NFL standings, Week 9: AFC North features closest playoff race but all divisions competitive

The Cincinnati Bengals sit at 4-2-1 on the season, which puts them atop the division with a .643 winning percentage. Despite having fewer wins than the next two teams in the standings, the Bengals hold the top spot thanks to a 37-37 tie against the Carolina Panthers in Week 6. Cincinnati also managed to beat the Baltimore Ravens twice this season, including a 27-24 victory in their Week 8 matchup.

Both Baltimore and the Pittsburgh Steelers hold 5-3 records, a winning percentage of .625. They're set to play each other Sunday, with Baltimore having dominated the first meeting in Week 2. If Baltimore can manage another win it could be huge for the division race down the line.

Then there's the Cleveland Browns, a team that was expected to function in much the same way it did a season ago. Last year, they fielded a decent defense and a subpar offense, but this year the tables have been flipped. There have been defensive struggles and flashes of offensive brilliance, and the Browns are surprisingly sitting at 4-3, with a winning record. It's going to be a tough road to the top of the division for them, but they've got the 1-6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers next on the schedule. Likewise, the Bengals have an easy matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars on tap for Week 9.

The Indianapolis Colts currently lead the AFC South, which was expected. Andrew Luck has been excellent and the Colts have been a force all year, but they're being pushed by the Houston Texans. That bit is a little unexpected, given that the Texans were the worst team in the league a season ago. They're at 4-4 on the year, while the Tennessee Titans are a non-factor at 2-6 and the Jacksonville Jaguars have a single win.

Indianapolis already bested the Texans once this year, but if things continue on this path, their Week 15 matchup could hold some significance. For now, the Colts have a game against the New York Giants before a late Week 10 bye, and are coming off a humiliating loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Houston may dip below .500 this week thanks to a game against the Philadelphia Eagles, but it also has a Week 10 bye. For now, the Colts are looking like they'll hold on to the crown.

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots have long dominated the AFC East, with the occasional fight from the Miami Dolphins or the New York Jets. This year, the Patriots are once again on top and one of the league's best teams at 6-2. The Dolphins are a couple of wins back at 4-3 and the Jets aren't even in the conversation, with just a 1-7 record so far this season.

For once, though, it's the Buffalo Bills who are pushing the Patriots. They're at 5-3 on the season and have won their last two games, looking like a much better team since giving the reins to quarterback Kyle Orton. They did lose the first game to the Patriots in Week 6, but kept it close and are itching for the rematch in Week 17. Given the way the Bills have played thus far, it wouldn't be shocking if that contest held some kind of significance, though the Patriots are obviously favored. New England has a showdown with the Denver Broncos this week.

Miami is still in the conversation after consecutive wins, but a pair of difficult games against the San Diego Chargers and Detroit Lions is up next on the schedule.

The Broncos have a solid lead in the AFC West thanks to the fact that they've only dropped a single game this year: a Week 3 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks. They've put up four consecutive wins since then, including a victory last week over the Chargers, who are in second place in the division with a 5-3 record. Denver has a relatively easy schedule going forward, sans the aforementioned Week 9 game against the Patriots, the rematch with San Diego and a Week 16 game against the Bengals on Monday Night Football.

San Diego was keeping pace with New England, but the Chargers have dropped their last two games. With a tough schedule ahead that includes games against Baltimore and San Francisco, the Broncos remain the division's favorite. The Kansas City Chiefs are in third place and account for one of San Diego's two consecutive losses. After being so good a season ago, the Chiefs are still in this and have a relatively easy game against the Jets on Sunday. Then there's the Oakland Raiders, who are winless on the season.

This division was always going to be one of the most competitive, though one of the teams is a surprise underperformer. The Chicago Bears are 3-5 on the season and don't look to be improving much after two consecutive losses. They've got a bye week to try to sort things out . They're tied with the Minnesota Vikings, who are still trying to solidify the quarterback and running back spots after shakeups this year.

Ahead of them is the Green Bay Packers at 5-3. Green Bay's rushing offense has lagged behind all season as Eddie Lacy struggles, while the passing game hasn't exactly been solid. That passing game has started to pick up, though it couldn't lift them past the New Orleans Saints in Week 8. They've got a bye week, but an intimidating second-half schedule with New England, Philadelphia, Detroit and Buffalo still remains.

The NFC South has been kind of a mess this season. The Saints lead, but sport just a 4-4 record. Carolina is 3-5-1 with no signs of improvement in recent weeks, while the Atlanta Falcons hold third with an uninspiring 2-6 record and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sit at 1-6.

Nobody ever knows what to expect from the NFC East. The one constant, in recent years, has been the Dallas Cowboys falling short in Week 17. That doesn't look likely this year, since they're atop the division at 6-2. It may have been Jason Garrett's last chance to put something together and the Cowboys are rolling. Philadelphia is not far behind at 5-2, while the other two teams are under .500, with New York at 3-4 and Washington at 3-5.

Dallas actually just lost at home to Washington in overtime in Week 8, and the Cowboys have a difficult matchup against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 9. But the division will likely come down to the two second-half games against Philadelphia. They'll be in Philadelphia in Week 15 and Dallas will be the host in Week 13.

The NFC West was expected to be a three-team race this season, but not this way. The Cardinals are 6-1, despite most expecting them to finish last in the division. They've got a healthy lead over the San Francisco 49ers and the Seahawks, who both sit at 4-3 on the year. The St. Louis Rams are the surprise non-factor at 2-5.