Broncos vs. (6) Jets, (4) Colts vs. (5) Chiefs. Divisional round – (1) Patriots vs. Colts, Chiefs or Jets; (2) Bengals vs. Broncos, Colts or Chiefs

x – Clinched division title