Updated NFL playoff picture: Patriots lose, Steelers move up
The NFL playoff picture is still murky even after 10 weeks of play, as the New England Patriots look less like the favorites in the AFC after losing to the Tennessee Titans.
In back-to-back weeks, the New Orleans Saints have made a strong case for being the NFL’s most dangerous team, even if they weren’t able to get a boost from Dez Bryant, who suffered a tragic injury on the practice field before ever suiting up.
After defeating the previously undefeated Los Angeles Rams, behind 200+ receiving yards from Michael Thomas, the Saints dropped 51 on another playoff-worthy team in the Cincinnati Bengals. This win puts the Saints in command in the NFC with an 8-1 record, as they join the Rams as the only one-loss teams in the conference.
Elsewhere in the NFC, the Chicago Bears lead the way in the NFC North at 6-3 after a huge performance from Mitchell Trubisky, who looks like a star when he’s “on”. Washington leads the way in the NFC East with a 6-3 record, but the Philadelphia Eagles have a better points differential and are the defending Super Bowl Champs. It seems like the Eagles are closing down on Washington’s lead.
If the season ended today, the up-and-down Minnesota Vikings and the suddenly-human Carolina Panthers would be the NFC Wild Card teams.
The Panthers were on a scorching run, racking up three straight victories, but that came to an end on Thursday Night Football against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Behind scintillating performances from Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster in the passing game, Pittsburgh blew Christian McCaffrey and the Panthers out of the water with a 52-21 win.
That victory puts Pittsburgh in the driver’s seat in the AFC North, and they are definitely trending upwards. Meanwhile, the Bengals are at 5-4 and don’t look like they’re on Pittsburgh’s level after a 51-14 blowout to New Orleans.
Surprisingly, the Patriots may also be trending downwards, as Mike Vrabel cooked up a little revenge against Bill Belichick, who is now 9-7 against former assistants, to snap the Patriots seven-game winning streak. The Gronk-less Pats scored just 10 points despite a big game from Julian Edelman, and their defense was even worse, surrendering 34 to an offense buoyed by the mercurial-but-promising Marcus Mariota-Corey Davis connection.
Now at 7-3, the Patriots are at risk of losing a home bye in the playoffs to the Steelers, while the Kansas City Chiefs looked locked in as the No. 1 seed with a 9-1 record, with their only loss coming in a wild game against New England.
Joining the Patriots, Steelers, and Chiefs as division leaders are the Houston Texans, though the Los Angeles Chargers look like the more impressive side as a wild card team in the AFC West.
The Chargers are almost a lock for the playoffs due to their electrifying offense, but the AFC Wild Card race behind them is completely wide open. The Miami Dolphins, Titans, and Bengals are all 5-4, though only the Titans looked particularly impressive this week after blowing out the Patriots in a revenge game. If Mariota can be more consistent and Davis can emerge, the Titans could prove to be the best team of the bunch.
However, A.J. Green’s injury won’t take him out of the picture for too long, and the Titans must also worry about Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts lurking as a 4-5 team in the AFC South. Another 4-5 team, the Baltimore Ravens, can’t be counted out either, especially if they can defeat the reeling Bengals in Week 11.