The Philadelphia Eagles must not have hear of the ‘**Super Bowl** slump’. Another dominant season so far sees them all but guaranteed to make the postseason after winning eight of their first 10 games. They perhaps aren’t lighting up teams in quite the same way as last season, with a few uninspiring wins and a loss to struggling division rivals the Giants, but wins are the most important stat and Philly have shown they can get them in multiple ways. With the Cowboys four games back in second place in the NFC East, it looks all but confirmed that they’ll claim their second division title in a row.
2 LA Rams (8-2)
Behind the Eagles only on head-to-head, the Rams are back to their best with MVP favourite Matt Stafford at the helm. Coming off the back of successive 10-7 seasons, they look to have taken the leap to genuine contenders again, just three years after their Championship win in 2022. A spectacular showing from their veteran signal-caller of 2,557 yards, 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions so far has been facilitated by their one-two wide receiver punch of Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Adams has been a revelation coming in to replace Cooper Kupp with 10 touchdowns to his name already. The Rams under Sean McVay have proven they can make deep playoff runs, and there is no reason why they can’t do it again.
The teething problems from last year’s new regime are very much over. Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams are to heights they haven’t seen since… Mitch Trubisky. But seriously, the Bears are very good. A horrible 0-2 start to the season that included a 52-21 hammering by the Lions seemed to spark something within them and they have gone on to win seven of their next eight. Williams is on his way to being a true franchise QB, helping the Bears to fourth in total offense. It feels like the Bears are just going to get better with such a young core, and they look set to gain some valuable playoff experience this year.
4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4)
The early-season hype-train has been slightly derailed over the last four weeks with the Bucs losing three games in that span and the only win coming over the woeful Saints. Granted, the three losses in question have come to the Lions, Patriots and Bills respectively, but to hang with those teams you have to win at least one of those games. Wins over the Falcons, Texans and Jets to start 3-0 perhaps created a slightly skewed image of the Bucs, with **Baker Mayfield**’s MVP shouts growing ever quieter as the weeks pass. His 17 touchdowns to three picks ratio is still mighty impressive, especially considering injuries to Bucky Irving and Mike Evans have put more pressure on the offense, but rookie wideout Emeka Egbuka has been a revelation with 717 yards and 6 TDs so far.
The Seahawks have been one of this year’s surprise packages. Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been nothing short of sensational after gaining his first Pro-Bowl nod last year, with a league-leading 1,146 yards through 10 games. Sam Darnold has proved his worth and beaten the one-year wonder allegation with another brilliant season, posting 2,541 yards, 17 TDs and 10 INTs so far. Their roster looks well-rounded, and they have one of best secondaries in the NFL, a key part of course to their success in the 2010s.
6 Green Bay Packers (6-3-1)
Another team whose season started with so much promise but has faltered down the road. The Packers were favoured for the Super Bowl by some heading into the year, and a 2-0 start with commanding wins over two of last year’s standout teams in Lions and the Commanders had spirits high in Wisconsin. The tie on their record came in one of the most exciting games in recent memory with a crazy 40-40 game against the Cowboys, but losses to teams such as the Browns and **Panthers**will sap any of that excitement pretty quickly for the Cheeseheads. The addition of Micah Parsons has bolstered the defense, and his eight sacks sees him tied seventh in the league with teammate Rashan Gary just half a sack behind. If Jordan Love can keep up his pace of 15 touchdowns to three picks, the Packers should have enough on both sides of the ball to have a decent go at the postseason.
7 San Francisco 49ers (7-4)
The 49ers are going under the radar in what is undoubtedly the best division in football. Despite trailing the Seahawks and Rams, their seven wins would still see them claim a wildcard spot if the season ended today. Fans didn’t have to wait long to see their team bounce back from disappointing 6-11 season last time out, but few would have predicted Mac Jones would be the one to turn things around. With franchise QB Brock Purdy injured, Jones has stepped up and looked like the player we saw in his rookie season with New England in 2021 and helped this talented roster get back to their best. Like other teams in this list, the 49ers know what playoff success tastes like which would stand them in good stead should they punch their ticket this time around.
In the hunt:
Detroit Lions (6-4)
A group full of surprises, all for different reasons. The Lions have been building a team and a culture that is quickly becoming synonymous with winning, so to see them out of the current playoff places is a shock. Inconsistent is the only word to describe their efforts thus far: signature victories such as 52-21 over the Bears and 44-22 over the Commanders showcase the free-flowing brand of offense we have grown accustomed to from **Dan Campbell**’s men. Their losses have come against the likes of the Eagles, Vikings, Chiefs and Packers: all great teams, but you like to think that the Detroit of old wouldn’t have gone 0-4 in these games.
Bryce Young finally has the cast around him that allows everyone to remember why he was the #1 overall pick just two years ago. Rico Dowdle has exploded this season, with his 833 rushing yards the fourth most in the league, more than the likes of Derrick Henry, Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs. Young now has a true #1 receiver in Tetairoa McMillan, whose 748 yards are enough for sixth in the NFL. Their 15th overall defense lets them down and will likely prevent them from making a huge impact in the immediate future, but with more good drafting they could be a scary prospect in years to come.
Dallas Cowboys (4-5-1)
The **Cowboys**have been their same old mediocre selves this season, as they have for the recent years of Jerry Jones tenure. Trading away star man Micah Parsons before the season didn’t set them off on a great foot, and they have paid the price with their defense ranking 30th of 32 so far. The addition of Quinnen Williams from the Jets will help, but a lot more is needed on that side of the ball to have any chance of the postseason. Flipping the script completely is their offense, currently the third best in the league. The addition of George Pickens has been a stroke of genius with the former Steeler the closest competitor to JSN in terms of yards. Dak Prescott has been his ever-consistent self, and with Pickens and CeeDee Lamb to throw to the offense will be their only hope.