NFC East: Dallas Cowboys | New York Giants | Philadelphia Eagles | Washington Commanders NFC North: Chicago Bears | Detroit Lions | Green Bay Packers | Minnesota Vikings NFC South: Atlanta Falcons | Carolina Panthers | New Orleans Saints | Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFC West: Arizona Cardinals | Los Angeles Rams | San Francisco 49ers | Seattle Seahawks
AFC East: Buffalo Bills | Miami Dolphins | New England Patriots | New York Jets AFC North: Baltimore Ravens | Cincinnati Bengals | Cleveland Browns | Pittsburgh Steelers AFC South: Houston Texans | Indianapolis Colts | Jacksonville Jaguars | Tennessee Titans AFC West: Denver Broncos | Kansas City Chiefs | Las Vegas Raiders | Los Angeles Chargers
There is only one undefeated team left in the AFC. It’s the best team in the AFC and the only one that can feel like September was just about perfect.
The Buffalo Bills couldn’t be in a better spot. They’re 4-0. They haven’t taken any major injuries, like the Bengals, or had many injuries pile up like the Ravens. They haven’t had an upset loss like the Chargers. They haven’t had a slow start that put them in a hole like the Texans or Kansas City Chiefs. Just winning football.
The problem for the Bills hasn’t been that they aren’t good enough to make a Super Bowl. It’s that they play in a ridiculously tough AFC. Getting the No. 1 seed would not only be a massive help, but it is something that has eluded the Bills during the Josh Allen era. Having two games in Buffalo in January wouldn’t guarantee a Super Bowl spot, but it would make the Bills a huge favorite.
The path forward to that top seed appears clear. The rest of the AFC East doesn’t look like much of a threat. The biggest game left for the Bills is against the Chiefs, but that comes in Buffalo on Nov. 2. The other elite opponent is the Philadelphia Eagles, the only other undefeated team in the NFL, and that is also in Buffalo on Dec. 28. A lot can happen over a season but 14 or 15 wins this season seems feasible.
September could not have gone better for the Bills. They’re No. 1 in the NFL Power Rankings. It’s possible they never give up that spot this season.
Cam Wards colorful postgame comments highlight his frustration. At least the Saints show some signs of fight. The Titans have lost by 8, 14, 21 and 26 points. Its getting worse. Were on weekly watch for head coach Brian Callahan, who seems like an extreme long shot to survive the season, and maybe October.
The Saints gave the Bills a scare. They have competed in three of four games; theyre going to upset someone this season. They also need to have a realistic approach to the trade deadline, starting with finding a spot for running back Alvin Kamara.
The Jets had 13 penalties on Monday night and there were other mental miscues that led to a bad loss at Miami. It’s one thing for the Jets to not have enough talent to compete. The sloppiness is harder to excuse.
The Dolphins got a win, which has to be a relief, but losing Tyreek Hill to a knee injury is a massive blow. And with Hill at age 31, it’s not the type of injury that will be easy for him to bounce back from.
Were close to another Bryce Young conversation. He isnt playing as poorly as early last season, when he was benched, but his 77.1 passer rating is better than only Trevor Lawrence, Cam Ward and Joe Flacco among QBs with 100 attempts. He has erased the momentum from late last season.
What a range of emotions Sunday, from the excitement of Jaxson Darts first start, the devastation of Malik Nabers injury and the elation of a fantastic win over the Chargers. Dart should have started from Week 1 on; the Giants wasted three weeks.
The Bengals’ offensive line is bad enough that it’s worth wondering if even Joe Burrow would have been able to overcome it. What’s clear is that Jake Browning, or any other unlikely QB option the Bengals could pursue, can’t win behind it.
The problem with making a quarterback change is its hard to start a rookie against the Vikings’ defense, especially in England, or the week after at Pittsburgh. A home game in Week 7 against the Dolphins sounds like a safer landing spot for Dillon Gabriels first start.
There had to be a sigh of relief that Ashton Jeanty looked like a superstar Sunday. He had 155 total yards and three touchdowns. It didnt lead to a win because Geno Smith was awful and the Raiders couldnt block on a game-winning field-goal attempt, but Jeantys emergence was a great sign.
According to NFL Media, home teams that get 40 points with no turnovers are now 300-0-1 in the Super Bowl era. The Cowboys’ defense is so bad, it’s making history. Dont blame Dak Prescott for this mess, he might have a Joe Burrow-esque season, playing at an elite level on a non-playoff team.
The Texans caught a miserable Titans team at the right time. They can feel good about themselves after an easy win. The best thing to happen Sunday was the emergence of rookie Woody Marks, who had 119 total yards and two touchdowns. He adds some much needed juice to Houston’s offense.
The one team that can make the Bills sweat this season might be the Patriots. That probably requires a win Sunday night in Buffalo, which is a big ask. The good news for the Patriots is Drake Maye continues to show improvement.
