The NFL season has hit its halfway point. The standings are taking shape. Teams like the 0-8 Los Angeles Chargers and the 1-7 Miami Dolphins are looking toward the offseason while a handful of teams buckle down for a playoff push.
Early on, the NFC North has become the story of the season. Each team in the division — the 7-2 Chicago Bears, the 6-2 Detroit Lions, the 6-2 Minnesota Vikings and the 6-3 Green Bay Packers — has a winning record and a postseason spot if the season ended today.
Meanwhile, the abysmal NFC South represents the almost exact opposite. The 3-5 Carolina Panthers are on a three-game losing skid, but still find themselves atop the division. The 3-5 New Orleans Saints tied them for the same spot. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons, both 3-6, lurk 1/2 a game behind them.
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The 5-2-1 New York Giants have established a lead in a struggling NFC East. The 7-1 San Francisco 49ers sit atop the conference and the NFC West, with the 5-4 Los Angeles Rams and 5-4 Seattle Seahawks looking to elbow their way back into the playoff picture.
The wide-open AFC has the Buffalo Bills (7-1), the Jacksonville Jaguars (6-2), the Denver Broncos (7-2) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) as division leaders. The Cincinnati Bengals have ridden a four-game winning streak to a 6-2 record and an early wild-card spot.
The Kansas City Chiefs (6-2) and the New England Patriots (5-4) are clinging to the final two AFC playoff spots halfway through the season. The Cleveland Browns (5-4) are the only AFC squad with a winning record outside of the playoff picture.
Week 10 kicks off on Thursday night with a game between the Giants and the 2-5-1 Washington Commanders.
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