How the NFL playoff picture looks coming out of Week 10

Week 10 is rapidly coming to a close and we’re fast approaching the home stretch of the 2020 season. The Patriots and Ravens have gotten underway with the Patriots looking to get back into the wild card race and the Ravens looking to maintain pace with the unbeaten Steelers. Week 10 wraps up on Monday Night Football with the Bears hosting the Vikings in a huge NFC North matchup.

The NFL is expanding the playoff pool this year, adding a wild card team to each conference to bring the total to 14 teams. The No. 1 seed in each conference will get a first round bye. The opening round will feature the three division winners facing the three wild card winners (2/7, 3/6, 4/5). If significant games are canceled or postponed due to Covid-19, the owners and players agreed to expand the playoff field to 16 teams with four wild card winners.

The biggest wins of Week 10 go to the Cardinals on a Hail Mary against the Bills and the Rams, who held off the Seahawks at home. The low key valuable win might have been the Giants beating the Eagles with relative ease. Philly remains in first place in the NFC East, but the 3-7 Giants are suddenly within spitting distance of the 3-5-1 Eagles!

Week 11 is packed with important games influencing the playoff picture. All three prime time games — Cardinals vs. Seahawks, Chiefs vs. Raiders, Rams vs. Buccaneers — feature teams in the thick of the playoff race. Add in Titans vs. Ravens and the Eagles in a big game against the Browns and it’s going to be a big weekend of football.

Here’s a look at what the playoff picture looks like Sunday evening as Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football close out Week 10.

AFC

1. Pittsburgh Steelers, 9-0
2. Kansas City Chiefs, 8-1
3. Buffalo Bills, 7-3
4. Indianapolis Colts, 6-3 (H2H over Titans)

5. Las Vegas Raiders, 6-3 (Common games record over Dolphins)
6. Miami Dolphins, 6-3 (Conference record percentage over Ravens)
7. Baltimore Ravens, 6-3 (Common games record over Titans, H2H over Browns)

Outside looking in: Cleveland Browns (6-3), Tennessee Titans (6-3), New England Patriots (4-5)

NFC

1. Green Bay Packers, 7-2 (H2H over Saints)
2. New Orleans Saints, 7-2
3. Arizona Cardinals, 6-3 (Division record over Rams, H2H over Seahawks)
4. Philadelphia Eagles, 3-5-1

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7-3
6. Los Angeles Rams, 6-3 (H2H over Seahawks)
7. Seattle Seahawks, 6-3

Outside looking in: Chicago Bears (5-5), Minnesota Vikings (4-5), Detroit Lions (4-5), San Francisco 49ers (4-6)