We are a little bit over the midpoint in the 2023-2024 NFL season, and the playoff picture is shaping up to be pretty competitive in the second half of the season with many teams, especially in the AFC. At the time of this writing, all AFC North teams are either in the playoffs or just outside the playoffs, with the Ravens at the top of that division with a 10-3 record. The Browns are in second place with a 8-5 record, while the Steelers and the Bengels are tied at the bottom with a 7-6 record. As of now, every single AFC team has a good chance to go to the playoffs.

The Houston Texans, Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, Buffalo Bills, Las Vegas Raiders, LA Chargers, New York Jets, Denver Broncos, and Tennessee Titans are all within one or two games of each other, and anything can happen over these next few weeks which can shake up the standings in an instant. The Dolphins and Ravens both sit at the apex of the AFC standings with the Dolphins being 9-4 and the Ravens being 10-3. It is key to note that the first seed in each conference gets home-field advantage for the entirety of the playoffs. 

In other news, the Buffalo Bills have dropped a few of their recent games by single digits. Due to this, they recently fired their Offensive Coordinator Ken Dorsey, who has worked with the team since 2019 starting as a Quarterbacks Coach and then moving up in the ranks to Offensive Coordinator in 2022. The most recent win against the Chiefs puts them at 7-6 for the season. 

On the NFC side, the playoff race is very competitive with the top five teams all being within two games of each other. At the apex of the conference, the 49ers sit atop the NFC at 10-3 followed by the Cowboys and the Eagles, also both at 10-3. The Lions are close behind with their recent success being built off of last year’s win streak they had to close out the season. They have won two of their last three behind a dominant rushing attack in Jahmir Gibbs and David Montgomery each looking to eclipse that 1k rushing mark, which two running backs haven’t done since Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams did it in 2009.