NFL standings and playoff picture: Packers unseat Lions for NFC North lead

There are still five weeks left in the regular season, but now is the time when every game can be an elimination game for fringe teams fighting for a wild card spot, which was the case this week. The Houston Texans lost at home to the Cincinnati Bengals to fall to 5-6 and essentially out of the playoff picture.

The 7-4 Detroit Lions were manhandled by the New England Patriots, allowing the 8-3 Green Bay Packers to take first place in the NFC North. Detroit would be out of the postseason if it started tomorrow. The Lions still control their own destiny, as they beat the Packers at home earlier this year. They'll visit Green Bay in Week 17 in what could be a de facto NFC North championship.

The Seattle Seahawks scored a big win over the Arizona Cardinals to improve to 7-4 and tied the Lions for the final wild card spot, though Seattle controls the tiebreaker for now. Also in the NFC West, San Francisco held on to beat Washington at home to improve to 7-4. Expectations are high for a huge Thanksgiving clash between the Seahawks and 49ers at San Francisco.

The Dallas Cowboys rallied to beat the New York Giants and remain tied at 8-3 atop the NFC East. The Cowboys and Eagles face off on Thanksgiving for first place in the NFC East.

This is a division that has generally been dominated by the Packers, but that's not the case this year. Green Bay is still on top after they beat the Minnesota Vikings to improve to 8-3 and the Lions lost to New England to fall to 7-4. This will be a tight race going forward.

The Arizona Cardinals are still in first at 9-2, but their lead in the division was cut by a game with their loss to Seattle. The Seahawks improved to 7-4 with the win and were joined in a tie for second by the 49ers, who rallied late to get past Washington. The teams still have several division games to go, making the NFC West very much up for grabs.

The 4-6 New Orleans Saints still have yet to play the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football in a game that will affect both team's playoff chances. New Orleans leads the division now after the Atlanta Falcons lost to the Cleveland Browns to fall to 4-7. The 3-7-1 Carolina Panthers are still alive in this race. The 2-9 Tampa Bay Buccaneers are not.

The Indianapolis Colts are once again the class of the division after beating the Jacksonville Jaguars to improve to 7-4. That, combined with a Texans loss to the Bengals, left the Colts with a two-game lead in the division. The Texans fell to 5-6 and now appear long shots for the postseason.

The Bengals maintained their slim lead in the AFC North with a win over Houston to improve to 7-3-1, just ahead of the 7-4 Browns. The 6-4 Ravens still need to play their game at New Orleans, while the 7-4 Pittsburgh Steelers are on their bye.

The Denver Broncos had to rally at home to beat the Miami Dolphins, 39-36. They improve to 8-3 and maintain a slim lead over the 7-4 San Diego Chargers, who hung at home to beat the St. Louis Rams, and the 7-4 Kansas City Chiefs, who lost at Oakland. The Chiefs can catch the Broncos when the two teams play at Kansas City in Week 13.

The Patriots inched one step closer to another AFC East crown after their 34-9 demolition of the Lions and improved their record to 9-2. The Dolphins lost at Denver to fall to 7-4 but are still tied for one of the two wild card spots. The 5-5 Buffalo Bills still have to play the New York Jets Monday in a do-or-die game for their playoff hopes.