The hottest team in football is the New Orleans Saints, as they have won seven straight. Here is the updated NFL standings and playoff picture in Week 10.
With just one game left on the Week 10 slate, we need to take a few minutes and see how the divisional races and playoff pictures are shaping out in the NFL. The last game on the schedule will be between the Miami Dolphins (4-4) and the Carolina Panthers (6-3) on Monday Night Football on Nov. 13.
While the usual suspects are your division leaders for the most part in the AFC, that is not the case in the NFC. All four teams that are division leaders in the NFC didn’t even make the playoffs a year ago. These four teams are at least 7-2, but it remains to be seen if that will translate to playoff success.
However, no team in football is hotter than the New Orleans Saints. They have won seven games in a row, including a complete dismantling of the reeling Buffalo Bills up in Orchard Park this weekend.
Here is the playoff picture for both conferences heading into Monday Night Football in Week 10.
AFC East
- New England Patriots (7-2)
- Buffalo Bills (5-4)
- Miami Dolphins (4-4)*
- New York Jets (4-6)
New England has a two-game lead over Buffalo in the AFC East standings. Miami is 2.5 games back of the Patriots, but will be either two or three back of New England depending on what happens on Monday night. New York is 3.5 games back of the first place Patriots in the AFC East.
AFC North
- Pittsburgh Steelers (7-2)
- Baltimore Ravens (4-5)
- Cincinnati Bengals (3-6)
- Cleveland Browns (0-9)
Pittsburgh is running away with the AFC North. The Steelers lead the Ravens by three games in the divisional race. Cincinnati is four games back of Pittsburgh. Cleveland is out of it seven games back of the Steelers in the AFC North.
AFC South
- Tennessee Titans (6-3)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (6-3)
- Houston Texans (3-6)
- Indianapolis Colts (3-7)
Tennessee leads Jacksonville in the AFC South race by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker. They will meet again in Week 17 in Nashville. Three games back are the Texans of Tennessee and Jacksonville. Indianapolis is bringing up the rear in the AFC South at 3.5 games back of the co-leaders.
AFC West
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-3)
- Oakland Raiders (4-5)
- Denver Broncos (3-6)
- Los Angeles Chargers (3-6)
Kansas City is the top dog in the AFC West after going on bye. The Chiefs have a two-game lead over the Raiders and three-game leads over both the Broncos and the Chargers in the AFC West race.
If the season ended today, here would be the playoff seedings in the AFC. Pittsburgh would get home-field advantage as the No. 1 seed. New England would get a first-round by and be the No. 2 seed. Kansas would be the No. 3 seed and Tennessee would be the No. 4 seed. The two wild cards in the AFC would be Jacksonville and Buffalo as the No. 5 and No. 6 seeds, respectively.
NFC East
- Philadelphia Eagles (8-1)
- Dallas Cowboys (5-4)
- Washington Redskins (4-5)
- New York Giants (1-8)
Philadelphia leads the NFC East by an increasingly wide margin. The Eagles are three games better than Dallas coming off their bye. Philadelphia is four games better than Washington and a whopping seven games better than toothless New York.
NFC North
- Minnesota Vikings (7-2)
- Detroit Lions (5-4)
- Green Bay Packers (5-4)
- Chicago Bears (3-6)
Minnesota is the best team in the NFC North entering Week 11. The Vikings have a two-game lead over Detroit and Green Bay. Chicago is four games back of the division-leading Vikings in the NFC North divisional race.
NFC South
- New Orleans Saints (7-2)
- Carolina Panthers (6-3)*
- Atlanta Falcons (5-4)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-6)
New Orleans leads the NFC South at 7-2. The Saints will have either a half game or a 1.5-game lead over the Panthers depending on what happens on Monday night. Atlanta is two games back of the Saints. Tampa Bay is four games back of New Orleans in the NFC South race.
NFC West
- Los Angeles Rams (7-2)
- Seattle Seahawks (6-3)
- Arizona Cardinals (4-5)
- San Francisco 49ers (1-9)
Los Angeles is first place in the NFC West. The Rams have a game lead over the Seahawks. Arizona is three games back of first-place Los Angeles. San Francisco keeps pace with the Rams at 6.5 games back after getting its first win of the season.
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If the season ended today, here would be the six teams that would make the NFC playoffs. Philadelphia would have home-field advantage as the No. 1 seed. Minnesota would get a first-round bye as the No. 2 seed. New Orleans would be the No. 3 and Los Angeles would get the No. 4 seed. The two NFC wild card teams would be the Carolina and Seattle in some order depending on what happens on Monday night.