Nobody saw the Arizona Cardinals coming a season ago, and nobody predicted they'd be where they are today. It was easy to write off the Cardinals' late-season domination last year because they failed to make the playoffs and discussion died down quickly. With the Seattle Seahawks winning the Super Bowl and the San Francisco 49ers coming up just short in the NFC Championship, it was even easier to forget about the team from Arizona.
NFL standings, Week 10: The Arizona Cardinals are the surprise of the season with control of NFC West
The Arizona Cardinals have seven wins this season and both the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks are scrambling to catch up.
During the offseason, the NFC West was often described as a three team race -- between the 49ers, Seahawks and St. Louis Rams. But 10 weeks into the regular season, the Rams are nowhere in sight, the 49ers are struggling and the Seahawks aren't faring much better. The Cardinals, though, are coming off a dominant 28-17 victory over the strong Dallas Cowboys and have a firm grip on the NFC West lead.
And Arizona's remaining schedule doesn't look nearly as bad as San Francisco's or Seattle's. The Detroit Lions will pose a challenge in Week 11, but the Cardinals primarily have to deal with two games against Seattle and a rematch with San Francisco in Week 17.
The 49ers are 4-4 on the season, with a 1-2 mark in the division. Seattle is 5-3 and 0-1 in the division, while the Rams are 3-5 and 2-1 in the division. Those NFC West games in the second half of the season will be hugely important, but for now the division is firmly in the hands of the Cardinals. A lot can change, but it could just as easily stay the same. It’s still pretty likely that the NFC West has a couple different representatives in the playoffs, but Arizona has early sights set on a first-round bye.
Here’s a look at how the rest of the divisions are shaping up heading into Week 10:
NFC North
The NFC North has been one of the more competitive divisions over the years and that's true again this year. That said, the Detroit Lions currently have the lead with a 6-2 record, while the Green Bay Packers are in second at 5-3. Things are plenty interesting coming into Week 10 as the Packers will take on the 3-5 Chicago Bears with a chance to tie the division lead, given that Detroit has a tough game against the Miami Dolphins on the schedule. The Minnesota Vikings are 4-5 and still struggling to find an offensive identity. They'll have a week to try and figure it out as they've got a bye for Week 10.
NFC East
The Dallas Cowboys are one of the most surprising teams of the season. Head coach Jason Garrett was gone, at least according to everybody who had an opinion on the matter coming into this past offseason. Now he has Dallas at 6-3 on the season, just behind the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East. Philadelphia is 6-2, but trending downwards with Mark Sanchez starting Sunday.
They've got a tough game against the Carolina Panthers Monday, while the Cowboys will be taking on the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. The New York Giants are 3-5 on the season and look like a mess. Washington doesn't look any better at 3-6. Washington has a bye week, while the Giants face the tough Seahawks Sunday.
NFC South
This division is kind of a mess at this point. The New Orleans Saints are in first, which was expected, but they're also 4-4 with a game against the 49ers Sunday. Their primary competition was supposed to be the Carolina Panthers, who sit at 3-5-1. Carolina's defense was among the best in the league a season ago but they've been downright bad this year. The Atlanta Falcons are 2-6 with no relief in sight and that goes double for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 1-7. Carolina has a game against Philadelphia, while the Buccaneers and Falcons will play each other Sunday.
AFC West
As expected, the Denver Broncos are on top in the AFC West. Peyton Manning has led them to a 6-2 record, with a perfect 5-0 record at home. Denver doesn't have a stranglehold on the division, however, as the Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers are right behind at 5-3 and 5-4, respectively. The Oakland Raiders hardly warrant a mention at 0-8 on the year. They're likely to be 0-9, as the aforementioned Broncos will travel to Oakland in Week 10. Kansas City has a tough game against the Buffalo Bills, and the Chargers are on a bye week.
AFC North
This division is possibly the most exciting in football. All four teams are in a good position going forward, including the Cleveland Browns. In fact, the Browns are 6-3, tied for the division lead after dominating the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football. They're one of the big surprises of the season and have a less taxing schedule than the rest of the division. The Pittsburgh Steelers are also tied for the division with a 6-3 record. The aforementioned Bengals are 5-3-1, while the Baltimore Ravens are 5-4. Baltimore has been solid this season, but they're already at 2-3 in the division and can't finish better than .500 against its rivals.
AFC East
The New England Patriots are just as good as advertised, and they look like they're getting better. The Patriots are 7-2 and in control of the AFC East, though they actually have teams pushing them this year. The New York Jets are not one of those teams, as they're 1-8 and Rex Ryan may be looking for a new team next year. The Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins are both 5-3 and pushing the Patriots. Both the Bills and Dolphins have tough games in Week 10, against the Chiefs and Lions, respectively.
AFC South
The Indianapolis Colts are 6-3 this year, and Andrew Luck is playing incredible football at this point. The Colts were always expected to take the division, but the Tennessee Titans were expected to push them. That's not happening, as the Titans are 2-6, barely better than the 1-8 Jacksonville Jaguars. The Houston Texans, the worst team in the league a season ago, are 4-5 and have the best chance of unseating the Colts. Houston has a bye week in Week 10, as do the Colts.
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