NFL Playoff Picture 2016: Week 8 Wild-Card Hunt, Standings and Super Bowl Odds
We're rapidly approaching Week 8 of the NFL season, which means it's time to start focusing on the playoff chase.
There are a few teams—such as the 6-1 New England Patriots and the 4-1-1 Seattle Seahawks—that seem to have already established themselves as playoff contenders. However, there is no such thing as a sure thing in the NFL, especially with just over half the season still remaining.
There are even more teams hovering around the playoff threshold, and the chases for divisional titles and wild-card berths are going to be quite exciting heading down the homestretch.
Where do teams with realistic playoff hopes stand with one game remaining in Week 7? Well, that's what we're going to examine today.
We'll be taking a look at the latest Super Bowl odds, relayed by Odds Shark, and examining a few key storylines relevant to the playoff race. First, though, let's take a look at the NFL standings.
Current NFL Standings
| New England Patriots | 6-1 | 1-1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 4-3 | 1-2 |
| Miami Dolphins | 3-4 | 1-1 |
| New York Jets | 2-5 | 1-0 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 4-3 | 1-0 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 3-4 | 1-0 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 3-4 | 1-1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 0-7 | 0-2 |
| Houston Texans | 4-2 | 2-0 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 3-4 | 1-2 |
| Tennessee Titans | 3-4 | 0-2 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 2-4 | 1-0 |
| Oakland Raiders | 5-2 | 1-1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 4-2 | 2-0 |
| Denver Broncos | 4-2 | 0-1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 3-4 | 1-2 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 5-1 | 1-1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 4-1 | 0-1 |
| Washington Redskins | 4-3 | 2-1 |
| New York Giants | 4-3 | 1-1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 5-1 | 1-0 |
| Green Bay Packers | 4-2 | 2-1 |
| Detroit Lions | 4-3 | 0-2 |
| Chicago Bears | 1-6 | 1-1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 4-3 | 2-1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3-3 | 2-0 |
| New Orleans Saints | 2-4 | 1-1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 1-5 | 0-3 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 4-1-1 | 1-1-1 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 3-3-1 | 1-1-1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 3-4 | 2-1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 1-6 | 1-2 |
Super Bowl Odds
| New England Patriots | 3-1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 7-1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 7-1 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 10-1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 12-1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 12-1 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 14-1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 18-1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 18-1 |
| Denver Broncos | 20-1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 33-1 |
| Houston Texans | 33-1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 33-1 |
| Washington Redskins | 40-1 |
| New York Giants | 40-1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 50-1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 50-1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 66-1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 75-1 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 75-1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 75-1 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 75-1 |
| Detroit Lions | 75-1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 75-1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 100-1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 150-1 |
| Tennessee Titans | 200-1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 200-1 |
| New York Jets | 300-1 |
| Chicago Bears | 500-1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 2000-1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 5000-1 |
Divisional Leaders
Of the eight teams leading their divisions—the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans, Oakland Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks—there are only a couple that appear to have a firm grasp on the top spot.
The 4-1-1 Seahawks remain a couple of games in front of the Arizona Cardinals (3-3-1) in the NFC West after playing to a tie on Sunday night. The 6-1 Patriots moved a bit further ahead in the AFC East when the 4-3 Buffalo Bills lost to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
The rest of the leaders are facing a close gap at the top of their respective divisions, and a lot could change between now and the end of the regular season. The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, for example, could be battling for the top spot in the NFC East next Sunday night.
Even the Patriots could feel their grip loosen with a loss to the Bills next time out. Buffalo already holds one head-to-head victory over the Patriots this season, and the next game will be played at New Era Field.
Buffalo, though, could fall quite a bit with a loss.
Three front-runners—the Falcons, Vikings and Steelers—lost in Week 7. The Texans will play the Denver Broncos on Monday night. A Houston loss would move AFC South teams to within striking distance of the Texans while putting the Broncos right back into the thick of the AFC West race.
Slipping Steelers, Rising Bengals
The Steelers lost to the Patriots on Sunday in the team's first game without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger this season. It was the second consecutive loss for Pittsburgh, one that put the team's chances of winning the AFC North in serious jeopardy.
That has been one of the most hotly contested divisions in recent years, but usually because its teams are strong. No one in the North is playing particularly well, and the loss of Roethlisberger for an extended period could open the door for either the Baltimore Ravens or the Cincinnati Bengals.
Both the Bengals and Ravens sit at 3-4, but the Baltimore has lost four games in a row. Cincinnati stopped its losing skid with a 31-17 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
This doesn't mean the Bengals are back to being playoff contenders, but it does create the possibility. The toughest part of Cincinnati's schedule is over—the team's losses came against the Steelers, Broncos, Cowboys and Patriots—and a string of wins could be on the horizon.
The question is whether Pittsburgh can hang on to the top spot in the division if the Bengals start winning.
A lot will depend on the health of Roethlisberger. Fortunately for the Steelers, the quarterback might not miss as much time as originally thought.
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com recently explained:
"Despite reports that Ben Roethlisberger could miss 4-6 weeks following a meniscus repair in his left knee, numerous team sources indicated the Pro Bowl quarterback will be back well before then. Roethlisberger has been ruled out for Sunday's game, but could be back to face Baltimore in Week 9, sources said, following a bye.
"
We should find out in the next couple of weeks whether the Bengals can use their victory over the Browns as a springboard for better things and whether the Steelers can get Big Ben back and right the proverbial ship in time for a playoff run.
Are the Raiders Legitimate Contenders?
The last time the Raiders made the postseason was following the 2002 season. However, the team is in first place in the AFC West and has the look and feel of a playoff team.
The offense, which Pro Football Focus rates third overall, is especially potent and appears capable of hanging with any team in the league. It's fair to wonder, though, whether the Oakland defense can be good enough to beat the rest of the AFC West on a consistent basis.
Oakland is 1-1 in divisional matchups and lost pretty badly (26-10) to the Kansas City Chiefs in the team's most recent of those. There are still four such games remaining on the schedule, including two with the defending Super Bowl champion Broncos.
One reason to buy into the Raiders is the fact they have played extremely well away from home. The team is 4-0 on the road with a road contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coming in Week 8.
Another reason to believe Oakland could be for real is the fact the team has beaten those it should so far this year. Oakland's only losses have come against the Atlanta Falcons and the Chiefs off of a Kansas City bye.
We should know a lot more about these Raiders when they face the Broncos in Week 9.
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