AFC Playoff Picture: Pittsburgh Steelers claim No. 5 spot after Week 10 win over the Browns

Another week of NFL action is in the books, except for two teams who play on Monday night, and with another week behind us it is time to take a look at the current AFC Playoff Picture. Heading into Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers saw themselves on the outside looking in as the 7th seed, due to Buffalo beating the Jets on Thursday Night Football, but a victory would propel the Steelers up in the rankings.

The 30-9 win over the Cleveland Browns did just that on Sunday, and moved the Steelers into the 5th seed of the playoff picture, at least for the time being. As Pittsburgh heads into the bye week, it is comforting for players and fans to realize the team controls it's own destiny with a 6-4 record and 6 games remaining. Take a look at the most up-to-date playoff picture for the AFC:

AFC Playoff Picture

1. New England Patriots - 9-0 - BYE
2. Cincinnati Bengals - 8-0 - BYE
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3. Denver Broncos - 7-2
6. Buffalo Bills - 5-4

4. Indianapolis Colts - 4-5
5. Pittsburgh Steelers - 6-4

In the hunt:

7. New York Jets - 5-4
8. Kansas City Chiefs - 4-5
9. Oakland Raiders - 4-5
10. Miami Dolphins - 4-5
11. Houston Texans - 3-5

Things will certainly heat up down the stretch as the teams vying for two wild card playoff spots will certainly get interesting. The Steelers poor conference record could spell disaster for the black and gold if a tie came down to the tie-breaker procedures. Nonetheless, the Steelers will get the chance to sit back in Week 11 and watch how the games unfold, which will further help their understanding of what needs to be done in the final 6 football games in the regular season to ensure a seat at the proverbial playoff table.