First Quarter NFL Report in 2013

AFC East: New England holds a tenuous lead by one game, including winning both divisional games so far. However, Miami remains on the Patriots’ heels.  The Patriots have yet to play the Dolphins who are only one game behind in the standings.

AFC North: This race consists of a three-way bottleneck for first place. Each of that trio has won a divisional game so far. The Ravens lead by a nose since they have yet to lose a game within the division. In contrast, the Browns and Bengals have split their two divisional games so far. With the 0-4 start, Pittsburgh has completely fallen out of contention.

AFC South: Indianapolis has edged slightly past Tennessee due to a divisional win while the Titans lost their only AFC South game so far. That loss to Houston keeps the Texans within striking distance despite trailing those other two teams. The Jaguars are already planning to relocate more games out of Jacksonville; could a move to Los Angeles be forthcoming?

AFC West: Denver and Kansas City have set themselves on a collision course with each other to win the division. They have the best records in the AFC. It seems certain that one will win the division while the other claims the higher wildcard. 

NFC East: This quartet appears as the weakest by far of all of the divisions. None have a winning record. In fact, these four have only two wins in total versus opponents outside of the division. This division is going to give ammunition to those who wish to base playoff seedings solely on teams' records without any consideration given to divisional winners.

NFC South: The Saints are on pace to wrap up the divisional championship before Thanksgiving Day. With at least a three and a half game lead on everyone in the division plus wins in both divisional games played so far, New Orleans will soon claim this title.

NFC West: This race is closer than it appears at first glance. The last place team, Saint Louis, sits only two games out of first place and has a 1-1 divisional record. The Rams could make up that deficit and more with both games against first place Seattle remaining.  

COPYRIGHT BY CHARLES KASTRIOT OCTOBER 2013