The playoff picture came into sharper focus Wednesday when the Chiefs clinched the AFC’s No. 1 seed and the Ravens leapfrogged the Steelers for the AFC North lead.

Looking ahead, the Chargers visit the New England Patriots in Week 17 on Saturday in a 1 p.m. ET slot, kicking off the national slate of games. There, they’ll have a chance to punch their own ticket without outside happenings. Here’s a look at the updated standings before that game.

The AFC playoff picture is taking shape and big wins by the Chiefs, Bills, Broncos, and Chargers changed the outlook.

The Chargers beat the Broncos last Sunday. They improved to 9-6, as did their chances of making the playoffs. According to NFL.com, Los Angeles has a 95% chance of making the playoffs. With the Bolts' win,

The Los Angeles Chargers are one step closer to the postseason after defeating their AFC West rivals, the Denver Broncos, by a 34-27 margin on Thursday

The Los Angeles Chargers didn’t get the outside help needed to clinch a playoff berth last week despite taking down the Denver Broncos in primetime. But the Chargers can control their own playoff fate in Week 17.

The NFL's Christmas doubleheader carries significant postseason implications, none more so than the Chiefs' win over the Steelers.

The NFL regular season is winding down, which means some teams are already eliminated from playoff contention and peering toward the offseason. As The Post’s Matt Bonesteel noted, only 19 teams were still alive entering the week,

The NFL schedule has reached Week 17 and several teams have already secured their playoff spots. In the AFC, the Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers are all postseason bound.