With the NFL at the midway point, the NFL standings are starting to take shape.
NFL standings, Week 8: Patriots take 2-game lead in AFC East
Through eight weeks, most NFL division races are still too tough to call.
Though most games in Week 8 were between teams on the opposite end of the division standings, there were a few games that swayed division races on Sunday.
Most notably, the New England Patriots beating the Miami Dolphins helped solidify them as the favorites in the AFC East. Here’s an updated list of the NFL standings through eight weeks.
The Chiefs now hold a one-game advantage over the Broncos with the NFL season heading to the midway point. Denver is still in great position for the playoffs at 7-1, getting back on track against the Redskins after a loss to the Colts in Week 7. The Chargers are off to a solid start at 4-3, but they are a distant third behind the top two. Oakland is the only team in the division with a negative point differential.
With its win against Denver, Indianapolis improved to 5-2 on the season and has a two-game lead in the AFC South. Even more impressive, three of the Colts' five wins came against Denver, Seattle and San Francisco, three Super Bowl favorites heading into the season.
The Titans lost their third straight on Sunday, dropping them another game behind the Colts. Houston has lost five straight and also lost Brian Cushing for the year. The Jaguars remain in search of their first win of the season.
Cincinnati won its first game by more than 10 points on Sunday, improving to 6-2 in the process. With the Ravens on a bye week, the Bengals are in control of the AFC North. Baltimore started the season 3-2 but has now dropped under .500 with back-to-back losses heading into the bye week. Cleveland lost its third straight game, putting them at 3-5. Pittsburgh’s two game winning streak came to and end, and they fall to 2-5.
Entering the week with a slim lead in the AFC East, the New England Patriots gave themselves some breathing room on Sunday, beating the Dolphins to improve to 6-2. Meanwhile, the Jets got blown out by the Bengals, giving the Patriots a two-game division lead. Buffalo fell further out of the picture with a loss to the New Orleans Saints, though they again remained competitive.
Seattle improved to 4-1 on the road with a close win over the St. Louis Rams. San Francisco has now won five in a row after a 1-2 start. Like Seattle, the 49ers picked up a nice win on the road, beating the Jaguars in London. St. Louis is 3-5, losing its first game without Sam Bradford.
The Carolina Panthers got themselves over .500 for the first time since 2008 after a thorough win against the Buccaneers. But the Saints victory over the Bills shows that they are still dominating the division. The Falcons lost again, falling farther out of contention for the division lead.
The Packers keep on rolling despite all of their injuries, and their four-game winning streak has them atop the NFC North. Detroit and Chicago are right behind Green Bay at 4-3. Detroit’s dramatic win over the Cowboys helped them to keep pace and remain a half game back of the Packers.
The New York Giants looked dead in the water with an 0-6 record two weeks ago, but consecutive wins, including Sunday’s 15-7 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, have them sitting at 2-6 and only two games out of the NFC East division lead. The Cowboys lost a tough one but still sit atop the NFC East.
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