Week 11 marks part of the period of the NFL season in which the contenders separate from the pretenders. While we still don’t know a lot about who will make the playoffs, we do have a better picture after a few important contests on Sunday. Some teams got huge boosts to their chances, while others took a major hit.
Playoff Picture sharpens after Week 11 in the NFL
The NFC West might be the best division in football. The race got a little clearer on Sunday. The Los Angeles Rams dominated Sam Darnold en route to a crucial win, and they’re now in the driver’s seat in the division. The Seattle Seahawks remain a wild card team, but with the San Francisco 49ers winning yesterday, they have also crept up on the Hawks. Just 1.5 games separates the two, but the Rams look like the favorite as of now.
The NFC North is the only other division that might be able to make that claim about being the best division, and after a shocking turn of events, the Chicago Bears lead this division. They have a negative point differential, so take that with a grain of salt, but they’re in the race. So are the Detroit Lions (6-4) and Green Bay Packers (6-3-1). The 4-6 Minnesota Vikings probably fell out of contention with their loss to the Bears.
Over in the NFC South, things have surprisingly gotten very complicated. Another Tampa Bay Buccaneers loss has opened the door for the Carolina Panthers, who are now just a half-game back after coming back and beating the Atlanta Falcons. These two have yet to play one another, and those two contests in the final three weeks could be huge. Both would remain outside wild-card shots, too.
Similarly, the AFC North is becoming a two-team race. The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers both won yesterday, so it remains a one-game lead for Pittsburgh. The Steelers may have lost Aaron Rodgers, though, and Lamar Jackson is back for the Ravens. This will be one of the most interesting races to watch down the stretch as they’ve also yet to play one another.
The New England Patriots, thanks to Drake Maye’s continued excellence, are now pulling away in the AFC East. A crucial Buffalo Bills win over the Buccaneers keeps the deficit to 1.5 games, but New England is in the driver’s seat and could earn the AFC’s top seed.
The AFC West holds another contender for the top seed, and it’s not the Kansas City Chiefs. Shockingly, they’re 5-5 after a last-second loss to the Denver Broncos, who are tied in record with the Patriots. A Los Angeles Chargers loss puts Denver in front by two whole games now, and though they’re winning ugly, the Broncos just keep winning.
The Indianapolis Colts are on a bye week, but they’re 8-2 and in play for that top seed. As of now, they’re two games up in the division as well, but both the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans won yesterday to boost their wild-card chances.
The Philadelphia Eagles dominated the Lions with a masterful defensive effort. The win put them at 8-2, tied with the Rams for the best record in the NFC. That division race is practically over already. Philadelphia holds a substantial lead over the 3-5-1 Dallas Cowboys (who play Monday) and the 3-8 Washington Commanders. No other NFC East team is likely to even make the playoffs at this stage.
With three wild-card spots in each conference, plenty of teams remain alive. Right now, the Bills, Jaguars, and Chargers hold the AFC wild cards. They’re trailed closely by Texans, Chiefs, and Ravens, though. One game separates those three from the last spot.
In the NFC, the three wild cards are the Seahawks, 49ers, and Packers. The Lions and Panthers remain teams over .500 with a shot at stealing one of those spots.
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