AFC Playoff Picture: Jaguars, Jets among five biggest spoilers

• PLAYOFF PICTURE: AFC
• NFC

With two weeks left in the 2017 NFL season, the AFC playoff picture is starting to take shape. There are 10 teams currently still alive:

The four division leaders

1. New England Patriots (11-3)
   2. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-3)
   3. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4)
   4. Kansas City Chiefs (8-6)

The four in the hunt for the wild card

5. Tennessee Titans (8-6)
   6. Buffalo Bills (8-6)
   7. Baltimore Ravens (8-6)
   8. Los Angeles Chargers (7-7)

The two needing lots of help to get in

9. Oakland Raiders (6-8)
   10. Miami Dolphins (6-8)

The Patriots, Steelers and Jaguars have all secured spots in the playoffs, leaving three openings for the other seven teams. With so much still at stake, including the AFC's No. 1 seed, we took a look at the five teams that could be the biggest spoilers in the conference.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars

Remaining schedule: at 49ers, at Titans

The Jaguars as a spoiler? It's kind of a stretch, but hear me out. The Steelers and Patriots have been the top two seeds in the conference nearly all season. But if the Jags win out, and the Steelers (at Texans, vs. Browns) and Pats (vs. Bills, vs. Jets) both lose at least one of their final two games, it'll be Jacksonville with a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout. If somebody had said before the season, or even six weeks ago, that the Jags could end up with either the No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the conference, you would have laughed. Plus, a victory over the Titans in Week 17 could knock their AFC South rivals out of the playoff picture for good.

4. Cleveland Browns

Remaining schedule: at Bears, at Steelers

The Browns' season has been over for a while, and while they won't have the opportunity to give another team that same fate, they can at least play spoiler to the Steelers in Week 17. As we mentioned before, if the Jags win out, the Patriots win just one and Pittsburgh drops one, the Steelers will have to play in the first round of the playoffs rather than resting up for a Divisional Round Game at Heinz Field. The Browns also could have additional incentive in that Week 17 matchup, perhaps trying to avoid becoming just the second team to ever go 0-16 in a season.

3. Oakland Raiders

Remaining schedule: at Eagles, at Chargers

The Raiders will have the opportunity to ruin a couple of seasons over the next two weeks. A win over the Philadelphia Eagles would put the NFC's current top seed in jeopardy of losing out on home-field advantage throughout. In Week 17, Oakland can drive a stake into the Chargers' playoff hopes with a win. The Raiders, barring a scenario that requires plenty of teams to lose games over the next two weeks, won't make the playoffs. In two weeks, they could have the opportunity to take a fellow California team, and division rival, down with them.

2. New York Jets

Remaining schedule: vs. Chargers, at Patriots

Of course, the Raiders won't have the opportunity to spoil the Chargers' season if the Jets do it first in Week 16. With the Chargers sitting at 7-7 and staring up at three 8-6 teams (Titans, Bills, Ravens) contending for a wild-card spot and another 8-6 team (Chiefs) fighting to hang on to the AFC West crown, a loss to the Jets would be debilitating. In Week 17, the Jets could be in position to ruin home-field advantage for the Pats. And if New England somehow drops its Week 16 game against the Bills, the Jets could be responsible for the Patriots losing out on a first-round bye, too.

1. Miami Dolphins

Remaining schedule: at Chiefs, vs. Bills

The Dolphins have a chance to be the AFC's biggest spoiler down the stretch. Beating the Chiefs could make the race for the AFC West title much more interesting, especially if the Chargers knock off the Jets on Sunday. A win over the Bills would be a crushing blow to Buffalo's playoff-starved fan base, as it would likely mean the Bills would miss the postseason for a league-high 18th straight season.