Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the top record in the AFC at 11-1. The Chiefs have an easier schedule down the stretch and are the favorite to win the No. 1 seed and the bye. Reed Hoffman/Associated Press

The NFL is entering the final four weeks of its regular season. It is remarkable the league it has made it this far without any major disruptions, given the challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

How will things play over the next month? Here are four predictions:

•  The Chiefs will edge the Steelers for the AFC’s No. 1 seed.

Pittsburgh was the NFL’s final unbeaten team before Monday’s home loss to Washington, and it is now tied with the Chiefs, at 11-1, atop the AFC. But Kansas City is better positioned to finish the regular season in first place.

That’s because Kansas City has an easier closing schedule. The Chiefs’ final four games feature one major challenge: a road trip in two weeks to face the NFC-leading New Orleans Saints. But if they win that one – which may or may not be a matchup with backup quarterback Taysom Hill if Drew Brees hasn’t returned from injury – they have a realistic shot at a 15-1 record. They play at Miami next week and close with back-to-back home games against the Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Chargers.

The Steelers, on the other hand, have to follow Monday’s loss, which took place just five days after its win last week over Baltimore, by again playing on a short week on the road against the Buffalo Bills. They play at the Cincinnati Bengals the following week but then close against a pair of likely playoff teams in the Indianapolis Colts and Cleveland Browns.

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Regardless of which team winds up with the top seed and a first-round bye, Kansas City appears to have the stronger chances of making it to the Super Bowl. Even though Ben Roethlisberger has been playing well, the quarterback edge between these teams clearly belongs to Kansas City and Patrick Mahomes. He leads the league with 3,815 yards and has thrown 31 touchdown passes against only two interceptions. In this year of offense, the team with the best quarterback has the edge.

Doug Pederson led the Eagles to the Super Bowl in 2018 but his team is just 3-8 this year and he is on the hot seat. Matt Slocum/Pool photo via Associated Press

•  This year’s surprise coach firing will be Philadelphia’s Doug Pederson.

To be clear, Pederson is a very good coach. He led the Eagles to a phenomenal Super Bowl win over New England with a backup quarterback, and at the time he was considered to be one of the best new coaching hires in years.

But the Eagles are a mess this season. Carson Wentz, who was an MVP candidate during that Super Bowl season before suffering an ACL tear, has been one of the NFL’s worst quarterbacks this year and was benched during Sunday’s loss at the Green Bay Packers. Pederson announced Tuesday that Jalen Hurts will take over as the Eagles starting quarterback.

But QB isn’t the only issue on offense. The receiving corps is a mess, and the offensive line is worse. Injuries are partially to blame, but owner Jeffrey Lurie will have to look hard at the coaching in addition to the roster decisions of General Manager Howie Roseman.

One factor to watch: It is anticipated that next year will be a challenging one for teams in relation to the salary cap, given the loss in revenue this year brought on by the pandemic. Roseman’s reputation as one of the league’s best cap managers could be a factor in Lurie’s decision-making.

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Brian Flores has the Dolphins in playoff contention, though Miami has a tough closing stretch. Doug Murray/Associated Press

•  The Browns and Dolphins will make the playoffs.

Cleveland and Miami are this year’s Cinderella teams, and their coaches are among the leaders for Coach of the Year honors. Kevin Stefanski has turned the Browns into one of the NFL’s best running teams in his first year, and his squad seems to be peaking at the right time, with Baker Mayfield throwing for four touchdowns in a big win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. At 9-3, Cleveland has a shot at the AFC’s top wild-card spot.

In Miami, Brian Flores has done a similarly impressive job, with his best work coming on defense. At 8-4, the Dolphins are in the mix in the AFC East and wild-card races but have a challenging closing stretch, starting next week with a game against Kansas City. Still, I predict they will make the postseason, along with Cleveland.

Whether either team is capable of pulling off a road playoff win is a different question. Both have benefited from easy schedules, and Cleveland has a negative-15 point differential – something you would expect from a team with a losing record, not a playoff contender.

Coach Joe Judge has changed the culture with the New York Giants and has them in position to win the NFC East. Seth Wenig/Associated Press

•  The Giants will win the NFC East.

Give Coach Joe Judge plenty of credit. He has changed the culture of the Giants and has them on a four-game win streak. Until their great performance in Sunday’s upset win over the Seahawks, it was hard to tell whether the Giants’ defense, which entered the game with a top-10 ranking, was for real. But their stifling of the Seahawks and star quarterback Russell Wilson should cause others to take notice.

Cornerback James Bradberry has proved to be one of the best free agent signings of the offseason. On offense, they’re running the ball well and should get starting quarterback Daniel Jones back from his hamstring injury for next week’s game against Arizona.

The Giants could face a late challenge from Washington, which improved to 5-7 with Monday’s upset, but New York’s season sweep gives it the tiebreaker.


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