Who’s Playing Right Now in the NFL?
It’s mid-season in the NFL, and there are plenty of exciting games to watch every week. But who’s playing right now? Check out our blog to find out!
Introduction
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, and the highest professional level of American football in the world. NFL games are divided into four quarters, each 15 minutes long.
AFC East
The AFC East is home to some of the most iconic NFL teams, including the New England Patriots, New York Jets, and Buffalo Bills. These teams are often in contention for the playoffs, and the divisional rivalry is strong. So who’s playing right now in the AFC East?
The Patriots are currently in first place with a record of 9-5. They are followed by the Jets (7-7), Bills (6-8), and Miami Dolphins (5-9). The Patriots have clinched a playoff spot, but their divisional rivals are still in contention. The Jets will need to win their remaining games and hope for some help from other teams to make the playoffs. The Bills are currently on the outside looking in, but they could still make a run if they can win their final two games. The Dolphins have been eliminated from playoff contention.
AFC North
Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are currently members of the AFC North division of the National Football League (NFL). The Bengals franchise was founded in 1968 as a member of the American Football League (AFL) by former Cleveland Browns head coach Paul Brown.
Cleveland Browns: The Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the AFC North division of the National Football League (NFL). The Browns franchise was founded in 1945 as a member of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), and played their inaugural season in 1946.
Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are currently members of the AFC North division of the National Football League (NFL). The Steelers franchise was founded in 1933 as part of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens are a professional football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. They are currently members of the AFC North division of the National Football League (NFL). The Ravens were established in 1996, when Art Modell, who was then the owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced plans to relocate his team to Baltimore.
AFC South
The AFC South is a division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created before the 2002 season when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams. Four teams currently compete in the division: the Houston Texans, the Indianapolis Colts, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Tennessee Titans. At the end of each NFL season, the winner of each division is awarded a playoff berth.
AFC West
The AFC West is a division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League. Its four members are the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Oakland Raiders. Although it currently only contains four teams, it is by far the largest division in terms of geography; its footprint spans almost the entire Western United States.
The AFC West is also one of the most competitive divisions in football; all four teams have won at least one Super Bowl, and three of the four (the Broncos, Chiefs, and Raiders) have won multiple Super Bowls. The division has also produced some of the game’s greatest players, including Hall of Famers John Elway, Kurt Warner, Marcus Allen, and Ronnie Lott.
Currently, the Broncos are the defending division champions, having won seven consecutive AFC West titles from 2011 to 2017. The Chiefs are the most recent team to win a Super Bowl from the AFC West, having done so in 2020.
NFC East
The NFC East is a division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It currently has four members: the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Giants, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Washington Redskins.
NFC North
The National Football Conference (NFC) North is a division of the National Football Conference (NFC) of the National Football League (NFL). It was created before the 2002 season when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams. Its four members are the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, and Minnesota Vikings. Prior to 2002, when the NFL realigned its divisions following an expansion from 31 to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans, these four clubs were considered part of the NFC Central.
When NFL expansion added a 32nd franchise to Houston in 2002, it shifted several teams into new divisions to keep 8 four-team divisions. As part of this realignment, Minnesota was shifted into what became known as NFC North.
NFC South
The NFC South is a division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created prior to the 2002 NFL season when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams. The NFC South currently has four member clubs: the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. At the end of each NFL season, the winner of this division is awarded a playoff berth.
The NFC South is notable for being the only division in the NFL to have borne two Super Bowl champions: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII at the conclusion of the 2002 season, while the New Orleans Saints won Super Bowl XLIV at the conclusion of the 2009 season.
NFC West
The NFC West is home to some of the best teams in the NFL. The division features the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, and Arizona Cardinals. All four teams are very competitive and have a chance to make a run at the playoffs.
