When the ‘Monday Night Football’ game between the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals finishes on Nov. 3, it will mark the end of Week 9 and the conclusion of the first half of the regular season.
Through half a season of games, the true postseason contenders will have mostly separated themselves from the rest of the field. The NFL playoff picture will take on a clearer shape. Races for all eight division titles will hit a second gear. Battles for the 14 total playoff spots will come into focus.
If the season ended before Week 9, a couple of surprise teams – the Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers – would be enjoying a first-round bye.
But there are still 10 full weeks of action to go, and plenty can still change in that time.
Will the Baltimore Ravens, Washington Commanders and Minnesota Vikings bounce back with their starting quarterbacks getting healthy? Can the Cincinnati Bengals stay on the postseason bubble until quarterback Joe Burrow returns? And will the teams currently leading their divisions hold on?
Only time will tell, but for now, here’s what the NFL playoff picture looks like:
NFL playoff picture
AFC playoff picture
Indianapolis Colts (7-1, AFC South leaders)
New England Patriots (6-2, AFC East leaders)
Denver Broncos (6-2, AFC West leaders)
Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3, AFC North leaders)
Buffalo Bills (5-2, wild card No. 1)
Los Angeles Chargers (5-3, wild card No. 2)
Kansas City Chiefs (5-3, wild card No. 3)
In the hunt: Jacksonville Jaguars (4-3), Houston Texans (3-4), Cincinnati Bengals (3-5), Las Vegas Raiders (2-5), Baltimore Ravens (2-5), Cleveland Browns (2-6), Miami Dolphins (2-6), New York Jets (1-7), Tennessee Titans (1-7).
NFC playoff picture
Green Bay Packers (5-1-1, NFC North leaders)
Philadelphia Eagles (6-2, NFC East leaders)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2, NFC South leaders)
Seattle Seahawks (5-2, NFC West leaders)
Detroit Lions (5-2, wild card No. 1)
Los Angeles Rams (5-2, wild card No. 2)
San Francisco 49ers (5-3, wild card No. 3)
In the hunt: Chicago Bears (4-3), Carolina Panthers (4-4), Dallas Cowboys (3-4-1), Atlanta Falcons (3-4), Minnesota Vikings (3-4), Washington Commanders (3-5), Arizona Cardinals (2-5), New York Giants (2-6), New Orleans Saints (1-7).
Projected NFL playoff matchups entering Week 9
AFC playoff bracket
No. 1 seed Indianapolis Colts (5-1), BYE
No. 2 seed New England Patriots (6-2) vs. No. 7 seed Kansas City Chiefs (5-3)
No. 3 seed Denver Broncos (6-2) vs. No. 6 seed Jacksonville Jaguars (5-3)
No. 4 seed Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3) vs. No. 5 seed Buffalo Bills (5-2)
NFC playoff bracket
No. 1 seed Green Bay Packers (5-1-1), BYE
No. 2 seed Philadelphia Eagles (6-2) vs. No. 7 seed San Francisco 49ers (5-3)
No. 3 seed Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2) vs. No. 6 seed Los Angeles Rams (5-2)
No. 4 seed Seattle Seahawks (5-2) vs. No. 5 seed Detroit Lions (5-2)