NFL Playoff Picture: Week 9

Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL is in full “Hunger Games” mode as every team has at least eight games played under its belt, so its playoff picture allows us to pause and take a deep breath before diving right into the double-digit weeks that make or break a season.

I am fully aware that there have been a handful of teams not featured at all in this space so far this year, and they probably will never be considering how they have moved into the basement of their respective divisions to seemingly stay there for good in 2015.

I’m talking about the Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions.   The Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints have also been conspicuously absent from the playoff picture all year long, and they are not blameless for that since they have done so with self-inflicted wounds.

ALSO ON SPIN ZONE: Week 9 Late Thoughts

It’s not nice to leave anyone out forever; so just for this week it’s not just the “bubble teams”, “wild cards” and “division winners”. Get ready, because we are about to go over what every team’s chances of making the postseason are in a division-by-division format.

Disclaimer: Continue reading this at your own peril if you are in Detroit or Cleveland. Look at how well the Cavs and Pistons are doing in the NBA! There is a silver lining after all. Well, after those teams inevitably let you down eventually, too.

Next: NFC South