Remaining schedule: at Patriots (7-4), Jaguars (2-8), at Steelers (5-4-1), Niners (5-5), Dolphins (4-7), at Texans (2-8).

Games against teams .500 or better: 3

Opponents’ record: 25-36-1 (.403)

The skinny: It remains to be seen if Tennessee’s ugly loss to Houston was just a classic trap game, a one-game blip, or symptomatic of a larger issue. Regardless, Sunday’s Patriots-Titans contest now looms large for both teams. New England will hope to find out just how competitive it can be against the closest thing to the best team in the conference, while Tennessee is hoping to right the ship and maintain control of first place in the AFC. I still think the Titans’ soft schedule the rest of the way gives them an edge on the rest of the conference, but New England should be a sizable challenge for them.

2. Ravens (7-3) Up one from last week

Remaining schedule: Browns (6-5), at Steelers (5-4-1), at Browns (6-5), Packers (8-3), at Bengals (6-4), Rams (7-3), Steelers (5-4-1).

Games against teams .500 or better: 7

Opponents’ record: 43-28-2 (.589)

The skinny: The Ravens are a tough team to get a read on; one week, Lamar Jackson will have them playing electric football. The next week? They struggle for a win against the likes of the Bears. But they are finding ways to win, and remain on top of the AFC North. If you’re a New England fan, and both the Patriots and Ravens keep winning, you’ll have to keep an eye on Baltimore when it comes to potential playoff seeding.

3. Patriots (7-4) Up three from last week

Remaining schedule: Titans (8-3), at Bills (6-4), at Colts (6-5), Bills (6-4), Jaguars (2-8), at Dolphins (4-7).

Games against teams .500 or better: 4

Opponents’ record: 32-31 (.508)

The skinny: New England’s five-game win streak, combined with some slippage from the likes of the Bills and a couple of other teams, means the Patriots have become players in the AFC postseason chase. The next four games will give everyone a sense of their ultimate ceiling. But if New England gets to the last two weeks of the regular season with an advantage in the division, the way their slate ends could give them an edge on any potential rivals.

4. Chiefs (7-4) No change from last week

Remaining schedule: Broncos (5-5), Raiders (5-5), at Chargers (6-4), Steelers (5-4-1), at Bengals (6-4), at Broncos (5-5).

Games against teams .500 or better: 6

Opponents’ record: 32-27-1 (.533)

The skinny: The Chiefs were a mess a month or so ago, but after Sunday’s 19-9 slog of a win over the Cowboys, they’re 7-4, and winners of four straight. Provided the Patriots and Chiefs remain on parallel tracks, these two teams will be forced to keep an eye on each when it comes to jockeying for optimal playoff seeding. For Kansas City, the schedule down the stretch remains a challenge, but it’s clear the Chiefs have started to figure things out.

5. Bengals (6-4) Up three from last week

Remaining schedule: Steelers (5-4-1), Chargers (6-4), Niners (5-5), at Broncos (5-5), Ravens (7-3), Chiefs (7-4), at Browns (6-5).

Games against teams .500 or better: 7

Opponents’ record: 41-30-1 (.569)

The skinny: A road win over the Raiders and some stumbles elsewhere have combine to open a window of opportunity for Cincinnati. It won’t be easy for the Bengals the rest of the way, but there’s a path to a wild-card spot for Cincinnati. Whether the roster can execute between now and the end of the season is another matter entirely.

6. Chargers (6-4) Up one from last week

Remaining schedule: at Broncos (5-5), at Bengals (6-4), Giants (3-7), Chiefs (7-4), at Texans (2-8), Broncos (5-5), at Raiders (5-5).

Games against teams .500 or better: 5

Opponents’ record: 33-38 (.465)

The skinny: Like the Bengals, the Chargers are another team with a stretch-drive opportunity. Their easier-than-most schedule and their rapidly ascending talent means they could still make some noise in the. AFC West.

7. Bills (6-4) Down five from last week

Remaining schedule: at Saints (5-5), Patriots (7-4), at Buccaneers (7-3), Panthers (5-6), at Patriots (7-4), Falcons (4-6), Jets (2-8).

Games against teams .500 or better: 4

Opponents’ record: 37-36 (.507)

The skinny: It’s tempting to say Sunday’s blowout at the hand of the Colts tells us more about Indy than it does about the Bills, but two losses in the last three to teams that were under .500 at the time is a less-than-optimal way to prepare for the stretch drive. The Patriots don’t have anyone like Jonathan Taylor in their own backfield, but Indy certainly provided enough of a blueprint for the New England offense. The two games between the Patriots and Bills will ultimately decide the AFC East.

ON THE BUBBLE

8. Steelers (5-4-1) Down three from last week

Remaining schedule: at Bengals (6-4), Ravens (7-3), at Vikings (5-5), Titans (8-2), at Chiefs (7-4), Browns (6-5), at Ravens (7-3).

Games against teams .500 or better: 7

Opponents’ record: 46-26 (.639)

The skinny: There’s still time to turn things around, but with divisional games against the Bengals and Ravens on tap over the next two weeks, the Steelers need to get things fixed quickly. When it comes to opponents’ winning percentage, no one has a harder road ahead than Pittsburgh.

9. Colts (6-5) Up one from last week

Remaining schedule: Buccaneers (7-3), at Texans (2-8), Patriots (7-4), at Cardinals (9-2), Raiders (5-5), at Jaguars (2-8).

Games against teams .500 or better: 4

Opponents’ record: 32-30 (.516)

The skinny: Indianapolis is trending in the right direction. Behind an elite offensive line, Taylor is almost impossible to stop right now. While the Bills will have a hand in shaping New England’s divisional destiny, the Dec. 19 game between the Patriots and Colts could end up being one of the most impactful AFC games over the final month of the regular season.

10. Browns (6-5) Up one from last week

Remaining schedule: at Ravens (7-3), Ravens (7-3), Raiders (5-4), at Packers (8-3), at Steelers (5-4-1), Bengals (6-4).

Games against teams .500 or better: 6

Opponents’ record: 38-21-1 (.633)

The skinny: There were signs of life from the Browns this past weekend, and the possibility of a sliding Steelers’ team could open a window of opportunity for them between now and the end of the year. That being said, there’s little margin for error the rest of the way.

Christopher Price can be reached at christopher.price@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter at cpriceglobe.