Oct 15, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) takes the field before the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports
We are officially a third of the way through the NFL season, but there are still plenty of tight divisional races across the league following the Week 6 slate.
In fact, five of the eight divisions across the league are decided by one game or less, and it is shaping up to be a tight playoff race as we approach the second half of the season. With Week 7 fast-approaching, here is a look at what the NFL standings currently look like.
The AFC East saw three teams earn victories in Week 6 with only the New England Patriots losing this past weekend. As a result, the division leaders continue to pull away from the once-juggernaut of a franchise.
Buffalo’s win didn’t come without some speculation as they beat the New York Giants by just five points, but Miami cruised over the Panthers while the Jets had a very impressive win against the Philadelphia Eagles to get back into the playoff hunt.
With the Steelers on their bye, every other team in the AFC North got a win on Sunday. Heading into Week 7, each team in the division now has at least a .500 record. Baltimore jumped up to first in the division with their victory while the Browns evened their record with Pittsburgh’s.
In a head-to-head matchup for the lead in the AFC South, the Jacksonville Jaguars got the better of Gardner Minshew and the Indianpolis Colts, forcing three turnovers along the way.
Meanwhile, the Texans also evened their record with Indianapolis by defeating the New Orleans Saints at home. The Titans, though, fell further behind the pack with their loss to the Ravens.
Kansas City maintained their two-game lead over the rest of the AFC West by defeating the Denver Broncos on Thursday night, and they are about to meet the Los Angeles Chargers at Arrowhead to potentially increase that lead further.
The Raiders were able to snatch a victory over the Patriots in order to keep pace in the divisional race, but LA fell in a heartbreaker to the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night.
Heading over to the NFC, the Cowboys were able to gain a game on the Eagles by beating the aforementioned Chargers while Philly lost to the Jets.
Washington also snatched a victory over the Atlanta Falcons, but New York continues to tumble further and further behind with their loss against the Bills.
Detroit continues to build on their chokehold over the NFC North. They cruised past the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, and with a head-to-head victory over the Green Bay Packers, they essentially have a 3.5-game lead in that division.
The Packers rested up on their bye week while the Vikings were able to sneak past the Bears on Sunday, avoiding the basement of the division.
The NFC South has been the armpit of the NFL for a couple years now, and that shone through again in Week 6. Every team in the division lost on Sunday, meaning Tampa Bay remains on top with both Atlanta and New Orleans a half-game behind. The stumbling Panthers also lost their sixth-straight game to begin the year and are the only winless team in the league.
The 49ers finally lost a regular season game after a 5-0 start, but Seattle was unable to take advantage of the loss to gain ground. The Seahawks fell to Cincinnati, meaning they remain 1.5 games behind San Francisco.
Then, Los Angeles cruised to a win over the Cardinals, gaining ground on both division leaders. If the season ended today, they would be the No. 7 seed in the NFC.
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.