The 2022 NFL season is beyond the halfway point. Although the playoff picture for the AFC and NFC won't be finalized until Week 18, it's another great time to look at the updated standings and what teams would be in the playoffs if the season ended after Week 10.
Here's a breakdown of the NFL's latest playoff field and seedings, also looking at the contenders on the brink of joining the potential postseason party:
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NFL standings after Week 10
AFC playoff picture
1. Kansas City Chiefs (7-2), first place, AFC West. The Chiefs lost to the Bills but got a huge overtime win over the AFC South-leading Titans in Week 9. They kept up the momentum by beating the Jaguars in Week 10 and got the bonus of jumping the losing Bills and putting more distance between them and the idle Ravens.
2. Miami Dolphins (7-3), first place, AFC East. The Dolphins beat the Bills, but lost to the Jets. That first result has paid off after their Week 10 win over the Browns and the Bills dropped consecutive games to the Jets and Vikings. They are shockingly up a half-game in the division on the Jets and Bills with a fourth consecutive victory.
3. Tennessee Titans (6-3), first place, AFC South The Titans saw their five-game winning streak snapped by the Chiefs in Week 9 after also losing to the Bills in Week 2. They did fall behind the Ravens by a half-game in Week 9, but got back to No. 3 with a win over the Broncos in Week 10 that pushed their conference record to 5-2.
4. Baltimore Ravens (6-3), first place, AFC North. The Ravens rule the roost again their division by virtue of a home win over the Bengals. They still have plenty of work to do with the Bengals right behind them. They also lost to the Bills earlier. They enjoy a bye in Week 10 as they slipped behind the winning Titans.
5. New York Jets (6-3), second place, AFC East. The Jets have the top wild-card spot because their shocking upset win over the Bills in Week 9. With the Bills losing to help the Jets move up a spot, Robert Saleh's team gets to enjoy a bye to help finish their surprising year strong.
6. Buffalo Bills (6-3), third place, AFC East. The Bills started Week 10 at No. 1 but with the Chiefs, Dolphins and Titans all winning and their collapse-filled loss to the Vikings at home, they dropped a whopping five spots into the second wild-card position. They have their work cut out for them to get back to a spot for home-field advantage and the lone playoff bye.
7. New England Patriots (5-4), last place, AFC East. The Patriots didn't play in Week 10 but jumped up here over the losing Chargers because of a strength-of-victory tiebreaker as both teams have a 4-2 conference record. That means all four AFC East teams would make the playoffs if the season ended before Week 11.
Who's in the hunt?
8. Los Angeles Chargers (5-4), second place, AFC West
9. Cincinnati Bengals (5-4), second place, AFC North
10. Indianapolis Colts (4-5-1), second place, AFC South
11. Cleveland Browns (3-6), third place, AFC North
12. Denver Broncos (3-6), third place, AFC West
The Bengals are the obvious team to watch most as the still reigning AFC champions. The Chargers are ahead of them, however, because of having the superior conference record, 4-2 vs. 2-3. The Colts got a Jeff Saturday spark in Las Vegas. The Browns and Broncos lost again to the Dolphins and Titans, respectively, in Week 10.
Who's likely out?
13. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-6), last place, AFC North
14. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-7), third place, AFC South
15. Las Vegas Raiders (2-7), last place, AFC West
16. Houston Texans (1-7-1), last place, AFC South
The Raiders and Jaguars had some promise early but that's faded fast, with the latter beating the former in Week 9. The Steelers are accepting the first-ever losing season under Mike Tomlin even with a Week 10 win over the Saints. The Texans still should have their sights on the top overall draft pick.
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NFC playoff picture
1. Philadelphia Eagles (8-1), first place, NFC East. The Eagles no longer need to worry about chasing a perfect season. That dream was dashed when they lost in stunning upset fashion at home to the division rival Commanders on Monday night. Their lead in East fell to one game ahead of the winning Giants and remained two ahead of the losing Cowboys.
2. Minnesota Vikings (8-1), first place, NFC North. The Vikings' lone loss was acceptable as they fell to the Eagles in Philadelphia in Week 2. They are up by 5 games on the Packers, whom they beat in Minnesota in Week 1. The Vikings are looking good to lock down at least No. 2 with a favorable schedule while leading a weak division after rallying to beat the Commanders in Week 9 and Bills in Week 10.
3. Seattle Seahawks (6-4), first place, NFC West. The Seahawks are surprising as just an above-.500 team, let alone division leaders. They fortified that surprise by finishing a sweep of the Cardinals in Arizona in Week 9 but lost ground losing to Tampa Bay in Week 10. They should be concerned most by the 49ers, who are only one game behind and beat them in San Francisco in Week 2.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-5), first place, NFC South. The Bucs are back where they're supposed to be leading their division, thanks to wins over the Falcons and Saints. But they will work to become a bigger playoff threat and No. 3 seed in the second half after getting that much-needed miracle home victory over the Rams in Week 9 followed by beating the Seahawks in Week 10.
5. New York Giants (7-2), second place, NFC East. The Giants' losses have to the Seahawks and the Cowboys. They look great for a surprise wild card with Brian Daboll after Week 10 with the win over the Texans while the Cowboys lost in overtime to the Packers. They also moved with a game of the division lead with two left to play with the Eagles.
6. Dallas Cowboys (6-3), third place, NFC East. The Cowboys had their chance against the Eagles once and came up short in Philadelphia. They will need to wait until Christmas Eve until the rematch in Dallas. They are looking good to be a wild card at the least after beating the Giants. They dropped a spot behind the Giants, however, by blowing a lead and losing to the Packers in Week 10.
7. San Francisco 49ers (5-4), second place, NFC West. The 49ers have a good chance to jump up to No. 3 in the end by simply taking the West. With all due respect to Seattle, San Francisco still should be considered the favorite to take the division after resting during a Week 9 bye. The 49ers' rushing offense and defense came out rolling vs. the Chargers on Sunday night.
Who's in the hunt?
8. Washington Commanders (5-5), fourth place, NFC East
9. Green Bay Packers (4-6), second place, NFC North
10. Atlanta Falcons (4-6), second place, NFC South
11. Arizona Cardinals (4-6), third place, NFC West
The Commanders got a huge win over the Eagles after having already having beaten the Packers for their cushion here. The Falcons slipped quickly with their Week 10-opening loss at Carolina. The Packers and Cardinals caught up to them with upset wins on Sunday.
Who's likely out?
12. Detroit Lions (3-6), third place, NFC North
13. Los Angeles Rams (3-6), last place, NFC West
14. New Orleans Saints (3-7), third place, NFC South
15. Carolina Panthers (3-7), last place, NFC South
16. Chicago Bears (3-7), last place, NFC North
The Lions have won two in a row, but it doesn't change their previously lower status. The Rams are now behind them after losing to the Cardinals. The Saints have gone into freefall after early promise. Good for the Panthers beating the Falcons, but those cats still need to find true franchise quarterbacks with their high draft picks in 2023. The Bears have their QB in Justin Fields, but need to focus on defensive help.
