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No professional sports organization sells parity like the NFL: it’s the entire brand. Yet following the first ten matchups of this season, this isn’t a league that is equally balanced between the good, the bad and the mediocre. Rather, we see a situation where the bulk of franchises are merely fine.

NFC Clarity

Within the National Football Conference, for the most part, the picture becomes more distinct. The Rams and Seahawks (both standing at seven wins, two losses) look like the most balanced franchises in football, and delivered blowout wins during Sunday's action. Philadelphia at 6-2 despite their struggles maintain one of the most talented rosters across the NFL, comparable to Green Bay (5-2-1). The Lions also (six and three), who have been inconsistent along both lines of scrimmage and have been dealing with internal staff conflicts, have shown they can defeat good teams. Regarding these five teams, one can readily construct a Super Bowl path.

Muddled AFC Picture

Turning to the American Football Conference, the playoff picture is a jumbled mess. The four teams leading their divisions at this stage: the Colts, Patriots, Broncos (all standing at eight wins) and Steelers (5-4). Consider that carefully. No Chiefs presence. Not the Bills. Baltimore and Cincinnati are absent. The usual contenders, featuring elite NFL signal-callers, display either significant personnel gaps or have suffered medical setbacks.

Competitive Balance System

To some extent, it’s the league’s ideal. But watching this year’s four division leaders in the AFC remains somewhat odd. Components of every squad meet championship standards, yet not completely. If someone requested to finalize your AFC title game selections at this moment, would you confidently pick any of the four division leaders?

Squad Examinations

Indianapolis Outlook

Beginning with the Colts, Daniel Jones hasn’t quite reached complete disaster level. However, recent performances have caused alarm. He’s back to giving away possessions and failing against blitzes. He took seven sacks facing Atlanta in the weekend game, and had a five-minute stretch during which he tossed a pick and fumbled three times. This is a week after he turned the ball over five times versus Pittsburgh.

The Colts’ offense thrived early in the season as Jones prevented game-changing errors. The running back and protection unit ensure Indianapolis remains able to withstand some negative plays, like their German performance. However, if Jones reverts to his previous error-filled form would end any playoff run.

Patriots Examination

The Patriots feel relatively comparable. Previously, they were a punchline. Now, they’re the NFL's most pleasant shock and the strongest squad across the league post seven wins in a row. If not for fumbling away a winnable game facing Pittsburgh, they would currently hold a 9-1 record as the league's best. Last season, they were old and slow. Currently they're youthful, quick and confident. Still, it’s hard to ignore the ease of the Patriots' matchups. They've encountered the least challenging lineup throughout football, and there have still been cracks. Their quarterback has taken sacks on 35 occasions – among the highest totals – and some of the shots he suffered last weekend appeared dangerous. Over time, that punishment compounds.

Broncos Situation

The Broncos are also 8-2, yet it seems as if they’re holding their breath. Their quarterback has shown inconsistency, and the offense plodding, while the defensive unit provides most of the responsibility. Lacking competent QB performance, the Broncos aren’t scaring anyone in the postseason. Los Angeles remains nearby in the AFC West holding a 7-2 record, however, health issues within their blocking corps will present challenges to achieve championship contention.

Pittsburgh Situation

Then we have the Steelers, inexplicably frontrunning the Northern division despite being thumped a 25-10 defeat from the Chargers in the evening game. They've been outscored overall, their defense regularly vanishes, with their quarterback's restrictions given his veteran status persistently appear. They maintain a 5-4 record while surviving, yet Baltimore, with their QB returning to health with manageable games ahead, are on a three-game win streak. It shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that Baltimore has closed the gap to just one game, but that it has arrived so quickly is an indictment of the Steelers' uneven performances. That the Ravens started the season 1-5 yet still appear capable of division victory speaks volumes regarding the complete conference.

Historical Favorites

Baltimore constitutes part among three elite teams – together with Bills and Chiefs – powered by their MVP quarterbacks, who could still create the highest anxiety among competitors should they reach postseason. They're the teams everyone hopes to avoid, however, both franchises persistently undermine themselves.

Buffalo Bills

A week ago, Buffalo was celebrating after beating the Chiefs. This weekend they encountered one of the most disappointing losses this year. They didn’t just lose against Miami; they suffered humiliation, dropping a 30-13 road game. This represented Miami's initial victory over the Bills in more than 1,000 days.

For those searching for a microcosm of the day, here you go: Josh Allen turning {a quarterback sneak|a short-yardage play|a sneak attempt