Whether you’re a pessimist (realist?) or optimist, we’ve got you covered heading into Week 9.
The NFL has just about wrapped up Week 8 action, with the Buffalo Bills hosting the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football to close it out. The two-win Bills are in the thick of the race for the top pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, while the Patriots will look to continue their run toward another AFC East title.
We’re back once again with a look at NFL standings from a couple different perspectives. We’ll be breaking down the draft order, since the San Francisco 49ers are firmly in the mix for the top pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. We will also break down the playoff picture since most of us will pay at least passing interest in the playoffs come January.
2019 NFL Draft order
It was another ugly loss for the 49ers. They looked set to snap their losing streak, leading the Arizona Cardinals 15-3 early the fourth quarter. Instead, they gave up a pair of touchdowns to close out the game, and lost 18-15 — dropping to 1-7 in the process. It was not surprising they lost, but it was an embarrassing one once again.
Meanwhile, the New York Giants lost 20-13 to Washington to drop to 1-7 as well. They hold the edge over the 49ers due to strength of schedule. The 49ers and Giants square off in two weeks on Monday Night Football.
Elsewhere in the Bay area, the Oakland Raiders lost to the Indianapolis Colts to drop to 1-6 on the season. The 49ers and Raiders square off in three days on Thursday Night Football. The TNF games have been a mixed bag, and this week is decidedly the short end of the stick, with draft implications the order of the day.
1. New York Giants (1-7 — .508)
2. San Francisco 49ers (1-7 — .525)
3. Oakland Raiders (1-6 — .548)
4. Arizona Cardinals (2-6 — .546)
5. Buffalo Bills (2-5 — .512)
6. Cleveland Browns (2-5-1 — .567)
2019 NFL playoffs
The New Orleans Saints got the biggest win of the week, going into Minneapolis to get a decisive 30-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. The Saints improved to 6-1 with the win and remain a game up on the Carolina Panthers in the NFC South.
Meanwhile, the NFC North has a traffic jam up top. The Chicago Bears improved to 4-3 with a 24-10 win over the New York Jets, and now hold the divisional lead over 4-3-1 Minnesota. 3-3-1 Green Bay is right behind them, followed by 3-4 Detroit. It is anybody’s race for the time being.
The Los Angeles Rams got the other big win of the week, remaining undefeated with a 29-27 victory over the Green Bay Packers. It looked like the Packers might spring the upset, but a late Ty Montgomery kickoff fumble cost Aaron Rodgers a chance to drive them into field goal range. The Rams improved to 8-0 with the win.
It was a mostly quiet day for the AFC. The Kansas City Chiefs got an important home win over the Denver Broncos, but there were not many big matchups on the day.
The Vikings host the Lions in Week 9 in a big NFC North matchup. The Seattle Seahawks host the Los Angeles Chargers in an unexpectedly big inter-conference matchup. The Chargers currently hold the top wild card spot and are a game and a half back of the Chiefs in the AFC West. The Seahawks have quietly climbed into the last playoff playoff berth in the NFC.
NFC playoff picture
1. Los Angeles Rams (8-0)
2. New Orleans Saints (6-1)
3. Washington (5-2)
4. Chicago Bears (4-3)
5. Carolina Panthers (5-2)
6. Seattle Seahawks (4-3)
AFC playoff picture
1. Kansas City Chiefs (7-1)
2. New England Patriots (5-2)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3-1)
4. Houston Texans (5-3)
5. Los Angeles Chargers (5-2)
6. Cincinnati Bengals (5-3)
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