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No league markets equal footing like the NFL: it's their core marketing message. Yet following ten games of this season, this isn’t a league featuring uniform distribution between the good, the bad and the mediocre. Rather, we see a situation where the bulk of franchises appear to be fine.

Clear Picture in NFC

Looking at the NFC side, for the most part, we see clearer definition. The Rams and Seahawks (both standing at seven wins, two losses) seem like the most complete teams in football, and achieved decisive victories in their weekend matchups. The 6-2 Eagles despite their struggles continue to possess among the most gifted lineups throughout football, likewise with the Packers franchise (5-2-1). The Lions also (6-3 standing), with their fluctuating form on offense and defense and navigating coaching drama, have shown they can hammer quality opponents. For all five, you can still easily envision a route to the final game.

AFC Playoff Chaos

Over in the AFC, postseason landscape is thoroughly confusing. The four teams leading their divisions through ten weeks: the Colts, Patriots, Broncos (each with 8-2 records) and Steelers (5-4 record). Consider that carefully. Kansas City isn't there. Not the Bills. Baltimore and Cincinnati are absent. Historically strong franchises, backed by the league’s best quarterbacks, possess either obvious team deficiencies or have suffered medical setbacks.

Competitive Balance System

From certain perspectives, it’s the league’s ideal. But watching this season's top AFC teams within the conference still feels strange. Components of every squad pass the championship smell test, but not in their entirety. Were you questioned to lock in your AFC title game selections at this moment, would you comfortably select any one of these four teams?

Franchise Analysis

Indianapolis Outlook

First, examining Indianapolis, their quarterback hasn't descended to total collapse. Yet the past two games have been worrying. He has returned to turning over the ball and faltering under duress. He took seven sacks versus Atlanta in the weekend game, and experienced a five-minute stretch where he delivered an interception and lost three fumbles. This is a week after he committed turnovers five separate times against the Steelers.

The Colts attack performed well initially since Jones evaded the disaster plays. The running back and protection unit ensure Indianapolis remains good enough to survive periodic mistakes, as demonstrated overseas. But Jones returning to his old blunder-prone days would end any playoff run.

New England Patriots

New England appears relatively comparable. A year ago, they were a punchline. Now, they’re the league’s happiest surprise and the strongest squad in the NFL following seven consecutive victories. Except for committing turnover errors a contest they should have won against Pittsburgh, they’d be sitting at 9–1 with the best record. Previously, they were old and slow. Now they’re young, fast and unafraid. Still, it’s hard to ignore the ease of the Patriots' matchups. They've encountered the least challenging lineup throughout football, and flaws have still emerged. Drake Maye has been sacked thirty-five times – the second-most in football – and some of the shots he absorbed on Sunday proved brutal. As the season progresses, those beatings accumulate.

Denver Analysis

Denver stands at eight wins similarly, and it still feels that they're barely surviving. Their quarterback has performed unevenly, and the offense plodding, with the defense doing most of the responsibility. Without serviceable quarterback play, Denver cannot intimidate playoff opponents. The Chargers are also contending within their division at 7-2, but the injuries within their blocking corps will present challenges for extended playoff success.

Pittsburgh Steelers

And then there’s Pittsburgh, somehow still leading the Northern division even after suffering a 25-10 defeat from the Chargers during prime time. They've been outscored overall, their defensive unit frequently falters, with their quarterback's restrictions given his veteran status continue to show up. At 5-4, they're barely clinging, yet Baltimore, with their QB returning to health with manageable games ahead, are on a three-game win streak. It shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that the Ravens have narrowed within a game of the Steelers, but that it has arrived so quickly represents criticism toward Pittsburgh’s inconsistencies. Considering the Ravens opened with a 1-5 record yet still appear capable of division victory reveals much about the conference as a whole.

Traditional Powers

The Ravens' form part within a trio of powerhouses – alongside the Bills and Chiefs – driven by elite quarterback play, that would continue to generate the highest anxiety among competitors if they qualified. They represent undesirable playoff matchups, however, both franchises cannot get out of their own way.

Buffalo Bills

A week ago, the Bills were riding high after beating the Chiefs. On Sunday they suffered among the season's worst defeats during the campaign. They didn't merely fall versus the Dolphins; they suffered humiliation, losing 30-13 as visitors. It was Miami’s first win against Buffalo in several seasons.

For those searching for a perfect summary of Sunday, here you go: the quarterback converting {a quarterback sneak|a short-yardage play|a sneak attempt