ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 13: Justin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates with Brian O'Neill #75 of the Minnesota Vikings after Jefferson's touchdown during the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on November 13, 2022 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)

Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images

The NFL playoff picture remains difficult to decipher with the early kickoffs from Week 10 in the books.

The season has crossed the halfway mark and nearly every division is fully up for grabs. The NFC North is the lone exception, as the Minnesota Vikings widened their lead Sunday.

Plenty of twists and turns lie ahead on the road to the postseason.


Week 10 Scores

Carolina Panthers 25, Atlanta Falcons 15

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21, Seattle Seahawks 16

Miami Dolphins 39, Cleveland Browns 17

Kansas City Chiefs 27, Jacksonville Jaguars 17

Pittsburgh Steelers 20, New Orleans Saints 10

Minnesota Vikings 33, Buffalo Bills 30 (OT)

New York Giants 24, Houston Texans 16

Tennessee Titans 17, Denver Broncos 10

Detroit Lions 31, Chicago Bears 30


Standings

AFC East

  1. Miami Dolphins (7-3) 
  2. New York Jets (6-3) 
  3. Buffalo Bills (6-3) 
  4. New England Patriots (5-4)

AFC North

  1. Baltimore Ravens (6-3)
  2. Cincinnati Bengals (5-4)
  3. Cleveland Browns (3-6)
  4. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-6)

AFC South

  1. Tennessee Titans (6-3) 
  2. Indianapolis Colts (3-5-1) 
  3. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-7) 
  4. Houston Texans (1-7-1)

AFC West

  1. Kansas City Chiefs (7-2) 
  2. Los Angeles Chargers (5-3) 
  3. Denver Broncos (3-6) 
  4. Las Vegas Raiders (2-6)

NFC East

  1. Philadelphia Eagles (8-0) 
  2. New York Giants (7-2) 
  3. Dallas Cowboys (6-2) 
  4. Washington Commanders (4-5) 

NFC North

  1. Minnesota Vikings (8-1)
  2. Detroit Lions (3-6) 
  3. Green Bay Packers (3-6) 
  4. Chicago Bears (3-7)

NFC South

  1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-5) 
  2. Atlanta Falcons (4-6) 
  3. Carolina Panthers (3-7) 
  4. New Orleans Saints (3-7)

NFC West

  1. Seattle Seahawks (6-4) 
  2. San Francisco 49ers (4-4) 
  3. Los Angeles Rams (3-5) 
  4. Arizona Cardinals (3-6)

The Vikings and Bills combined for what’s likely to be the game of the year.

After Kirk Cousins was stopped at the goal line on fourth down inside the final minute, it looked like Minnesota was heading toward its second defeat. Instead, Josh Allen gift-wrapped the Vikings the go-ahead score by fumbling the snap at his own 1-yard line.

NFL @NFL

Have you ever seen anything like this?!

📺: #MINvsBUF on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/uRjde5F169 pic.twitter.com/jZKc3LWWMA

Allen drove the Bills into position for a game-tying field goal but was guilty of another costly turnover in overtime. With his team trailing by three points and in need of at least a field goal, he threw an interception to Patrick Peterson in the end zone.

NFL @NFL

PATRICK PETERSON WINS IT FOR THE @VIKINGS. #MINvsBUF pic.twitter.com/TXlgeYjYGM

At 8-1, the Vikings are now five games up on the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, the latter earning a 31-30 win over the Chicago Bears. The Bills, on the other hand, went from first to third in the AFC East with the result.

When the Cleveland Browns acquired Deshaun Watson, they knew he was likely to miss a significant chunk of games. Their hope was they could tread water in the playoff race long enough with Jacoby Brissett before Watson joined the team.

The three-time Pro Bowler is eligible to play starting in Week 13, but the postseason might be a lost cause by then. A 39-17 loss to the Dolphins dropped the Browns to 3-6 and provided another sobering indictment of Cleveland’s defense.

Aaron Goldhammer @HammerNation19

Browns have a lot of expensive players on defense who aren’t making enough plays to justify their big salaries…

NFL Research @NFLResearch

The Dolphins did not punt the ball once in their 39-17 win over the Browns.

That marks the first game Miami has had 30+ points and 0 punts since Week 15, 1988 in a 38-31 win against … the Browns (on a Monday night in Miami).#FinsUp @MiamiDolphins

Unless Watson can play on the front seven, his arrival won’t address the Browns’ most glaring issues.

The Dolphins, meanwhile, are now sitting in first place with Buffalo going down. Even their most ardent supporters couldn’t have imagined them getting off to this kind of start.

Tim Reynolds @ByTimReynolds

The last time the Dolphins were 7-3 was 2001.

– 24 starting QBs ago
– 8 head coaches ago
– 7 stadium names ago
– Heat had zero titles
– LeBron was in HS
– iPod came out
– iPhone was 6 years away
– Tua was 3
– Mike McDaniel was a Yale freshman
– Tom Brady was a first-year starter

Miami is off in Week 11 and gets the Houston Texans in Week 12. Buffalo can make up ground next week since a matchup with the Browns lay ahead.

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