Week 11 is among us in the NFL and we have begun to separate the contenders from the pretenders in each conference. However, there are still many questions to be answered. Who will challenge for the number one seed in the NFC? Who will capture the last wildcard spot in the hotly contested AFC? Most importantly, what is the best division in the NFL? Sure, the last question has zero importance and even less relevance compared to the other questions. But that’s what we do here. Debate and pick apart the meaningless stuff.
The Worst
Let’s start by stating the obvious. The NFC East is an absolute dumpster fire. At this point, I’m rooting for the first 6-10 team to get into the playoffs as a division champion. That would break the 2010 Seattle Seahawks record who finished 7-9 that year and went on to beat the Saints in the wildcard game. Does anyone remember that first-ever beast mode run by Marshawn Lynch AKA Mr. Skittles? Everyone knows this division is historically terrible. For me personally, I want to see how low can we go. My prediction, the Eagles get in a 5-10-1. Let’s make it happen!
The Bad
Aside from the Packers, who sit at 7-2, the NFC North is pretty awful. No one is challenging them for the division. The Chicago Bears had a promising start by beginning the season at a surprising 4-1. Their defense can only bail out the abysmal offense for so long. They have lost four straight with no end in sight. The Vikings will find it difficult to overcome their 1-5 start even though they have rolled off three straight victories. The Lions are, well, the Lions. Every week is a guessing game defensively and Matthew Stafford has been up and down which has them sitting at 4-5.
I hesitate to call this division bad, but the AFC South is in that category for me. They have two 6-3 teams tied at the top: the Indianapolis Colts and the Tennessee Titans. I can’t take the Colts seriously. I know they have a top tier defense allowing the third-fewest points in the league thus far. Phillip Rivers can’t move around in the pocket and he’s a sitting duck. Tom Brady might be quicker than him. The Titans can be a contender especially after last year but time will tell. The perennial division champion Houston Texans have dropped off the face of the Earth after dealing DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals which ultimately lead to head coach Bill O’Brien getting fired. They sit at 2-7. The Jaguars are 1-8, enough said.
The Rest
The AFC West is hanging their hats on defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs. They are polished and primed for a back-to-back bid currently at 8-1. The Fighting Grudens (Las Vegas Raiders) sit at a respectable 6-3. Watching Gruden on the sidelines even though it’s his third season back, still makes me giggle. I love that guy. The Broncos and Chargers are struggling. At least the Chargers are fun to watch with new rooking QB Justin Herbert. I can’t say the same for the Broncos who have the third-fewest points in the league.
The AFC East has gone from bad to okay. The Dolphin’s 5-game win streak and the Patriots back on the winning track have helped supplement front-runner Buffalo Bills. That’s right, we will most likely see a division champion other than the Patriots in the AFC East for the first time since the 2008 Dolphins. The same year Tom Brady blew his knee out in Week 1. I really don’t want to even speak of the Jets. They are still a team in the NFL but they’re like the show “Whose Line is it Anyway?”, everything is made up and the points don’t matter.
The NFC South is an interesting one. On the surface, you have two contenders in the Saints and Buccaneers. Drew Brees and Tom Brady will be in the playoffs this year, no doubt. The only question is which team will end up winning the division. Then two “bad” teams with the Falcons and Panthers. The Falcons are a deceiving 3-6. Their point differential is only -8. This is usually a stat for a team that is closer to having a .500 record. Ultimately, any time you have two first ballot, future hall of fame quarterbacks playing at a high level in the same division, it’s good in my book.
Honorable Mention
This brings me to the NFC West. There are some that would crown this the best division in the NFL. With three teams tied at the top at 6-3. The Cardinal, Rams, and Seahawks will make a push to win the division or secure a wild card spot. Remember that there is one extra wild card position in each conference this year. It will be fun to watch this play out. We get a rare Thursday night football game with relevance this week when the Cardinals visit the Seahawks which will have huge implications moving forward. The San Francisco 49ers are a respectable 4-6 after losing what seems to be half their team to season-ending or long terms injuries. Give Kyle Shannahan credit for putting a competitive team on the field after what they’ve gone through.
The Best
The AFC North is undeniably the best division in the NFL. Could my pick be biased because I’m a life-long Browns fan? Maybe. I can back it up though. The AFC North has the best winning percentage over any other division. The Steelers help that number greatly by remaining the only undefeated team left in the NFL at 9-0. The Browns and Ravens sit at 6-3 and the scrappy Bengals, who always seem to be in the game, are 2-6-1. This brings their winning percentage, as a whole, to 63.8%. In comparison, the NFC West come in 2nd at 59.5%. Just for funsies, let’s look at the NFC East. They have a 27% winning percentage collectively. That’s like a division full of the late 70’s Tampa Bay Buccaneer teams.
The AFC North could very well have 3 playoff teams when it’s all said and done but that’s no guarantee. Their conference is a highly competitive one that forecasts a much tougher road to the playoffs than the NFC. Where I can not wait for the Wild Card matchup between the 5-10-1 Philadelphia Eagles vs. a 10-6 Seattle Seahawks team. Because of the NFL playoff seeding rules, it would be an Eagles home game. I love this league.
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