Week 8 of the NFL season began with a Los Angeles Chargers blowout victory over the shorthanded Minnesota Vikings, and that blowout set the stage for a slew of routs in the early window of Sunday's slate. Six of the seven early-window games were decided by two or more possessions, and the only game that wasn't saw the New York Jets earn their first win of the year in comeback fashion over the Cincinnati Bengals.
That Jets win has been the only truly shocking outcome of Week 8 thus far, further adding to the point that the teams currently sitting in postseason spots might actually end up there by season's end.
There's more time for others to sneak in, but for now, let's take a look at the bracket and how the postseason would shake out if the regular season ended at this point.
How the AFC bracket would look if the playoffs started after Week 8 early window
Wild Card round
No. 7 Jacksonville Jaguars (4-3) at No. 2 New England Patriots (6-2)
The New England Patriots won again on Sunday, giving them five victories in a row and a 6-2 record overall. We all knew how good a head coach Mike Vrabel was, but Drake Maye is starting to establish himself as a legitimate star quarterback. The Jacksonville Jaguars have signature wins over teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers — their win against the Chiefs is why they'd have the tiebreaker over Kansas City — but it's hard to bet against Vrabel and Maye, particularly at home.
No. 6 Los Angeles Chargers (5-3) at No. 3 Denver Broncos (5-2)
After a month-long slump, the Los Angeles Chargers woke up in Week 8. Joe Alt returned from injury, Kimani Vidal ran the ball efficiently, and Justin Herbert played well en route to a 37-10 drubbing of the Vikings. When healthy, this Chargers team has the pieces to make a deep postseason run, and I'd pick them to beat the Denver Broncos on the road if the playoffs started today. The Broncos' offense finally showed signs of life in the fourth quarter of their Week 7 game, but I'll need more than just a quarter of success against the New York Giants to truly believe in Bo Nix and this team as legitimate threats to go on a deep playoff run.
No. 5 Buffalo Bills (5-2) at No. 4 Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2)
Poor Pittsburgh Steelers fans, man. Their reward for winning the AFC North in this scenario is playing arguably the best quarterback on the planet, Josh Allen, and the Buffalo Bills. Aaron Rodgers has this offense playing at as high a level as it has in quite some time, and this defense can be quite good, but the defense has struggled, and it's just impossible to pick against Allen against really anyone not named Patrick Mahomes in January. Give me the Bills in an "upset" as the lower seed.
Divisional round
No. 6 Los Angeles Chargers at No. 1 Indianapolis Colts
I mean, we just saw this play out in Week 7, and it wasn't pretty. The Indianapolis Colts beat the Chargers 38-24 on the road, and frankly, the margin of victory felt more lopsided than the final score indicates. The Colts have been firing on all cylinders all year, and as much as I like Herbert and Harbaugh, it's hard to envision the Chargers finding a way to win this game based on what we just saw, especially with the venue change. I can't believe the words I'm about to utter, but give me Daniel Jones in the AFC Championship Game.
No. 5 Buffalo Bills at No. 2 New England Patriots
I know I just picked the Colts to beat the Chargers with Week 7 in mind, but I'm going to brush aside the fact that the Patriots were able to upset the Bills in Buffalo in Week 5. I like everything about how this Patriots team is playing, but how am I supposed to pick against Josh Allen against a quarterback not named Mahomes? I just can't do it. I expect a hard-fought game, but I expect the quarterback who has been in this position before to get the best of a second-year quarterback.
Championship round
No. 5 Buffalo Bills at No. 1 Indianapolis Colts
It's really hard for a No. 5 seed to make it all the way to the Super Bowl, but with Mahomes out of the mix right now, that's exactly what I expect Allen to do. Daniel Jones is playing by far the best football of his career, and Jonathan Taylor might be the best running back in the sport, but this is a bet on Allen willing the Bills to the Super Bowl. I wouldn't be shocked if the Colts find a way to win - they've undoubtedly been the better team - but at the risk of repeating myself one more time, I can't pick against Allen.
How would things look on the NFC side?
Wild Card round
No. 7 San Francisco 49ers (5-3) at No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles (6-2)
Despite their 6-2 record, it's hard to fully buy into the Philadelphia Eagles right now. A.J. Brown is making headlines for the wrong reasons off the field, and on the field, their offense has been remarkably inconsistent. What I will say, though, is that the Eagles have put together back-to-back quality offensive performances, so perhaps they're starting to hit their stride. Knowing that, and the fact that it's impossible to bank on the San Francisco 49ers staying healthy, I'm going to pick the Eagles to protect home-field and advance to the Divisional Round.
No. 6 Los Angeles Rams (5-2) at No. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-2)
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' reward for winning the NFC South and earning the No. 3 seed in this world is a date against a well-rounded Los Angeles Rams team. The Bucs are really good and should be nearly impossible to stop if their skill position players can get healthy at the same time, but I have doubts about that, and it's also hard to pick against the dynamic duo of Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford in the playoffs. Give me the Rams in a shootout.
No. 5 Detroit Lions (5-2) at No. 4 Seattle Seahawks (5-2)
If I made this pick a week ago it might've been different, but right now, I have a hard time picking the Seattle Seahawks to defeat the Detroit Lions in a playoff game. The Seahawks have been a remarkable story, and I wouldn't be overly shocked to see the dynamic duo of Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba take over, but the Lions' defense impressed me in Week 7, and their offense is as good as it gets. The Lions are just too well-rounded to lose in the Wild Card Round, even in a tough road environment.
Divisional round
No. 6 Los Angeles Rams at No. 1 Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers made the Micah Parsons trade to win games like these, but while I do expect Parsons to wreak havoc, it's hard to buy into the Packers' secondary. Matthew Stafford should have a field day throwing to Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, and I have a hard time believing Jordan Love will keep up. The Rams have been in this spot before, and I expect their experience (and their stars' excellence) to be on full display at Lambeau Field.
No. 5 Detroit Lions at No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles
A fully-loaded Eagles team might be the best team in football, but again, we just haven't seen it this year yet. They've been better lately, but the Lions are a team that's been clicking on all cylinders for the better part of the entire year. Give me the better team right now to win on the road, even without a dome and in a hostile environment.
Championship round
No. 6 Los Angeles Rams at No. 5 Detroit Lions
This is the matchup we all need to see. Every time Matthew Stafford returns to Ford Field, it's must-see TV, and with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line, it'll be no different this time. Jared Goff would love nothing more than to beat Sean McVay and Co. after they traded him away, but I trust Stafford, McVay, and Los Angeles' star receiver duo over everything the Lions have to offer. I wouldn't be shocked if the Lions pulled this out - this was the hardest game for me to pick - but I'm betting on experience and talent here.
Super Bowl
Buffalo Bills vs. Los Angeles Rams
If the playoff bracket shakes out in this fashion, the Bills likely wouldn't have a better shot when it comes to winning the Super Bowl than this one. Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson are nowhere to be found, so there truly would be no excuse for that team not to get out of the AFC. It'd get a lot tougher with Stafford and McVay in the Super Bowl, and that's where I see this run coming to an end.
The Bills are really good, but it's important to note that they haven't beaten a single good team yet. It's hard to pick them to win the Super Bowl knowing that fact, and additionally, this Rams team is really good, too. I expect Allen to get his, but this Bills defense is suspect, and the Rams just have a better all-around team. I wouldn't be shocked to see Allen pull out a magical Super Bowl win, but I'll believe it when I see it.