The fact that every single team in both the AFC North and NFC North divisions is sitting above .500 through five weeks is absolutely wild, and honestly, a stark reminder of how brutal the NFL’s predetermined divisional setup can be.
The Brutal Reality of Divisional Play
You know the drill, right? Each team is stuck in a division with three others, and six of their 17 regular season games are locked in against those rivals. It’s a basic reality, but it controls so much of a team’s success. If you’re in a division where everyone is playing lights out, like these North divisions are, it makes the road to any best-case scenario , even just a winning record , so much tougher. It just feels fundamentally unfair, because a good team in a stacked division can struggle while a lesser team in a bad division might even sneak into a playoff spot or get a top conference seed. The teams in the AFC North and NFC North are going to have a seriously tougher grind this year, all because of who they’re assigned to play.
Historic Parity You Won’t Believe
What’s happening in these divisions isn’t just tough, it’s historically rare. According to NBC Sports research, a full division being above .500 after Week 6 has only happened three times since 2002. Think about that for a second. We’re talking about a level of consistent, league-wide parity within *two* entire divisions that hardly ever happens. It means every single game against a division rival is a dogfight, with huge implications for everyone involved.
This kind of divisional strength means every game is a brutal battle, which just makes the whole system feel fundamentally unfair for the teams trapped in these stacked groups. Meanwhile, back in the NFC West, our Seahawks had their own battle in Week 6, falling to the Denver Broncos 17-14.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
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