NFL Playoff Picture 2021: Week 10 Standings, Super Bowl Odds and Wild Card Hunt

Week 9 was Exhibit A of just how unpredictable the league can be on a weekly basis. It also served as a reminder that we have a lot to learn about the playoff picture in general as we begin the back half of the season. 

The Super Bowl favorites heading into the week lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Reports of the demise of the Browns offense were greatly exaggerated. The Denver Broncos defense shut down one of the most explosive offenses in the league the same week they traded away Von Miller. 

In short, conventional wisdom had a rough day on Sunday. 

That also brings about changes in the latest Super Bowl odds. The reigning champion Tampa Bay Bucs saw their odds creep just ahead of the Buffalo Bills in the aftermath of their 9-6 loss to the Jaguars. 

Before getting into some of the bigger developments from this week let's take a look at the latest Super Bowl odds and playoff standings before Week 10. 

NFL Playoff Picture

Derick Hingle/Associated Press

AFC

Division Leaders

1. AFC South: Tennesee Titans (7-2)

2. AFC North: Baltimore Ravens (6-2)

3. AFC West: Los Angeles Chargers (5-3)

4. AFC East: Buffalo Bills (5-3)

Wild-Card Race

5. Las Vegas Raiders (5-3)

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3)

7. New England Patriots (5-4)

8. Kansas City Chiefs (5-4)

9. Cleveland Browns (5-4)

10. Cincinnati Bengals (5-4)

11. Denver Broncos (5-4)

12. Indianapolis Colts (4-5)

13. New York Jets (2-6)

14. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6)

15. Miami Dolphins (2-7)

16. Houston Texans (1-8)

NFC

Division Leaders

1. NFC West: Arizona Cardinals (8-1)

2. NFC North: Green Bay Packers (7-2)

3. NFC South: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2)

4. NFC East: Dallas Cowboys (6-2)

Wild-Card Race

5. Los Angeles Rams (7-2)

6. New Orleans Saints (5-3)

7. Atlanta Falcons (4-4)

8. Carolina Panthers (4-5)

9. Minnesota Vikings (3-5)

10. Seattle Seahawks (3-5)

11. San Francisco 49ers (3-5)

12. Chicago Bears (3-5)

13. Philadelphia Eagles (3-6)

14. New York Giants (3-6)

15. Washington Football Team (2-6)

16. Detroit Lions (0-8)

Super Bowl Odds

Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

Tampa Bay Buccaneers +550 (bet $100 to win $550)

Buffalo Bills +600

Los Angeles Rams +800

Tennessee Titans +1000

Arizona Cardinals +1000

Green Bay Packers +1100

Kansas City Chiefs +1200

Baltimore Ravens +1200

Dallas Cowboys +1200

Los Angeles Chargers +2000

Cleveland Browns +2800

New England Patriots +3500

Pittsburgh Steelers +5000

New Orleans Saints +5000

Seattle Seahawks +6000

Indianapolis Colts +6000

Complete odds can be found at NFL" target="_blank">DraftKings.

Cardinals Bolster Resume Even Without Murray and Hopkins

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Come playoff time, the ability to win games in a variety of ways becomes crucial. The most complete team at the end of the season is usually the one that walks away with the Lombardi. 

That's why it's impressive when a team can play without their starting quarterback and best receiver and still come out on top. The Cards had to find a way to be effective on offense without MVP candidate Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins. 

James Conner carried the offense with 96 yards and two touchdowns on the ground with another 77 yards on five catches in the passing game. Colt McCoy went 22-of-26 for 249 yards and a touchdown. 

The defense did its fair share, holding the Niners to just 3.5 yards per carry on the ground and sacking Jimmy Garoppolo five times. Markus Golden led the way with three quarerback takedowns on his own. 

Now, compare that performance to the Packers, who only put up seven points with Aaron Rodgers out of the lineup. 

Obviously, the Cards are going to need a healthy Murray and Hopkins to make a run at the championship, but it is a great sign they could lean on the run game and nasty defense to get them a win in a game they could have easily lost. 

Browns Offense Gets Rolling; Bengals Freefall Continues

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The AFC North might be the most competitive division this year, and the Bengals are the perfect example. Joe Burrow and Co. were the top team in the AFC after Week 7. Heading into Week 10, they are three spots out of the final wild-card spot in the conference. 

The Bengals were generating playoff buzz after beating the Baltimore Ravens 41-17 to get to 4-1 in their last five games. Since that moment they've lost to the New York Jets and were blown out by the Cleveland Browns, 41-16. 

The team's inability to protect Burrow and the second-year quarterback's turnovers were on display in the loss. The Browns registered five sacks and picked off Burrow twice. He is now tied with Sam Darnold for the most interceptions in the league this season with 11. 

On the other side of the ball, the Browns sent a message that they are still capable of being dangerous. This week was filled with the drama of Odell Beckham Jr., but the offense didn't miss him on Sunday. 

Mayfield was an efficient 14-of-21 for 218 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, while Nick Chubb was dominant on the ground with 137 yards on 14 carries and two touchdowns. 

Donovan Peoples-Jones, who replaced Beckham in the starting lineup, caught a 60-yard bomb from Mayfield for a touchdown. 

For a team that was receiving plenty of criticism after a 15-10 loss to Pittsburgh last week, they didn't seem to struggle with motivation. 

Titans May Not Be Sunk Without Henry

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Few players (who aren't quarterbacks) in the NFL mean more to their offense than Derrick Henry. For example, while most teams have some kind of rotation in the backfield, Henry toted the rock 219 times for the Titans going into Week 9 while backup Jeremy McNichols had seven carries all season. 

So with Henry potentially out for the season, the Titans turning to Adrian Peterson and the Los Angeles Rams on tap, it would have been understandable for them to lay an egg on Sunday Night Football. 

Instead, the defense stepped up and secured the early lead for the AFC's top seed against one of the best teams in the NFC. 

The offense wasn't pretty. The Titans averaged 3.5 yards per play and will still need to find an identity without Henry. Peterson had 10 carries for 21 yards, so that's less than encouraging. Ryan Tannehill will have to play better than he did moving forward. He only had 143 yards through the air with a touchdown and an interception. 

They still have plenty of time to get things figured out before the playoffs. Winning ugly on the road against a team like the Rams is a testament to their defense and a coaching staff that is still going to give the Titans a chance to compete even without their star running back. 

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