The 2023 NFL Standings Got Even Stranger Heading into Week 11
Week 10 of the NFL season is in the rearview.
It was one of the more entertaining weeks of the season, but it also resulted in the already confusing NFL standings getting even stranger.
Following this weekend of action, teams like the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals find themselves on the outside of the playoff picture while the Houston Texans and Minnesota Vikings firmly hold control of Wild Card spots.
Here is a look at the updated 2023 NFL standings as attention turns towards Week 11.
The 2023 NFL Standings Heading into Week 11
AFC East
- Miami Dolphins (6-3)
- Buffalo Bills (5-5)
- New York Jets (4-5)
- New England Patriots (2-8)
The Bills needed a win this weekend with the Dolphins on their bye week, and instead, they laid an egg against the Broncos on Monday night. Through 10 games, this Buffalo squad is in jeopardy of missing the playoffs altogether, and they still have games against the Chiefs, Eagles, Cowboys, and Dolphins later this season.
Luckily, neither of the Jets or Patriots were able to get a win this weekend, either, so Buffalo didn’t fall any further down the AFC East standings despite the loss.
AFC North
- Baltimore Ravens (7-3)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3)
- Cleveland Browns (6-3)
- Cincinnati Bengals (5-4)
The AFC North just keeps getting weirder. Cleveland managed to throw everything into chaos by coming back to defeat the Ravens on Sunday, and with a win from the Steelers as well, the three teams at the top sit within half a game of each other. The Bengals simply cannot get out of the basement of this division either as they fell to the Houston Texans.
AFC South
- Jacksonville Jaguars (6-3)
- Houston Texans (5-4)
- Indianapolis Colts (5-5)
- Tennessee Titans (3-6)
C.J. Stroud has been a revelation for this Houston franchise, and they are now back above .500 through 10 weeks and just a game out of first place in the AFC South. In fact, every team except for the division-leading Jaguars managed to win this weekend, forcing a bit of pressure on the Jaguars to continue winning if they actually want to host a playoff game in January.
AFC West
- Kansas City Chiefs (7-2)
- Las Vegas Raiders (5-5)
- Denver Broncos (4-5)
- Los Angeles Chargers (4-5)
All of a sudden, the Los Angeles Chargers sit in last place in the AFC West despite hanging tough with the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Still, they lost while both Denver and Las Vegas were able to win. The Broncos pulled off a big road upset over the Bills in order to get themselves back in the playoff hunt while the Raiders defense stood tough against the Jets.
NFC East
- Philadelphia Eagles (8-1)
- Dallas Cowboys (6-3)
- Washington Commanders (4-5)
- New York Giants (2-8)
Philadelphia and Dallas have continued to pull away from the competition all season, and they pulled further away from both Washington and New York this past weekend. The Commanders narrowly lost to the Seahawks while New York stood no chance against the Cowboys with Tommy DeVito as their quarterback.
NFC North
- Detroit Lions (7-2)
- Minnesota Vikings (6-4)
- Green Bay Packers (3-6)
- Chicago Bears (3-7)
The Lions and Vikings continue to pull away from the pack as both squads were able to win this weekend. Minnesota’s victory was their fifth straight, and they continue to be the hottest team in football right now. Detroit got David Montgomery back, and he ripped off a 75-yard TD run against the Chargers to welcome himself back to the field.
Chicago also got their third win of the season, and they move to within half a game of the Green Bay Packers. Jordan Love could not generate offense in the fourth quarter against Pittsburgh as the Packers lost their fifth game in the past six weeks.
NFC South
- New Orleans Saints (5-5)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5)
- Atlanta Falcons (4-6)
- Carolina Panthers (1-8)
The NFC South is the worst version of competitive right now. Once again, we are trending towards a division where nobody holds a winning record, but one of these teams will still be able to host a playoff game.
Tampa Bay beat the Titans this weekend, and with losses from every other team in the division, they are right back in the mix. New Orleans may have lost both Marshon Lattimore and Michael Thomas for an extended period of time too, so that only mucks things up even further.
NFC West
- San Francisco 49ers (6-3)
- Seattle Seahawks (6-3)
- Los Angeles Rams (3-6)
- Arizona Cardinals (2-8)
The NFC West continues to be a two-horse race at the top. San Francisco and Seattle remain neck-and-neck as both teams were able to pull out wins in Week 10. The Cardinals saw Kyler Murray return as well, so perhaps they can play spoiler in a couple of these games down the stretch.
Vikings Reunite with 4-Time Pro Bowl Linebacker
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.