The NFL is preparing for Week 7 and the majority of the league’s divisions are still up in the air. Parity has been on full display this season, with only two divisions being out of reach for some teams.
2013 NFL standings: Denver and Kansas City locked in perfection
The AFC west had become a two-horse race between the last two unbeaten teams in the NFL.
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James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
The Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs can hold their heads high at 6-0. The only two unbeaten teams remaining in the NFL happen to play in the same division, setting up two fascinating head-to-head battles later in the season.
It might have taken some late-game heroics (and a timely hold) but the New England Patriots hold the sole spot at the top of the AFC East. The team’s close win over the New Orleans Saints propelled the Patriots to a 5-1 record with the Miami Dolphins still in the fight after being on a bye this week.
Pressure is on the New York Jets to become more consistent and prove they can hang with the top of the division. They suffered a disappointing loss at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday and it’s unclear if the Jets have the offensive firepower to stay in step.
The Cincinnati Bengals survived a scare at the hands of the Buffalo Bills and hold on to a tenuous one-game lead over the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns -- both of whom lost on Sunday. The AFC North is the closest division in the conference and could come down to the wire as two experienced teams look to hold off the upstart Browns, who dropped a game to the Detroit Lions.
Pittsburgh is firmly cased as the cellar dwellers, but they’ll look to build off their first win of the season over New York.
Indianapolis dropped its second game of the season, keeping the door open for the Tennessee Titans, who are trying to stay afloat after losing quarterback Jake Locker. It’s unclear whether the Titans can lean on Chris Johnson while they wait the next few weeks for Locker to recover.
Inconsistent quarterback play around the division is keeping the Colts ahead, with Houston struggling and Jacksonville playing for 2014.
The Denver Broncos made it though a surprisingly competitive game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, while the Kansas City Chiefs are a perfect 6-0. Read that sentence to someone six months ago and they would probably check your forehead for a fever.
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Perfect records have turned the AFC West into a two-horse race. The San Diego Chargers are making inroads after their win on Monday night, but there might be too much ground to make up at this point.
Prior to the season the NFC East was called “the SEC of the NFL” by Washington Redskins’ general manager Bruce Allen, and he was thoroughly wrong. The division isn’t competitive this year, with a .500 record being the only requirement to share the lead.
The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys are both tied at 3-3, taking different paths to (relative) success. The Eagles boast one of the NFL’s best offenses, while the Cowboys are full of veteran talent. This will be a fascinating second-half of the season for both teams.
Wins by the Bears, Lions and Packers kept the top of the NFC North deadlocked this week. Chicago hoped a Thursday night win over the New York Giants would be enough to carry them through the weekend as the Lions and Packers had decidedly more difficult games, but it’s going to take at least another week to determine who is the best team in the division.
Green Bay has the pressure on them. The Packers won against the Baltimore Ravens but lost several key players to injury. They face a test against the Cleveland Browns this week and it’s unclear how they’ll fare.
The New Orleans Saints dropped their first game of the season on a questionable non-call to end the game in Foxboro, but they still hold a comfortable lead over the 2-3 Carolina Panthers in the NFC’s weakest division.
It might be a little too early to rule out the Atlanta Falcons, but it’s starting to draw closer to the time. The Falcons had a bye week, but they are now in sole possession of third with no clear sign they can claw their way out.
Week 6 is in the books and the NFC West is the most fascinating division in football. Just two games separate first and worst, where a pair of 3-3 teams in St. Louis and Arizona still find themselves within striking distance of the 5-1 Seahawks.
San Francisco desperately needed a win to stay in pace with Seattle, rather than flip their spot with Arizona. The start to the season hasn’t been perfect for the 49ers, but it’s enough to keep up.
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