There were plenty of postseason developments on Sunday, and most them occurred somewhere other than Green Bay.
The Packers beat the Patriots, 26-21, on Sunday in a heavyweight showdown billed as a potential Super Bowl preview. But despite the headlines and hype, it wasn't all that significant in terms of the playoff race. New England is still looking at a first-round bye, and though the Packers' win did keep them a game up in the NFC North, their Week 17 matchup with Detroit will go a lot further in deciding the division.
So while the eyes of the NFL world were focused on Green Bay on Sunday, most of the playoff race storylines were unfolding elsewhere. The Bengals squeaked out a win against the Buccaneers to gain some cushion in the AFC North, the Saints and Falcons both won to keep the NFC South interesting, and the Broncos pounded the Chiefs to take firm control of the AFC West.
Let's run through the league standings and how each division looks after Week 13.
AFC East
1. New England Patriots, 9-3
2. Buffalo Bills, 7-5
3. Miami Dolphins, 6-5
4. New York Jets, 2-9
The Bills' hopes of catching the Patriots became a little more realistic after New England's loss to Green Bay and Buffalo's win over Cleveland shrunk the deficit to two games, but it's still highly unlikely. The Pats would have to lose at least two of their last four games, a long shot considering they've only lost four games in the second half of a season since 2010. Not to mention the Bills have a brutal stretch to wrap up their schedule -- three of their last four games are against Denver, Green Bay and, of course, New England (though they do get a freebie in Oakland).
AFC North
1. Cincinnati Bengals, 8-3-1
2. Baltimore Ravens, 7-5
3. Pittsburgh Steelers, 7-5
4. Cleveland Browns, 7-5
The Bengals were big winners in Week 13, picking up a (alarmingly close) win over Tampa Bay while everyone else in the division lost. That puts them in firm control heading down the home stretch, though the schedule doesn't do them any favors. Division road trips to Cleveland and Pittsburgh are sandwiched around a home game against Denver, which could open the door for any of the teams jammed at 7-5 to jump ahead.
AFC South
1. Indianapolis Colts, 8-4
2. Houston Texans, 6-6
3. Tennessee Titans, 2-10
4. Jacksonville Jaguars, 2-10
There's not much drama here. The Colts look to be cruising to the finish line and the Texans sit behind eight other teams in the wild card race (though they're only one game back). The most exciting race in the AFC South at this point might be between Jacksonville and Tennessee ... for the higher pick in the 2015 draft. A surprise win over the Giants moved the Jaguars out of the No. 1 overall pick, a spot once again held by the 1-11 Raiders.
AFC West
1. Denver Broncos, 9-3
2. San Diego Chargers, 8-4
3. Kansas City Chiefs, 7-5
4. Oakland Raiders, 1-11
The death knell of the Chiefs' division title hopes likely sounded with their loss to the Broncos, but Kansas City would still have a wild card spot if the playoffs started today. Denver is in the driver's seat for a first-round bye, but is nervously glancing into the rearview at San Diego, who has won three straight and gets another shot at the Broncos in Week 15.
NFC East
1. Philadelphia Eagles, 9-3
2. Dallas Cowboys, 8-4
3. New York Giants, 3-9
4. Washington, 3-9
Philadelphia's Thanksgiving Day win over Dallas gave the Eagles control of the division for now, but a monster rematch looms in two weeks. That game is in Philly, which means the Eagles, who won by 23 points in Dallas, will be significant favorites. But this is the NFC East, after all, so expect the unexpected. Meanwhile, the flaming wreckage that is Washington and New York continues to hurtle downward.
NFC North
1. Green Bay Packers, 9-3
2. Detroit Lions, 8-4
3. Chicago Bears, 5-7
4. Minnesota Vikings, 5-7
The Packers are the hottest team in the league, and after a massive win over the Patriots, are the easy Super Bowl favorites. Aaron Rodgers is as good as ever, but it's the resurgence of the defense that's pushed them to four consecutive wins. Detroit stopped its skid with a win over Chicago and still has designs on a division title, though the Lions may have to win in Lambeau in the regular season finale to make that happen. If not, they're still in good position for a wild card spot.
NFC South
1. Atlanta Falcons, 5-7
2. New Orleans Saints, 5-7
3. Carolina Panthers, 3-8-1
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2-10
Somebody might actually want to win the NFC South! Not only did the Saints and Falcons win in the same week for the first time since Week 3, but they both did so in dominating fashion against good teams. Atlanta tuned up previously 9-2 Arizona in an 11-point win while the Saints handled the Steelers in a game not nearly as close as the 35-32 score. It's likely New Orleans could be back in the lead after Week 14 -- the Falcons go on the road in Green Bay while the Saints return to the dome to host the awful Panthers.
NFC West
1. Arizona Cardinals, 9-3
2. Seattle Seahawks, 8-4
3. San Francisco 49ers, 7-5
4. St. Louis Rams, 5-7
Once the best team in the league, the Cardinals are trending in the wrong direction. The shocking loss to Atlanta comes just a week after Arizona lost on the road to Seattle, which looks to be gearing up for a late-season push for the division. The Seahawks have given up just six points in their last two games and, despite being a game back, have to be the favorites to win the NFC West at this point. The Niners, who fell victim to the Seahawks on Thanksgiving night, are still in the wild card hunt but are a game behind Seattle, Detroit and Dallas.
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