The NFL season is 13 weeks in, but the race for the playoffs is far from over. The Patriots have a strong three-game lead in the AFC East, but the other three divisions in the conference are still too close to call.

According to the SportsLine Inside the Lines team's projection model, the outcome of Sunday's Bears vs. Packers matchup could play a major role in who wins the division title

Nate Tice & Charles McDonald join forces to preview Week 14 of NFL action, featuring huge playoff implications.

The Buffalo Bills scored 26 straight points and ran over the Pittsburgh Steelers, 26-7. It dropped Pittsburgh, which had climbed into the AFC North lead after the Baltimore Ravens lost on Thanksgiving, out of the top spot in the division and into the No. 9 seed.

The Texans, Chargers, Jaguars, Steelers, Bills and Colts all face potentials shift of more than 20 percent in their playoff odds Sunday.

The AFC North has seen better days. The Pittsburgh Steelers-Baltimore Ravens rivalry has too. Plenty of seasons, the AFC North is among the best divisions in the NFL. That's not the case this season.

Trying to parse through all of these challengers is an immense chore, one that seemingly gets more convoluted each week. As such, we're breaking down the 20 teams in the playoff race into tiers of trustworthiness as the season hits the stretch run.

Maintain their two-game lead in the loss column over the Bills in theAFC East. The Broncos (10-2) needed overtime to beat the Commanders on Sunday night. Should they finish with the same record, Denver currently holds the common opponent tie-breaker over the Patriots because they beat the Raiders.