The Michael Penix Jr. roller coaster is going to be something to watch. Heres Penixs yards per game: 298, 135, 172, 313. Good luck guessing what happens next. He was undeniably fantastic in Week 4, which is a good sign for Atlanta after a rough shutout loss to Carolina.
Rome Odunze has made the second-year leap. Hes clearly the Bears best receiver and maybe even their best offensive player. He had a big touchdown against the Raiders on Sunday. Odunze had three touchdowns as a rookie and has five already this season. He’s a star in the making.
The Cardinals have been exposed. The good news is they get the Titans next, which should be their third win this season against one of the NFLs worst teams (Saints and Panthers were their other wins). At some point theyll need to prove they can beat good teams on the schedule.
Carson Wentz has a shot to stay on as the Vikings starting quarterback, considering how bad J.J. McCarthy looked, but coaches will get fed up with his lack of awareness in getting rid of the ball. The six sacks Wentz took was a huge reason for the loss vs. Pittsburgh. Its hard to trust him.
The Commanders cant blame Sundays loss on missing Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin. The culprit was their defense that gave up 435 yards to a team that was shut out by the Panthers a week before. A Week 5 game at the Chargers seems like a pivot point in their season.
The Steelers are the biggest beneficiaries of a rough September in the AFC North. The Ravens are a mess, the Bengals arent a contender without Joe Burrow and the Browns have no offense. Could the Steelers win this division? That seems more likely four games into the season.
Last season, the Ravens started slow on defense and turned it around. Its hard to plan on that year after year. Its even harder with injuries. Defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) is done for the season and linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring) will miss multiple games. The Ravens might be in trouble.
This is a terrible time for the 49ers to get a Thursday night road game against the Rams. The 49ers took on even more injuries Sunday, most notably to receivers Ricky Pearsall (PCL) and Jauan Jennings (ankle, ribs). The 49ers seem cursed with injuries.
There is room to grow for the Jaguars. Trevor Lawrence is not playing well. Brian Thomas Jr. has just 164 yards. Theyre still figuring out how to use Travis Hunter. And still, Jacksonville is 3-1 after a nice win at San Francisco and the Jags are tied for first in the AFC South. A big home game vs. Kansas City awaits.
Nik Bonitto is on fire to start the season. Bonitto, who turned 26 years old last week, has four sacks in four games and has been one of the best edge rushers in the NFL. His four-year, $106 million extension signed before the season might be a bargain.
Losing at the Rams isnt bad, but the way the Colts lost is inexcusable. Adonai Mitchell simply dropped the ball before scoring, he took a massive holding penalty that wiped out a Jonathan Taylor touchdown, then there were only 10 men on the field for the Rams winning 88-yard TD. None of that should happen.
The Buccaneers lost, but it was against the Eagles, and the bigger news was probably getting tackle Tristan Wirfs and receiver Chris Godwin Jr. back. The Buccaneers should be fine, though a trip to Seattle (with the Seahawks on extra rest) in Week 5 is a tough challenge.
The Seahawks are going to be good. They let down a bit in the fourth quarter and made a win against Arizona interesting, but through three quarters it was an impressive performance. Its a tough NFC West but dont sleep on the Seahawks as a potential division winner.
Xavier Worthy makes a big difference. KC’s offense finally had a playmaker and it showed. Now imagine the Chiefs with Worthy and Rashee Rice for the second half of the season. Winning on Sunday, along with the Chargers upset loss, means the Chiefs arent in that bad of shape coming out of September.
Through two games and 56 minutes of the third game, the Packers looked like one of the best teams in football. Then they collapsed against the Browns and barely got a tie against the Cowboys. Its hard to know what to make of the Packers now, but a lot of the shine is definitely off.
The Chargers losing an early start on the East Coast against a Giants team rallying around a rookie quarterback making his first start isnt the end of the world. And seeing Tuli Tuipulotu (four sacks) and Omarion Hampton (165 total yards) have monster games is a good sign.
If non-quarterbacks were still considered for MVP, Puka Nacua might build an interesting case. He does everything for the Rams. On Sunday he had 170 yards and a touchdown on 13 catches. Hell be a frontrunner for Offensive Player of the Year.
Every year we see a Week 1 result that looks baffling by the end of the season. Was this seasons weird result the Lions blowout loss at Green Bay? The Lions look like the better team since then. The Nov. 27 rematch will be very interesting.
The Eagles didnt complete a pass in the second half, but were so good in the first half that they still won. Philadelphia is a strange team so far. The Eagles are undefeated, yet have had long stretches in each game in which they did not look good. But they have three quality wins, with room to grow.
The Bills didnt blow out the Dolphins or Saints, but worrying about that is a stretch. Its tough to get up for each game in a long season. The Bills won both games by double digits. Theres no need to drum up unnecessary drama; the Bills are the best team in the NFL.
You’ve built a lot of trust through your consistency.