NFL Review

Since tonight’s game matching the (2-8) Carolina (Panthers) and the (3-7) Philadelphia (Eagles) is virtually meaningless in the standings, let’s begin our weekly NFL Review a day earlier than usual. As the weeks wind down, (only five left) after this review, there will be both NFC and AFC reviews the rest of the season.

After meaningful play this past weekend, while not as pronounced as the AFC, three of the four division leaders in the NFC have at least two game leads and all four current “div” leaders gained ground. Surely never before and this is the 12th year of the current eight division configuration have seven of the eight leaders enjoyed leads of at least two games. Six leaders have more than two game leads and five lead by three games or more.

In the NFC, the closest race is in the NFC North where after (8-3) Chicago with Quarterback Jay Cutler back in action gained on the (7-4) Green Bay Packers, the margin is only one game. The Packers won the second week clash vs the Bears so if Green Bay wins in Chicago on December 16th they would have the tiebreaker advantage so this one is far too close to call. The next closest race is in the NFC East where the New York Giants gained on the Dallas Cowboys and now lead both the Cowboys and Washington Redskins by two games. Washington defeated Dallas in Dallas on Thanksgiving day. Elsewhere the (8-2-1) San Francisco 49ers gained on the Seattle Seahawks and lead them by two and a half games. Meanwhile the (10-1) Atlanta Falcons reduced their magic number to two, gaining ground on both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints.

In the AFC, it is all over save the shouting as far as the division races are concerned. All four leaders have at least three game leads. The (9-2) Baltimore Ravens gained ground and now lead both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals by three games. Both the (10-1) Houston Texans and (8-3) New England Patriots secured “Turkey Day” wins and maintained three game division leads. As with the Falcons in the NFC, the (8-3) Denver Broncos reduced their magic number to one for a divisional title as they now lead by four and a half games with five games remaining.