We're about a quarter through the NFL season, which, of course, always seems to fly by until we're left waiting for seven months for it to return. With 13 weeks remaining, who should be in the driver's seat to win their divisions?
Let's take a look.
AFC East: Buffalo Bills
With Josh Allen under center and James Cook in the backfield, the Buffalo Bills have been the NFL's most productive scoring offense so far.
Cook has more yards on the ground (421) than anyone in the AFC but the Kansas City Chiefs' Kenneth Walker (537), proving once again that he brings balance to Buffalo's attack.
Being that the Bills haven't been able to get over the hump, they kind of better hope they don't have to deal with competing for a Lombardi Trophy as a wild card.
AFC North: Cincinnati Bengals
You didn't expect me to go with the Cleveland Browns, did you?
Todd Monken's team currently sits atop the grouping, with quarterback Deshaun Watson having turned fans' boos to cheers — somehow.
If not for Derrick Harmon's strip sack, which sealed a Pittsburgh Steelers home victory in Week 3, Joe Burrow and the Bengals are probably sitting at 3-1, as well.
The Bengals get the nod for now, especially with Lamar Jackson hurt and the Steelers figuring their own things down during what's been an up-and-down start out of the gates.
AFC South: Jacksonville Jaguars
Through four weeks, the Jacksonville Jaguars have allowed the fewest points in the AFC.
Both the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans have steep hills to climb after 0-4 starts. The Indianapolis Colts have finally bucked a nine-game skid that stretched back to last season, and have won two straight — against the reeling Texans and Jayden Daniels-less Washington Commanders.
Liam Coen's team could run out of steam at some point, but it's hard to believe that the Colts will overtake them, or that the other two squads in the division will shake off a brutal start.
AFC West: Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes is back.
The Kansas City Chiefs were mathematically eliminated from division contention even before the superstar quarterback tore his ACL in Week 15 last season.
Before that, Kansas City had owned the grouping for nine campaigns in a row, finally ceding control to the Denver Broncos. Reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker has been a fantastic addition to the Chiefs' backfield.
It's hard to go against Andy Reid's bunch.
NFC East: Dallas Cowboys? Maybe?
This might be the toughest to figure out.
The New York Giants are relying on Jameis Winston. The vibes around the Philadelphia Eagles are horrendous overall, the Dallas Cowboys just lost to the previously 0-4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Washington Commanders have to hope that Jayden Daniels' elbow holds up.
The division is a toss-up. For now, I'll go with Dak Prescott and America's Team, but I don't feel great about it.
NFC North: Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears have fared well without Caleb Williams, whose injury looked a lot worse than it actually was. The Madden cover athlete will get back in the fold eventually, which is a big reason why they barely edge out the ultra-stingy Minnesota Vikings here.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions currently trot out the worst defense in the league, allowing 423.8 yards per game. The Green Bay Packers have had an rockier go of it than they'd expected, mainly because of a floundering offensive line in front of Jordan Love.
NFC South: Atlanta Falcons
As of now, the Atlanta Falcons have a top-10 defense, including the best rushing resistance (48.3 yards per game) in the league.
Michael Penix Jr. has played well since returning, leading Atlanta to two straight wins in fairly convincing fashion. The Carolina Panthers currently lead the pack, but the Falcons are picking up some steam.
NFC West: Seattle Seahawks
This was touted as the toughest division in football entering the season, and it still very well could be.
The San Francisco 49ers have powered out to an undefeated start, sitting in the perch for right now. It's still hard to bet against Mike Macdonald's bunch, though, with a defense that's still doing a good job keeping points off the board — Seattle ranks third in the NFC in points allowed per game (18.3) — and can tout a title pedigree.
Of course, it helps that the Los Angeles Rams stumbled early on.
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