Whether you’re a pessimist (realist?) or optimist, we’ve got you covered heading into Week 7.
The NFL has just about wrapped up Week 7 action, with the Atlanta Falcons hosting the New York Giants on Monday Night Football to close it out. That game has fairly significant draft pick implications. The Giants sit at 1-5, tied with the 1-5 Oakland Raiders and a half game back of the 1-6 San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals. The Falcons are 2-4, and scuffling along, but can remain in the wild card chase for the time being with a win.
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 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
This week saw a one-win team get a victory, as the Indianapolis Colts had little trouble with the two-win Buffalo Bills. Who knew Derek Anderson was not really the best answer with Josh Allen hurt.
Meanwhile, both the 49ers and Cardinals lost this week to drop to 1-6. The 49ers have the edge in strength of schedule, with the lower SOS getting the tiebreaker. If the Giants lose to the Falcons on Monday, they will take over the No. 1 overall pick.
Speaking of the 49ers and Cardinals, they square off in Week 8 in Glendale, Arizona. The loser could still finish behind the winner in draft order, but it’s a big mid-season draft matchup. It is joined by the Raiders hosting the Colts in another important draft order matchup.
1. San Francisco 49ers (1-6 — .529)
2. Arizona Cardinals (1-6 — .548)
3. New York Giants (1-5 — .476)
4. Oakland Raiders (1-5 — .545)
5. Indianapolis Colts (2-5 — .459)
6. Buffalo Bills (2-5 — .541)
2019 NFL playoffs
The very best of each conference is slowly settling into place, and then it’s matter of figuring out the clump of teams behind them. In the AFC, the 6-1 Chiefs got a big win over Cincinnati and the 5-2 Patriots edged out Chicago on the road. The Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans are each a game back of the Patriots, but it’s clear Kansas City and New England are the two best teams in the conference.
In the NFC, the Rams thumped the 49ers to remain undefeated at 7-0, and it’s basically LA and then everybody else. The next group of teams includes the Saints, who won in Baltimore to improve to 5-1, the Vikings, who beat the Jets on the road to improve to 4-2-1, and then the Panthers, who improved to 4-2 with a win in Philadelphia. Washington beat Dallas to improve to 4-2 and take a 1.5 game lead in the NFC East.
The NFC has two big matchups in Week 8. The Rams host the Packers, while the Vikings host the Saints. All four will remain int he playoff chase regardless of the outcome, but this could give LA and New Orleans a chance to firm up their position atop the NFC.
NFC playoff picture
1. Los Angeles Rams (7-0)
2. New Orleans Saints (5-1)
3. Washington (4-2)
4. Minnesota Vikings (4-2-1)
5. Carolina Panthers (4-2)
6. Green Bay Packers (3-2-1)
AFC playoff picture
1. Kansas City Chiefs (6-1)
2. New England Patriots (5-2)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2-1)
4. Houston Texans (4-3)
5. Los Angeles Chargers (5-2)
6. Cincinnati Bengals (4-3)
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