Week 7 is here, and if the NFL playoffs kicked off *right now*, the entire NFC North would be in. Every single one of them. What’s even wilder? Since the expanded playoff format started in 2020, *no division* has ever pulled off that feat. And guess who’s nowhere to be found in this early look? Our defending champs, the Seattle Seahawks.
The Early Playoff Picture: Who’s In, Who’s Out, and Why It Matters
Yeah, we’re only about one-third of the way through the regular season. So, why are we even talking about playoff lookaheads? Well, it’s not totally out of whack. Last season, six of the seven AFC teams and five of the seven NFC teams that were in the playoff field after Week 6 eventually made the postseason. It gives us some perspective on how much ground preseason favorites, like the Rams and Texans, have to make up if they want a ticket to the playoff party come January. And for us? It’s a stark reminder that the last season’s champs, the Seahawks, aren’t on this list of current contenders.
Breaking Down the AFC’s Early Leaders
Out in the AFC, the top spots are already getting claimed. The unbeaten Chiefs own the best point differential in the entire NFL, clocking in at plus-57, and three of their five victories have been pretty comfortable. Patrick Mahomes has looked mostly terrific coming off injury, and KC’s defense is allowing the second-fewest points per game. But let’s be real, they haven’t faced a battering ram of a schedule so far, and with six of their next eight games on the road, we’re going to find out just how real they are over the next two months.
Then you’ve got the Bills, heading into their bye week in great shape at 5-1. They’ve had some close-shave victories, though, and a home loss to the Patriots to consider. Josh Allen has been mostly tremendous in leading the NFL’s top-scoring offense, but sometimes he’s had to do all the heavy lifting. Their run defense has shown improvement from last year, but pretty much every other aspect of the defense could use some work. It’ll be interesting to see if general manager Brandon Beane can make any moves on that side of the ball before the trade deadline.
The Jaguars have backed up their 13-win season with a strong 4-2 start this year. They did blow some fourth-quarter leads, though, against the Broncos and Texans. On the whole, Jacksonville looks like a playoff-caliber team, with Trevor Lawrence playing well and Travis Hunter starting to impact games in more ways. Their remaining schedule looks favorable on paper, with the lowest opponent win percentage (.409), and yet seven of their final 11 games are away from home.
Finally, we’ve got the Browns, this season’s early darlings. They’re sitting at 4-2 and could easily be 5-1 if not for a dropped punt snap. They’re 2-0 in the division with wins over the Steelers and Ravens. Deshaun Watson has been functional overall, but especially good in second halves. This is still a low-scoring offense, averaging 17.7 points per game, and they’ve got some pass-protection issues…
So yeah, Week 7 is upon us, and the playoff picture is already throwing curveballs. The entire NFC North is making history, while the defending champs from the Emerald City are sitting on the sidelines of this early forecast. It’s a stark reminder that every game counts, even this early in the season, and some teams have a lot of ground to make up to get back into the conversation.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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