The Patriots have a lot to be thankful for this year. Namely, that they play in the AFC.

As the regular season hits the stretch run, the hottest teams (other than the Patriots) seem to reside in the NFC. The Eagles are flying high at 9-1. The Vikings have won seven in a row to get to 9-2. The 8-2 Saints have won eight in a row. The 7-3 Rams have been the most exciting team in the NFL this year. The 7-3 Panthers already knocked off the Patriots.

But the Patriots, 8-2 entering Sunday’s game against the Dolphins, are cruising through the AFC for what seems like the 83rd consecutive year. They wrap up the regular season with five of their last six games against AFC East rivals, each of which is falling apart at just the right time. A 14-2 record doesn’t seem too unreasonable for Bill Belichick’s squad.

Can any AFC team prevent the Pat­riots from playing for their sixth Lombardi Trophy up in Minnesota this February? Let’s break it down, in order of contender:

1. Pittsburgh Steelers

Record: 8-2

Remaining schedule: vs. Green Bay, at Cincinnati, vs. Baltimore, vs. New England, at Houston, vs. Cleveland.

Outlook: We’re still not ready to buy the Steelers. Their offense has looked disjointed for much of the season. Ben Roeth­lisberger appears disinterested at times and Le’Veon Bell has struggled to get going after sitting out all of training camp.

And the Patriots have owned the Steelers in recent years, winning the last four matchups (dating to 2013) by an average score of 37-21. The Steelers can’t even pretend to slow down the Patriots’ offense, and they were utterly embarrassed in last year’s AFC Championship game, a 36-17 Patriots win.

But we must put the past behind us and focus on this year. And the reality is that the Steelers have the same record as the Patriots, they have won five games in a row, their young defense is coming into its own, and the Steelers are the one team that could prevent the Pat­riots from getting the No. 1 playoff seed.

That Week 15 matchup in Pittsburgh very well could determine which team gets home-field advantage. The Steelers’ closing schedule also looks soft, so even if the Patriots win in Pittsburgh, the Steelers still might get to 13 wins.

Heinz Field wasn’t too daunting for the Patriots last regular season, when they won, 27-16. But Landry Jones was the quarterback that day, not Roethlisberger. And the Steelers’ defense is much improved, ranking No. 2 in points, No. 4 in yards, and No. 2 in sacks (34).

If the Patriots play the Steelers in Foxborough, chalk up another easy win for the home team. But an AFC Championship game in Heinz Field won’t be a gimme for the Sons of Belichick.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars

Record: 7-3

Remaining schedule: at Arizona, vs. Indianapolis, vs. Seattle, vs. Houston, at San Francisco, at Tennessee.

Outlook: We’re just as guilty as anyone for overlooking the Jaguars, but it’s time to take them seriously. They’re just one game behind the Patriots in the playoff standings, and their closing schedule is not difficult, to put it mildly.

The Jaguars’ defense has been nothing short of incredible. They are No. 1 in the NFL in points allowed and total yards, they have allowed 7 or fewer points in five of their 10 games, and their 23 takeaways are tied for the most in the NFL. And boy, do they get after the quarterback — their 40 sacks are six more than any other team. The Jaguars can get pressure without blitzing, and they could ruin Tom Brady’s day in a hurry. They look like the new Broncos.

What gives us pause, of course, is their offense. It’s hard to bet on a team quarterbacked by Blake Bortles, especially if that game is in Gillette Stadium.

Then again, the Jaguars are No. 8 in the NFL in scoring offense and total yards. They’ve done a good job of minimizing Bortles’s impact on the game, as he’s on pace for 504 pass attempts (he had more than 600 each of the last two years) and just 11 interceptions (he’s never had fewer than 16). And the Jaguars can score without Bortles, as they have five defensive touchdowns.

The Jaguars have a strong running game, a vicious pass rush, and Tom Coughlin, every Patriots fan’s biggest nightmare, running the show. This is a team to keep an eye on.

3. Los Angeles Chargers

Record: 5-6

Remaining schedule: vs. Cleveland, vs. Washington, at Kansas City, at New York Jets, vs. Oakland.

Outlook: Of the eight teams within one game of the final AFC playoff seed, the Chargers look to be the most dangerous, by far. They have a veteran gunslinger in Philip Rivers, impressive skill players on offense, and a vicious front seven on defense led by Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram.

We saw the Chargers thrash the Cowboys on Thanksgiving (on the road, no less). And we saw the Patriots struggle to put the ball in the end zone in a 21-13 win over the Chargers four weeks ago.

The Chargers may not even make the playoffs, thanks to an 0-4 start brought on by the distractions of a move to Los Angeles and a new coaching staff. But if the Chargers get into the tournament, they will not be a fun team to handle.

4. Kansas City Chiefs

Record: 6-4

Remaining schedule: vs. Buffalo, at New York Jets, vs. Oakland, vs. Los Angeles Chargers, vs. Miami, at Denver.

Outlook: Alex Smith and the Chiefs might be turning into a pumpkin. That brilliant 5-0 start has morphed into a sluggish 6-4, and the Chiefs’ offense suddenly lacks punch, scoring just 26 points in its last two games.

Of course, the Chiefs thrashed the Patriots in Week 1, but the Patriots have fixed most of those issues on defense. And the prospects of playing in Arrow­head Stadium, one of the toughest road venues in the NFL, look slim thanks to the Chiefs’ recent losing streak.

The Chiefs can still bring the heat on defense, and Andy Reid’s teams have given Belichick trouble over the years. But the Chiefs are looking less and less like a threat by the week.

5. Tennessee Titans

Record: 6-4

Remaining schedule: at Ind­ianapolis, vs. Houston, at Arizona, at San Francisco, vs. Los Angeles Rams, vs. Jacksonville.

Outlook: OK, we’re not really buying the Titans. They have been wildly inconsistent. They blew out the Jaguars and beat the Seahawks early in the season, then gave up 57 to Houston and barely beat the Browns. More recently, they got blown out by the Steelers last week.

The Titans also don’t do anything particularly well — their offense is 15th in scoring, Marcus Mariota has just eight touchdown passes against 10 interceptions, their defense is 24th in points allowed, and they only have 16 sacks in 10 games.

But the Patriots do traditionally struggle with mobile quarterbacks — Cam Newton ripped them apart in Week 4 — and Mariota certainly has the athleticism to cause them trouble.

We’re not really considering the Titans as a threat to the Pat­riots, but we had to rank someone at No. 5.

Just goes to show how bad the AFC is this year.

Ben Volin can be reached at benjamin.volin@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @BenVolin.