The end of Week 8 marks the start of November, and believe it or not, playoff football is on the horizon.
There are surprises in both the AFC and NFC this season, but nobody is surprised at seeing the Patriots atop the standings. Tom Brady’s suspension cost the Patriots one game this season, but they’ve otherwise emerged from Deflategate unharmed. Once again New England is on track for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, in addition to claiming what would be their 8th straight AFC East title.
The current leader in the NFC is Dallas, but the future of Tony Romo casts an ominous shadow over the team. Dak Prescott has been outstanding in the first half of his first NFL season, but Romo’s experience could be a factor for a team that looks to be postseason bound.
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Here’s how the early playoff standings look right now:
AFC Seeding
(Getty)
The Division Leaders:
1. New England Patriots — 7-1
2. Oakland Raiders — 6-2
3. Pittsburgh Steelers — 4-3
4. Houston Texans — 5-3
The Wild Card Contenders:
5. Denver Broncos — 6-2
6. Kansas City Chiefs — 5-2
Four other teams have four wins
Potential Wild Card Matchups:
Broncos at Texans
Chiefs at Steelers
NFC Seeding
The Division Leaders:
1. Dallas Cowboys — 5-1
2. Minnesota Vikings — 5-1
3. Seattle Seahawks — 4-2-1
4. Atlanta Falcons — 5-3
The Wild Card Contenders:
5. Philadelphia Eagles — 4-2
6. Green Bay Packers — 4-3
7. Washington Redskins — 4-3-1
Potential Wild Card Matchups:
Packers at Seahawks
Eagles at Falcons