Nov 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs (15) on the sideline against the Atlanta Falcons in the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports.
Half of the 2023 NFL regular season is officially in the books, and the division races continue to heat up across the league.
As the dust settles from Week 9, there are five divisions that remain separated by 1.5 games or fewer at the top, including an absolutely wild AFC North race where every single team is 5-3 or better.
Now, all attention turns to Week 10, and while we look ahead to what promises to be another exciting week of action, here is a look at where the 2023 NFL standings sit.
It was a rough weekend over in the AFC East as all four teams lost their Week 9 games. Because of that, nothing changes in the standings. Miami had a chance to take a firm hold over this division, but they couldn’t move the ball against the Chiefs until it was too late. Meanwhile, Buffalo’s offense continues to find trouble as well, and they lost their third game in the past five weeks.
While nobody won in the AFC East, every team in the AFC North was able to capture a win. This division is now full of heavyweights. The Ravens are looking like bonafide Super Bowl contenders, and each of the other three teams sit at 5-3.
If the season ended today, all four of these franchises would be in the playoffs. Something is going to have to give as we get into the heat of the divisional schedule. Baltimore and Cleveland meet in Week 10 to get the fun started.
With the Jaguars on their bye, this allowed both Houston and Indianapolis to gain some ground on the AFC South leaders with victories over the weekend. The Texans earned a huge comeback win behind their rookie QB C.J. Stroud who absolutely lit up the Buccaneers defense for 470 yards and 5 TDs.
The Colts defense held strong against Carolina to give them their fourth win of the season. Tennessee fell just short, but with Will Levis at QB, they are pushing the ball downfield effectively. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them get back into the hunt over the next few weeks.
The Denver Broncos watched from their couches as all three of their division rivals earned dominant victories, and once again, Denver sits alone in last place of the AFC West. Kansas City now firmly holds the No. 1 seed in the AFC after their win against Miami, meaning the playoffs would once again go through Arrowhead if the season were to end today.
Philadelphia continues to hold the best record in football, but they narrowly escaped on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles secondary still has some problems which could prove detrimental when the playoffs arrive, but for now, they hold a two-game lead in the NFC East, and with the Lions on their bye, their lead for the No. 1 seed grows to 1.5 games.
Down the road, the Giants have lost QB Daniel Jones for the year due to a torn ACL, and with another loss, they are inching closer and closer to the worst record in football.
The NFC North race is beginning to heat up a bit. With Detroit sitting at home for the weekend, Minnesota was able to inch closer with their fourth consecutive win by beating the Atlanta Falcons behind a strong second half from Josh Dobbs.
Green Bay also managed to end their own losing streak by defeating the Los Angeles Rams, and they remain just 1.5 games behind Minnesota for that No. 7 seed in the NFC. Chicago’s losing ways continued as they fell to the New Orleans Saints despite a strong effort from their defense.
The NFC South has been a mess for the past few weeks with three different teams leading the division over the past three weeks. This time, it’s the New Orleans Saints leading the way. They beat the Bears, but every other team in the division lost. Tampa Bay’s losing streak stretched to four games after their 3-1 start to the year, and they will have to turn things around quickly in order to get back in the hunt.
San Francisco reclaimed the lead in the NFC West, but they did so without playing a game. They simply watched as the Ravens blew the doors off Seattle on Sunday, and because the 49ers are 2-0 in the division, they hold a tiebreaker over the Seahawks. However, both head-to-head matchups remain as the two teams will face off in Weeks 12 and 14, so there is a lot on the table over the next couple weekends.
NOTE: This article originally appeared on our sister-site, PurplePTSD.com.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.