NFL standings: Updated AFC, NFC playoff picture post-Week 10

Vinnie Iyer

NFL standings: Updated AFC, NFC playoff picture post-Week 10 image

Week 10 means we're past the halfway point of the 2019 NFL season, but there still is plenty to be determined over the final two months in terms of the standings and which teams will end up making the playoffs in the AFC and NFC.

It's time again to check in on where every team stands to know where they all might finish later, from top playoff seeds to postseason also-rans who have top draft picks in mind.

Here's an updated look at what each conference field would look like if the playoffs started in Week 10.

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49ers, Saints jump Patriots; Ravens, Seahawks pass Packers for Week 10

NFL standings for Week 10

AFC playoff picture

Who would be in?

1. Patriots, first place, AFC East (8-1) — The Patriots stay here a game ahead of the Ravens during their Week 10 bye. They draw a tough NFC opponent, the Eagles, in Week 11, followed by the Cowboys, Texans and Chiefs. So the No. 1 seed is far from secure despite a perfect first half.

2. Ravens, first place, AFC North (7-2) — The Ravens beat the Patriots in Week 9 to grab the key head-to-head tiebreaker. They kept the momentum going against the Bengals with the Texans, Rams and 49ers around the corner.

3. Texans, first place, AFC South (6-3) — The Texans also enjoy a bye in Week 10 after a big win over the Jaguars in London in Week 9. They need to rev up for the Ravens in a critical game next and didn't fall out of first place because the Colts, who beat them earlier, didn't take care of business against the Dolphins.

4. Chiefs, first place, AFC West (6-4) — The Chiefs got a much-needed win without Patrick Mahomes against the Vikings in Week 9 but failed to pad their AFC resume with him back against the Titans, with their division lead down to a game and a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Raiders. They have yet to play the Patriots but have a win over the Ravens and losses to the Texans and Colts that may affect them later.

5. Bills, second place, AFC East (6-3) — The Bills got a key win over the Redskins in Week 9 to maintain their breathing room for this spot over the losing Colts and winning Steelers and Raiders. They didn't take care of the Browns, but they have a favorable schedule to keep holding off heated competition.

6. Raiders, second place, AFC West (5-4) — The Raiders lost to the Chiefs or otherwise they would be in first place in the division, not a half-game behind. But the big development was the Steelers' loss to the Browns on Thursday night, to put Oakland in position to hold this spot over Indianapolis with a win over Cincinnati on Sunday.

Who can get there?

7. Colts (5-4), 8. Steelers (5-5),  9. Titans (5-5), 10. Jaguars (4-5), 11. Browns (4-6), 12. Chargers (4-6)

The Steelers dropped here behind the Raiders after losing on Thursday night to the Browns to open Week 11. The Colts dropped here after losses to the Steelers and Dolphins in back-to-back weeks and the Raiders beat them, too.

Who's likely out?

13. Broncos (3-6), 14. Dolphins (2-7), 15. Jets (2-7), 16. Bengals (0-9)

The Browns and Jets are massive disappointments. Everyone expected the Dolphins and Bengals to be down here, however.

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NFC playoff picture

Who would be in?

1. 49ers, first place, NFC West (8-1) — The 49ers fell from unbeaten status with their home overtime loss to the Seahawks on Monday night but still hold a half-game lead in the division. They failed to keep pace with the winning Packers and didn't take advantage of the losing Saints.

2. Packers, first place, NFC North (8-2) — The Packers get their shot at the 49ers in two weeks, only on the road. They do not play the Saints. The first order of business was taken care of, getting well after the AFC loss to the Chargers with the tough NFC win over the Panthers in Lambeau.

3. Saints, first place, NFC South (7-2) — They have a comfortable lead to repeat as division champs in a weaker than expected group but their eyes of course are on getting another NFC championship game in the Superdome. The shocking home loss to the Falcons didn't help as it put them behind the Packers given the conference-record tiebreaker. They get a direct shot at the 49ers at home on Dec. 8.

4. Cowboys, first place, NFC East (5-4) — The Cowboys lost at home to the Vikings on Sunday night in a mild upset but they still hold the division lead by virtue of their home win over the Eagles.

5. Seahawks, second place, NFC West (8-2) — The Seahawks didn't take over first place with that win in San Francisco but they got a whole lot closer. They also were able to stay ahead of the winning Vikings for the top wild-card spot.

6. Vikings, second place, NFC North (7-3) — The Vikings couldn't make up ground on the Packers but got the Cowboys win they needed on Sunday night with several teams in hot pursuit of a playoff berth behind them.

Who can get there?

7. Rams (5-4), 8. Eagles (5-4), 9. Panthers (5-4), 10. Bears (4-5), 11. Lions (3-5-1)

The Rams are still very dangerous to potentially make it three teams out of the NFC West and everyone is aware of how the Eagles tend to finish strong. The Rams still hold the tiebreaker over the Eagles and Panthers because of a better conference record despite the AFC loss to the Steelers.

Who's likely out

12. Cardinals (3-6-1), 13. Buccaneers (3-6), 14. Falcons (2-7), 15. Giants (2-8), 16. Redskins (1-8)

The Buccaneers have played better than their record indicates but that's not much consolation now. The Falcons and Redskins are as bad as their record indicates defensively.

Vinnie Iyer

Vinnie Iyer Photo

Vinnie Iyer, has been with TSN since 1999, not long after graduating from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. He has produced NFL content for more than 20 years, turning his attention to full-time writing in 2007. A native of St. Louis, Mo. but now a long-time resident of Charlotte, N.C. Vinnie’s top two professional sports teams are Cardinals and Blues, but he also carries purple pride for all things Northwestern Wildcats. He covers every aspect of the NFL for TSN including player evaluations, gambling and fantasy football, where he is a key contributor. Vinnie represents TSN as host of the “Locked On Fantasy Football” podcast on the Locked On network. Over his many years at TSN, he’s also written about MLB, NBA, NASCAR, college football, tennis, horse racing, film and television. His can’t-miss program remains “Jeopardy!”, where he was once a three-day champion and he is still avid about crossword puzzles and trivia games. When not watching sports or his favorite game show, Vinnie is probably watching a DC, Marvel or Star Wars-related TV or movie.