A Look at the 2023 NFL Standings Heading into Week 6

Josh Frey   |  

Oct 10, 2023

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We are about a month into the NFL season now, and things are beginning to shape out in terms of the NFL standings.

While there are a couple divisions that remain muddled, others have clear leaders through the first five weeks.

With Week 5 now behind us, here is a look at the updated 2023 NFL standings.

NFL Standings Heading into Week 6

AFC East

1. Miami Dolphins (4-1)
2. Buffalo Bills (3-2)
3. New York Jets (2-3)
4. New England Patriots (1-4)

It’s a bit strange to see the New England Patriots sitting by themselves at the bottom of the AFC East, but with defeats of 35 and 34 points in back-to-back weeks, that is exactly where they find themselves.

As we look at the top of the division, though, the Miami Dolphins were able to recapture the lead in this race after they defeated the New York Giants handedly, and Buffalo fell to Jacksonville in London.

AFC North

1. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2)
2. Baltimore Ravens (3-2)
3. Cleveland Browns (2-2)
4. Cincinnati Bengals (2-3)

With a head-to-head win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers were able to capture a tiebreaker that puts them on top of the AFC North through five weeks. They’ve relied heavily on their defense in order to win games, so it will be interesting to see if this can continue.

Meanwhile, the Bengals are fighting their way back into this race after winning two of their last three games to inch themselves within a game of the leaders. Joe Burrow finally looked like himself on Sunday, so that is a great sign for them moving forward. This race is just getting started.

AFC South

1. Indianapolis Colts (3-2)
2. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-2)
3. Houston Texans (2-3)
4. Tennessee Titans (2-3)

With the Jaguars winning in London this weekend, Indianapolis needed to capture a win in order to maintain their lead in the AFC South. They did just that and sent the Titans packing despite Anthony Richardson leaving with a shoulder injury.

Houston came very close to making this a three-horse race, but they fell just short against Atlanta. Still, they have been one of the biggest surprises in the league to this point.

AFC West

1. Kansas City Chiefs (4-1)
2. Los Angeles Chargers (2-2)
3. Las Vegas Raiders (2-3)
4. Denver Broncos (1-4)

Kansas City already has a commanding lead in the AFC West, and they can add onto it when they play the Denver Broncos on Thursday night. Patrick Mahomes led them to a road victory against Minnesota on Sunday with the Chargers on their bye.

The Raiders were able to inch closer to second-place in the division with a Monday night victory over the Green Bay Packers, but Denver continues to fall deeper into the depths of the NFL with another loss against the Jets.

NFC East

1. Philadelphia Eagles (5-0)
2. Dallas Cowboys (3-2)
3. Washington Commanders (2-3)
4. New York Giants (1-4)

The Dallas Cowboys had a chance to show the world that they are one of the best teams in the NFL when they took on the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Instead, they had a disastrous defeat in the aftermath of Philadelphia’s victory over the Rams.

Philly was actually the only team in the NFC East to win this weekend. Washington fell to Chicago on Thursday night while New York stood no chance against Miami’s offense. The Eagles have a built a nice cushion for themselves.

NFC North

1. Detroit Lions (4-1)
2. Green Bay Packers (2-3)
3. Minnesota Vikings (1-4)
4. Chicago Bears (1-4)

The Detroit Lions have a bit of a stranglehold on the NFC North through five weeks. They ran away with yet another win to begin the year over Carolina while both Green Bay and Minnesota suffered losses this week.

The Bears were able to grab their first win of the season, though, and Justin Fields is finally beginning to play some very strong football for this team. Chicago and Minnesota will meet at Soldier Field on Sunday to determine who actually is the worst team in the NFC North.

NFC South

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1)
2. New Orleans Saints (3-2)
3. Atlanta Falcons (3-2)
4. Carolina Panthers (0-5)

With Tampa Bay on their bye, both New Orleans and Atlanta had a chance to gain a little ground in the NFC South, and they did just that. The Saints dominated from start to finish against New England while Atlanta snuck away with a win over the Texans.

On the other hand, Carolina continues to dig a bigger hole in this division. They fell at the hands of the Detroit Lions on Sunday, and their struggles defensively have been apparent.

NFC West

1. San Francisco 49ers (5-0)
2. Seattle Seahawks (3-1)
3. Los Angeles Rams (2-3)
4. Arizona Cardinals (1-4)

The San Francisco 49ers continue to look like the best team in the NFL. They demolished the Cowboys on Sunday night and are now 5-0 to begin the year. More impressively, their average margin of victory is nearly 20 points per game.

Seattle was on bye this weekend, so all they could do was watch as San Francisco built a larger lead on them in the NFC West. Both LA and Arizona fell this weekend as well, putting themselves further behind the 8-ball.

NOTE: This artilce originally appeared on our sister-site, PurplePTSD.com.

Also Read:
Loss to the Chiefs Perfectly Sums up Vikings Season

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.