NFL Week 10 Picks: Predicting the Playoff Picture After This Week

Three teams apiece from the AFC and NFC North divisions would make the playoffs, were they to begin this week. However, after Week 10's slate of games, that's likely to change.

The Baltimore Ravens have little chance to drop out of the playoff picture, with a game against the Seattle Seahawks slated for Sunday. However, the division-leading Cincinnati Bengals take on the Pittsburgh Steelers, with the winner furthering their odds to still be playing football come January.

With another divisional loss, the Steelers will have a lot of work to do to return to the postseason this year. If the Bengals lose, on the other hand, their playoff hopes are still very much alive. However, they'd have to play well against the Steelers in their second meeting and in their two looming contests against the Baltimore Ravens.

In the NFC North, all four teams are embroiled in divisional contests this weekend. That being said, the Green Bay Packers play the Minnesota Vikings, a team with little chance of making the playoffs this season.

Instead, it's Sunday afternoon's game between the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears that has the biggest playoff implications. The Packers are firmly at the top of the division, but the Lions and Bears are wild-card contenders.

With a win, the Lions increase their chances of reaching the postseason for the first time since 1999, while the Bears would be struggling to play catch-up in a difficult division.

The Bears have reason to worry about their potential playoff position, with a number of strong teams in the NFC that can overtake the team in their hunt for a wild-card berth. That is, specifically those in the NFC South.

The New Orleans Saints take on the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, with control of the division on the line.

The Saints have had some issues this season, best illustrated by the way the St. Louis Rams achieved their first victory of the year. In Week 8, Steve Spagnuolo's team combined their ability to get suffocating pressure on quarterback Drew Brees with their ability to exploit their poor run defense to win.

Should the Falcons successfully emulate the Rams' strategy, they can easily defeat the Saints this Sunday. However, without that kind of approach, New Orleans will likely win the battle via their high-scoring, highly productive passing offense.

The AFC East is also a hotly-contested division, with three of its four teams sitting at 5-3.

Those three teams all have significant tests this week. The New York Jets and New England Patriots face each other in what is going to be one of the most important games they play this season, while the Buffalo Bills take on the Dallas Cowboys, with no one knowing exactly which Cowboys squad will show up.

With a Bills loss, the winner of the Jets-Patriots contest takes the lead in the division. Whichever team is No. 1 in the AFC East after this week will have their work cut out for them to maintain that lead, with the division fielding three of the stronger teams in the conference.

While the San Francisco 49ers will have little chance of missing the playoffs even if they lose to the New York Giants on Sunday, a Giants win will extend that team's lead in the NFC East.

The remaining three teams in their division—the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins—have proven to be inconsistent this season. With each win, the Giants further secure their postseason chances.

Based on my complete Week 10 picks, here is how I envision the playoff picture to look after the games are through:

NFC

East: New York Giants

West: San Francisco 49ers

South: New Orleans Saints

North: Green Bay Packers

Wild Card: Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears/Atlanta Falcons

AFC

East: New York Jets

West: San Diego Chargers

South: Houston Texans

North: Cincinnati Bengals

Wild Card: Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills